http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/community/group_rss/O-MAMAorg O-MAMA.org is for opinionated moms who want to be a constructive voice in our country's most important conversations. O-MAMA.org supports ALL moms and their unique perspectives. Please join today and help ALL moms understand a GAY MOM's perspective on the important issues of our time. Primaries are BORING, right? Voter turnout is typically dismal in the United States, particularly in mid-term and primary elections. No one cares…we go about our day, doing our thing and then we wonder how so-n-so got in office. Hmmm? Maybe that's why the candidates feel like they need to jump up and down and, basically, stand on their heads to get our attention?! Like kids fighting over who gets to play on the monkey bars, American politics has degenerated into childish antics. “He did this….she did that….that’s not fair…that’s not true...it's my turn...I want, I want, I want...waaaa!” MAMAs - sound familiar? Of course it does. Our kids interact with this same immature level of banter. The only difference is they have an Opinionated MAMA to make sure they play fair, take turns and use their big boy/girl voices. Our kids are not responsible for solving the huge problems of the day, but our politicians are! Take Delaware’s new sweetheart, Christina O’Donnell, for example. She's adorable. She won the Senate primary as the GOP Tea Party candidate, against the best efforts of the mainstream GOP. She’s now in the news clips claiming she was a wiccan - yep, she says she used to hang out with witches!? Her hocus pocus, viewpoints on pre-marital sex and the lien on her house are more talked about than any political agenda she may have. But, what exactly is her agenda? Freedom of witchcraft? No sexting? Fiscal free for all? What will her policies be? What is her political platform, without all the witchcraft? Why is she talking about SEX when the economy needs some Viagra? Why is she shouting about balancing our federal budget when she can't balance her own checkbook? What is really going on? These are the things we need to know. But, it’s just more fun to talk about the silly stuff…certainly more juicy...definitely more helpful to TV ratings than boring brass tacks, right? Christina O'Donnell is camera ready and gives great sound bites. That's all that's important on the political playground these days. Millions of people throughout the world envy our political system, one in which candidates get to speak to their constituents directly and citizens have the right to freely elect their own representatives. So, why don't we take elections seriously and listen to important policy points? Why don't we get into the nitty gritty details of the candidates platforms? Why do we only want the snarky sound bites? People say that they do not vote for several reasons: no time, not enough research on the issues, or that their single vote does not really matter in the larger scheme of things...blah, blah, blah...even more common is the sentiment that people are frustrated with the options on the ballot when they are asked to choose between two equally boring candidates. The fact is when there is an interesting, polarizing candidate who says some wacky stuff, it gets us excited. Then, we wonder why smart, hard-working candidates are so few and far between...because they are B-O-R-I-N-G and we don't vote for them! The political discourse has withered into a game of tug-of-war and name-calling because it makes it more "fun" for us to stay engaged. We actually like the drama...we want to hear from the gossip girls and we do everything we can to avoid being on the receiving end of the bullies, otherwise, we're left with the usual cliques. The really cool people just walk away from the playground of politics. Education, wars, healthcare, immigration, gay rights, economic recession are just some of what is at stake here. It is more significant that we fix these fundamental problems and re-build our country, than who gets to rule the sandbox during recess. Instead of hearing intelligent debate on these very important issues, we find candidates slinging sex scandal gossip, extreme rhetoric, racial slurs and references to bartering chickens for healthcare. Good grief?!@#$! The world is watching and we are behaving like a bunch of rowdy 2nd graders. So, yes, it's easy to see why grown ups may be turned off by politics. But, we can’t give up now. Not today. Not in the face of all the enormous challenges that we have - not for ourselves, but for our children. It’s time to show our kids that we care about the issues that face our generation and theirs. We need to send the message that these are serious times and we need serious problem-solvers. We will not accept the childish behavior of our politicians - we are already wiping noses and packing lunches for our own kids, so enough with the snotty behavior and free lunches from our elected leaders. It’s time to remind ourselves that "we [indeed] get the government we deserve." We might be temporarily entertained by all the playground antics, but our kids deserve better! Change begins at home. O-MAMA.com http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2LW http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2LW/commentary#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:33:38 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2LW O-MAMA http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8fdb16979500013123_avm6b95c9.jpg O-MAMA 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2LW/ Our vote is our voice. So, if you ever think to yourself on voting day that finishing the laundry or staying late at work is more significant to your life than taking time out to visit the polls, well, think again. MAMAs have something to celebrate this