Vintage Murfin Verse For International Women’s Day Murfin Verse

 

The largest regional Women's March event will be in Chicago.

Note—There seems to be a lot of occasions in March that have inspired my poesy. I hope I have not worn out my welcome with them. Here is another and a bonus two-fer on the blog today. 

 

It has been among the honors of my life to be able to attend and support Women’s March events since the first giant protest for Trump’s first inauguration in Chicago and Woodstock as a male ally. 

 

With the Tree of Life UU Congregation contingent on a frosty January morn for the first Women's March in Chicago in 2017.

 

Today I will be able to join hopefully hundreds in Crystal Lake along Route 14 by Exchange Drive while others will march in Chicago and around the country. 

 

 

The second Women’s March in Chicago in January 2018 turned out to be the last big march I have been able to participate in. A-fib and a gimpy leg put me out of that kind of action. 

 

The Old Man's last big march--January 20, 2018 Women's March in Chicago.  With Tree of Life's Terry Kappel and Juday Stettner.

 

 After that event I dared write:

Today, I Am a Woman 

After the Chicago Women’s March January 20, 2018 

 

Today, I am a woman—

         a put-a-bag-on-her-head-woman, 

         a never hit on by Cosby, Weinstein, or Trump woman, 

         a lumbering lummox of a lady, 

         a barren womb non-breeder, 

         a hairy-legged horror,

         a gawky, graceless girl, 

         a disappointment all around. 

 

But Sisters, today, I am a woman— if you will have me. 

 

Tomorrow I will be just another prick. 

 

 —Patrick Murfin

 

International Women’s Day this Saturday March 8 will give women, their allies, and others targeted for harm by the out of control attack on civilized values and Constitutional norms by the current maladministration to make their voices unequivocally clear. This year the official Women’s March, which has organized national protests since the giant march in 2017 against Trump’s first inauguration and has inspired sister marches across the globe, concentrated on the broader People’s March this year on January 18. Local People’s March events were also held on March 1. 

 

This year the Women’s March and other organizations are promoting Women’s Day marches and rallies across the country. See here to find local events. Chicago hosts a major regional event this Saturday beginning at 11:30 am at Dailey Plaza with a march to Trump Tower setting off an hour later. Their call says: 

 

This International Women’s Day, we’re hitting the streets with Women’s March to show our collective power. Women’s March is built, funded, and led by everyday women—just like us. No matter the administration, we choose solidarity, safety, and each other. Now more than ever, we must take action for a feminist future where all women, femmes, and gender-expansive people are safe, valued, and free. Join Gemmes for Femmes as we march, rally, and raise our voices for justice, equity, and liberation. 

 

For us in the far Northwest boonies of Chicago, a rally along Rt. 14 in Crystal Lake centered at Exchange Drive from 11 am to 1 pm will be the first time since the inauguration we will have a chance for a large, local display of resistance. Sponsor McHenry County NOW invites all to join them in an intersessional display of defiance. 

United We Resist!

 

On International Women’s Day Saturday March 8th from 11am-1pm, it seems fitting that we’re taking to the streets with our friends & neighbors who care about the constant attacks on the Rights of Women, People of Color, the LGBTQIA+ community, Veterans, those with Disabilities, Low income families, Seniors, Farmers & our Migrant/Refugee families in this country.

Now is the time we stand up in the name of humanity and refuse to accept our rights and freedoms in this country being stripped away every day.

Now is the time to hold our elected officials who support fascism accountable, and to expect our elected officials who support democracy to show up and fight for it alongside us! When we look back at this timeline in history, let's look back confident that we resisted, we refused to be silent, and we refused to look the other day while our Democracy was being destroyed before our very eyes!

         Together, neighbor beside neighbor, we will fight fascism! 

         Sign up here.

 

Queen Esther Speeks to Her Sisters—Murfin Verse for International Women’s Day

This year Purim begins as sunset Saturday, March 23 at sunset.  That’s more than two weeks after International Women’s Day today.  Not even close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades.  But back in 2012 Purim, which wanders all over the late winter/spring Gregorian Calendar because it is fixed to the ancient Hebrew calendar fell smack dab on the same day.  If you have been hanging around this joint for long, you know what that meant—calendar coincidence Murfin verse.

