WSW EDITORIAL Vol. 9, no. 7
By Mary Walsh
God-in his current political guise as the ultimate reactionary white racist male-won one and lost one during the first week of the new year.
On January 8, the Reagan administration reversed
News
an 11-year government policy, announcing that it would henceforth allow tax-exempt status for private schools that discriminate against blacks. Two fundamentalist schools have been fighting for years to gain such status, Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., which forbids interracial dating and marriage,
CONTENTS
Features
National
Reagan's Reproductive Rights Remedies....5 First Black Woman Publisher............
Racism in the Women's Movement.... Crystal Eastman....
.6-7
..6-7
.5
Letters.
2
Abortion Update.........
500 Demonstrate for Day Care...........
Find It Fastest......
....back cover
What's Happening..
Local
Apprenticeship Groups Meet Sohio....
Jones Sworn In as Judge....
Cover Graphic by Cheryl Reed
What She Wants
.9-12.
What She Wants usually goes to production the third weekend of the month. Copy should be submitted by the 15th of each month so that we can discuss it and edit collectively at our editorial meetings. Contact us for specific deadlines. Please print or type articles. Mail material to WSW, P. O. Box 18465, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118.
WHAT SHE WANTS IS:
A MONTHLY NEWS JOURNAL PRODUCED FOR ALL WOMEN. We always like input from our readers in the form of articles, personal experiences, poetry, art, announcements, and letters. We welcome women who are willing to help us in specific areas of the paper (writing, lay-out, advertising, distribution, publicity, etc.) and/or who are interested in our collective.
WHAT SHE WANTS ADVOCATES:
...equal and civil rights
...the right to earnings based on our need, merit, and interest ...access to job training, salaries, and promotions we choose
...the right to organize in unions and coalitions to advance our cause
...the right to decent health care and health information
...the right to safe, effective birth control and to safe, legal abortions ...the right to accept or reject motherhood
E
...the right to choose and express sexual preference without harassment. ...access to quality education and freedom from prejudice in learning materials
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
A one-year subscription to WSW includes
10 regular monthly issues
Individual $6.00 Contributing $15.00 Sustaining $25.00 Non-Profit Org. — $10.00
-
For Profit Org. — $15.00
DISTRIBUTION OUTLETS:
East: Appletree Books, Coventry Books, CWRU Bookstore, Food Communities, Food Project, Hemming & Hulbert Booksellers
Central: Barnes & Noble, Publix Book Mart, Thorma's on the Square, WomenSpace West: American Indian Center, CCC Bookstore, Plants Plus, Six Steps Down
Chagrin Falls: Little Professor Book Center
Akron: Cooperative Market
Kent: Kent Natural Foods Store
Columbus: Fan the Flames Bookstore
Boston, MA: New Words Bookstore
Business Group
Dianne Fishman Pat O'Malley
Mary Redlinger Michelle Vanderlip
Editorial Group Loretta Feller/Coordinator Linda Homuth Laura Lavelle Cheryl Reed
copyright 1982
Production Group
Linda Jane/Coordinator Mary Walsh/Coordinator Peggi Cella Jean Loria
!
and Goldsboro Christian Schools in Goldsboro, N.C, which bars all black students. They base their racis policies, they say, on the words of the Bible, and no doubt see the hand of God in the government's decision. They also insist that the world was created in a mere seven days some few thousand years ago.
1=
On January 5, however, a Federal district judge in Little Rock held that “creation science” has no scientific merit or educational value, and could not be taught in science classrooms in Arkansas. "Since creation science is not science," he ruled, "the conclusion is inescapable that the only real effect of [the law requiring that creationism be taught alongside evolution] is the advancement of religion," thus violating the Constitution's guarantee of the separation of church and state.
Of course God has often dictated state policy, regardless of the prohibitions of the Constitution. During this month in which we celebrate the ninth anniversary of the legalization of abortion, we should recognize that anti-abortion arguments are founded on religious theories, whatever cant may be spouted to the contrary. The analogies to the debate over "creation science" are many: attempts are made to justify scientifically that life begins at the moment of conception, whereas that concept is in fact purely religious. As "creation science" perverts a child's right to knowledge, “Right-to-Life" seeks to prohibit a woman's right to control her own body. The supporters of "creation science" are primarily fundamentalist leaders and followers; those same people plus the powerful Catholic Church are the main support of the anti-abortion movement. Once again, the beliefs of powerful religious groups are being foisted on us all, whether we agree with those beliefs or not. We live in bizarre times; the neanderthals, in what seems an evolutionary retrogression, are taking over, in the name of God, of course. The President piously invokes the name of God while making budget cuts that destroy people's lives and financing a weapon which protects property while wiping out populations. James Watt, our born-again Christian Secretary of the Interior, believes so fervently in the imminence of the Second Coming that he does not hesitate to despoil the environment-after all, there may not be many future generations to enjoy it. The Moral Majority, seeming to dominate the media, seek to dictate how people will live and believe. Enlightened reasoning such as that of the Arkansas judge becomes the exception rather than the rule. American society is clearly in serious disorder.
And yet, as we in the Women's Movement have painfully learned over many years, the gains made by progressive thinking and action are never completely wiped out. We may lose the ERA fight—for now; we may lose affirmative action protections and other gains. We may even, unless we fight much harder than we have, lose the right of abortion for all women, not just poor women. But we have caused a revolution in America's attitudes toward women which can never be reversed, and which will flower when history takes its cyclical course.
We must never lose hope; we must never give up. As one of us burns out, another must be there to take her place. We will eventually accomplish all that we seek-not because of God, but because of our own determination, our strength, and our perseverance.
WSW has a general meeting the week after each month's mailing. It is open to all women who want to evaluate the new issue and brainstorm about news/issues/ideas of concern to women and feminists. This month's meeting will be January 21 at 7:30 p.m. at 2649 East 126th Street (between Woodland Ave. and Shaker Blvd.). For more information, call. 283-2482 from 6-9 p.m., MWTh.
January, 1982/What She Wants/Page 1