summer. August 18th marks the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The Amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." The long awaited amendment was born out of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Prior to its ratification in 1920, women did not have a voice in politics because we were not allowed to vote…by law. Before women were granted the right to vote themselves, we had to defer social and political power to men. Our views, opinions and perspectives were invisible, only to be represented by people who had no understanding of what it was like to be a woman in America...or a wife, a mother, daughter or sister. Gaining the right to vote for women was no easy task. Between 1878, when the amendment was first introduced to Congress and 1920, before it was ratified, women activists worked tirelessly to champion voting rights for women. They organized, petitioned, and picketed to earn the right to have their voice heard in the political arena. Some used tactics such as hunger strikes, silent vigils, and parades. And to no surprise, fierce resistance met their activism. Women were heckled, jailed, physically attacked, and abused. Many had their own lives, and those of their children, threatened for their involvement in women’s rights organizations. Our grandmas and great grandmas have a greater legacy than those recipes for apple pie and pot roast. They empowered us to be part of the democratic discourse and participate in our political process. The matriarchs of our families spoke up, and in doing so, gave us a voice, too. And for crying out loud, we have a lot to say...so the laundry and emails can wait! But what can’t wait, is our political involvement. After all, we do not run the risk of getting jailed, beaten, or ostracized for exercising our voting rights….like women in other countries still do...so, in honor of all women, for just one day, put voting on the top of your “to do list.” We are so lucky to live in the U.S.A. where we are granted a government for the people and by the people, where we have the right to elect our officials and express our opinions. One person, one vote, one voice. We do not have to defer decisions to anyone else. Our grandmothers have passed the torch and empowered us, and our daughters are watching. Together, we can honor our nonis, nanas, grammys, bubbas and g.g.s and inspire our daughters. Our vote is our voice MAMAs. See you at the polls in November! http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Lt http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Lt/commentary#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:35:21 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Lt O-MAMA http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8fdb16979500013123_avm6b95c9.jpg O-MAMA 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2Lt/ How many of us have been asked the questions, “Mommy, which of us is your favorite? Who do you love more?” As parents, we know there is only one answer to questions like these…"We love you all, equally." The truth is we may love each child equally, but they are not all the same. And, at times, we may like one child’s behavior more than the other’s…the good student, the good athlete, the good manners…sometimes we can’t help ourselves, they are a reflection of the best in us, or so we hope. Other times, they are insecure, selfish, withdrawn…and they seemingly reflect the worst in us, or so we fear. Our constant challenge is to recognize the good and the bad in our kids and parent accordingly. If we expect our kids to be exactly the same, we’re just setting ourselves up for disappointment. If we expect our kids to be “perfect” in our eyes, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of therapy. We must accept that they are going to be different and love them unconditionally...and equally. Although we’ll certainly have different opinions about the paths our kids travel in pursuit of their own life, liberty and definition of happiness, our responsibility as parents is to help shine a light for them…to help them find their own path and send them post cards of encouragement on their way. The American ideal of “liberty and justice for all” applies to all our kids, not just our favorites. In California, we had a ballot initiative that allowed the public to vote on the civil liberties of a minority group. The majority voted for Prop 8, which banned gay marriage and restricted gay rights, thereby requiring the state to amend its constitution to prevent that minority group the same liberties as the majority under law. In essence, Californians said “why can’t you be more like your brother?” Oops, we picked favorites. Today, Maine residents are voting on same sex marriage equality. Opponents used the same ads and the same tactics as in California. This is bigger than the politics of Maine. We all need to be paying attention--gay or straight. This is a civil liberties issue. Whether or not you personally agree with the gay rights movement is really not the point...rather, do you believe you are entitled to certain rights that others should be denied? Do you support freedom of speech even if you disagree with what someone else is saying? Do you support freedom of religion even if you don't agree with the way someone else worships? Do you support someone's right to bear arms even if you don't like guns? Do you believe your child's gender, race or sexual orientation should preclude them from the same privileges under the law as someone else's child? Our nation has been here before…with civil rights, the women’s movement and now gay rights. So who better than America’s moms to let our kids know that black or white, girl or boy, gay or straight we are there, supporting them and loving them...no matter what anyone else says or does. We might not like our kids' behavior all the time, but it is our responsibility to love them all, equally. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Zj http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Zj/commentary#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:44:18 PST http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2Zj O-MAMA http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8fdb16979500013123_avm6b95c9.jpg O-MAMA 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2Zj/ “Listen to your mother!” We've all heard it a million times....it's an effective reminder that makes kids sit up a little straighter and pay attention. Yep, it's true, kids need constant reminders on how to behave, but unfortunately, it's the grown ups in this country that need to be reminded these days. You know, ”mind your manners,” “clean up your own mess,” “don’t be a poor sport” and on and on. So, who better to do it than America’s moms? We are the example our children see and hear every day, so America’s moms know that our “actions speak louder than words.” But, it is time that we hold other grown-ups accountable for their behavior, too. Our kids are watching and listening, so “do as I say, not as I do" doesn't cut it anymore. If congressmen can't "mind their manners" while the President is speaking, how do we expect a ten year old to be respectful when his teacher is talking? If professional athletes can’t “be a good sport” when they lose, how do we encourage a disappointed t-ball player to be one? If rock stars don't grasp that there are times when "the world doesn't actually revolve around them," how do we convince our teenagers of it? If we expect better kids, we all must be better examples. America’s kids are our future. Our President reminds us that they are the next generation of “risk-takers, doers and makers of things.” They are the next bankers and baseball players, teachers and technicians, police officers and policy makers, artists and astronauts, scientists and social workers…and they will be the role models for the generation after them…the next Presidents, Wall Street whiz kids, Nobel Peace Prize winners, curers of cancer, soldiers, parents…our kids are going to define the future of our nation…and we have the incredible job of shaping what kind of people, and citizens, they grow up to be. President Obama challenged us to usher in “a new era of [parental] responsibility.” At first, we thought it was about turning off the TV and making sure the kids were doing their homework. And, frankly, Deb and I thought we were doing a pretty good job, but then we realized we were missing the big picture. We aren’t just raising kids, we are raising the citizens who determine the future of our country. The country we all love. We can all rally around our kids and our country, right? We can find common ground on the issues that matter most to raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted citizens, can't we? Sure, we need to know how and why we see things differently, but that’s not where the conversation should begin and end. It needs to start at the kitchen table with some common sense and come full circle in parenting our kids through the social and political issues of the day…while using “indoor voices” and “nice manners,” of course! President Obama has the economy, health care, two wars, the environment, education and a few other things on his “to do” list right now…while America’s moms are the family banker, nurse, diplomat, general, gardener, teacher, etc. So, we get it. We are also responsible for making sure our kids are doing their chores, brushing their teeth, not fighting with their siblings, picking up after themselves and doing their homework, all while teaching them patience, manners, accountability, self-reliance, discipline, persistence, resilience, empathy, kindness...and the commitment and hard-work required to follow through on their dreams for tomorrow. Kind of like dealing with Congress!? President Obama and America's moms have parallel roles right now. President Obama is the leader of our country and moms are the leaders of our families. President Obama’s slogan is “change we can believe in,” so our slogan is “change begins at home.” He has an important job to do...but, our job is the most important. We are the "opinionated moms" who influence our kids, families, communities and, ultimately, the direction of our country. We are O-MAMA. Our kids and our country need us, so we need to work together to find common ground and really make a difference on the issues that matter most! If we keep in mind the simple lessons we’ve all been taught by our own mothers, then maybe the complex social issues that our country is facing will become a little less complicated. Maybe, if we stop second guessing every intention and start really believing the things we already know to be true--like "don't judge a book by it's cover," "practice what you preach," "live and let live", "leave it better than you found it," etc.--then, we can finally start tackling some of the issues we can no longer avoid and teach our kids the life lessons we can no longer ignore. Maybe, just maybe, these issues are not as difficult as we think they are? With a little humor and a lot of common sense, America’s moms can be a constructive voice in our country’s most important conversations. Can we do it? You betcha! http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2ZG http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2ZG/commentary#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:32:37 PST http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/michelletingler/C2ZG O-MAMA http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8fdb16979500013123_avm6b95c9.jpg O-MAMA 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2ZG/