Since then, I have generally recycled the poem in Purim posts most years.  But this year the laughing defiance of Queen Esther to her sisters seems much more at home today.  So here she’ll be.

Queen Esther Revealing Her Identity from a stunning series of contemporary mosaics of the Purim story by Lilian Borca.

I am not going into the full, fantastic yarn related in the Old Testament Book of Esther.  Suffice it to say that this tale of the Jews in the days of the Babylonian captivity sticks out in the Bible both because it never mentions Yahweh—it is about tribal and cultural identity, not religion—but because it is a rip-roaring saga rife with drunken royal orgies, a lascivious king, a scheming and evil vizier, treachery galore, a clever old man, a virtual pogrom, and a defiant counter attack that leaves goyim dead by the heap.  But mostly it is about a lovely and virtuous teenager who was essentially abducted and sex trafficked all the way into the Royal bedroom to which she adapted and seemed to perform her duties with exquisite and irresistible skill.

                    Queen Esther and the King.

Esther is the princes/queen who will never be animated by Disney or warble the words of a cheerful and inspiring anthem.  None-the-less, she triumphed and saved Jewry by her wiles.  And Disney or not, Esther is the one that all of the little girls want to dress up as for the rollicking, joyous festival of Purim.

Esther denounce Haman, the evil Vizier to the drunken King.

You can look it all up.

Anyway, let Esther speak again to her sisters across time and space.

Purim/International Women’s Day

14th day of Adar 5772/March 8, 2012

 

Queen Esther tossed her head,

            gleaming black hair

            tumbling to those lovely shoulders

            that had enticed a lecher King.

                        She laughed.

 

Her people, the Women of another age,

            leaned toward her

            waiting her word.

 

She cast her blazing eyes upon them,

            laughed again

            and spoke at last.

 

“So many Hamans.  Where shall we begin?”

 

—Patrick Murfin

 

Thank Trade Unionists and Socialists for International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day.  Rooted in the international push for women’s suffrage and in the labor/socialist movements, the first celebration was held in 1911 on March 19, a date selected to commemorate the 1848 uprisings when the King of Prussia was compelled to acknowledge the power of the people. 

The occasion and date were suggested by Clara Zetkin of the German Social Democratic Party at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910.  Delegates from 17 countries representing trade unions, socialist parties, and working women’s clubs unanimously approved the call.  News of the event, spread by the socialist press and word of mouth helped make the first observance successful in much of Europe with packed meetings, parades, and at least one tense standoff with police.

                                        Just before World War I German Socialists celebrated International Women's Day in 1914.

In 1913, International Women’s Day was moved to its present date of March 8.  Despite the eruption of the First World War, which damaged many international relationships, Women’s Day grew year by year. 

In the wake of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, American unions, the Socialist Party, and later the Communist Party spread the celebration through the next two decades, but because of its radical association, the Suffrage movement and middle class women’s organizations shunned it. 

The Feminist movement of the 1970's revived American interest in International Women's Day although its socialist and labor roots were often obscured.

It faded in this country until it was taken up by a new generation of feminists in ‘60’s, largely shorn of its original working class basis. 

In 1975 the United Nations officially began promoting and sponsoring International Women’s Day.  Each year the U.N. designates a theme for the celebration, although individual countries and groups are allowed, even encouraged, to develop their own themes based on their own experiences and challenges. 

The theme for 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, and call for climate action for women, by women.  From the UN Women web page” 

With the latest data, we now understand the vital link between gender, social equity and climate change, and recognize that without gender equality today, a sustainable future, an equal future, remains out of reach.

Women and girls experience the greatest impacts of the climate crisis as it amplifies existing gender inequalities and puts women’s lives and livelihoods at risk. Across the world, women depend more on, yet have less access to, natural resources, and often bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water, and fuel.

As women and girls bear the burden of climate impacts, they are also essential to leading and driving change in climate adaption, mitigation and solutions.  Without the inclusion of half of the world’s population, it is unlikely that solutions for a sustainable planet and a gender equal world tomorrow will be realized. 

However, the official International Women’s Day web site, while recognizing he United Nations designation, is promoting an alternative theme—#Break the Bias:

Imagine a gender equal world.

 

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

 

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

 

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

 

Together we can forge women's equality.

 

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

 

Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions—all day, every day.

 

We can break the bias in our communities.

 

We can break the bias in our workplaces.

 

We can break the bias in our schools, colleges and universities.

 

Together, we can all break the bias—on International Women’s Day (IWD) and beyond.

The encourage women, men, and genderfluid individuals to participate in the movement by using the x-crossed arms pose and “share your #BreakTheBias image, video, resources, presentation or articles on social media using #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias to encourage further people to commit to helping forge an inclusive world.”

The Old Man is in!

Today, International Women’s Day is observed as a national holiday in many nations, although disguised as a version of Mothers’ Day in some conservative societies.  Among the hold outs in designating an official status are many Islamic nations like Iran where attempts to mark the Day with public demonstrations have been met by police attacks and the jailing of many leading women militants. 

And, of course, in the United States a deep fear and resentment by conservatives of any International celebration, particularly one with Socialist roots and promoted by the United Nations, prevents any official participation, even when it was—or especially because it was—smiled upon and acknowledged by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Women of the Ukraine show  the world strength. 

This year the leading role of women in ecological movements, demands for action on climate change, and climate justice are widely acknowledged.  And the perfidious invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin has highlighted the amazing strength of women in the defense of their homes, families, nations, and equality.

 

The Labor and Socialist Roots of International Women’s Day Run Deep

Today is International Women’s Day.  Rooted in the international push for women’s suffrage and in the labor/socialist movements, the first celebration was held in 1911 on March 19, a date selected to commemorate the 1848 uprisings when the King of Prussia was compelled to acknowledge the power of the people. 

The occasion and date were suggested by Clara Zetkin of the German Social Democratic Party at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910.  Delegates from 17 countries representing trade unions, socialist parties, and working women’s clubs unanimously approved the call.  News of the event, spread by the socialist press and word of mouth helped make the first observance successful in much of Europe with packed meetings, parades, and at least one tense standoff with police.

Just before World War I German Socialists celebrated International Women's Day in 1914.

In 1913, International Women’s Day was moved to its present date of March 8.  Despite the eruption of the First World War, which damaged many international relationships, Women’s Day grew year by year. 

In the wake of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, American unions, the Socialist Party, and later the Communist Party spread the celebration through the next two decades, but because of its radical association, the Suffrage movement and middle class women’s organizations shunned it. 

Union members, Socialist, Communists and female labor organizations led early American observances while middle class suffrage movements shied away.

It faded in this country until it was taken up by a new generation of feminists in ‘60’s, largely shorn of its original working class basis. 

In 1975 the United Nations officially began promoting and sponsoring International Women’s Day.  Each year the U.N. designates a theme for the celebration, although individual countries and groups are allowed, even encouraged, to develop their own themes based on their own experiences and challenges. 

The theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge.  The International Women’s Day web site describes the theme this way:

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions—all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

Today, it is observed as a national holiday in many nations, although disguised as a version of Mothers’ Day in some conservative societies.  Among the hold outs in designating an official status are many Islamic nations like Iran where attempts to mark the Day with public demonstrations have been met by police attacks and the jailing of many leading women militants. 

Second wave American feminists resurrected interest in International Women's Day in the late '60's and celebrated when became a United Nations sponsored event in 1975.

And, of course, in the United States a deep fear and resentment by conservatives of any International celebration, particularly one with Socialist roots and promoted by the United Nations, prevents any official participation, even when it was—or especially because it was—smiled upon and acknowledged by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

This year President Joe Biden is set to mark International Women’s Day by signing two executive orders creating a Gender Policy Council and reviewing Trump-era changes to Title IX, the Federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education.