Why Jackie Cochran is one of my role models

[Dragon Lady]

Jacqueline Cochran

Cochran was a well-known, award-winning "Aviatrix" prior to World War II. When the war started, she approached the Army Air Forces with a solution to their "manpower" problem. She proposed forming a unit of women pilots to perform domestic flying duties and to free up male pilots for combat duty.

Eventually, the Army organized the Women's Airforce Service Pilots, with Cochran as the director. The WASP were civilians working for the Army. Over one thousand WASP flew military aircraft in the United States as test pilots, ferry pilots, and antiaircraft artillery trainers. After the war, Jackie Cochran went on to become the first woman jet pilot to break the sound barrier and the first woman to win the Bendix Air Race.

She never took no for an answer!

[revwardoc]

http://166.70.44.66/2004/Jul/07072004/utah/181590.asp

Hatch backs nominee who backs St. Paul

WASHINGTON -- Reading from the Bible on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, Sen. Orrin Hatch endorsed a federal judicial nominee who wrote that wives should have a subordinate role in marriage, with the Utah Republican emphasizing "millions and millions of people will agree with" that view.

In a preview of the religious rhetoric that will likely dominate next week's scheduled Senate debate over a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, Hatch led the fight for confirming Arkansas lawyer J. Leon Holmes to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

With Hatch's support and that of Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, Holmes was confirmed 51-46 in the Senate on Tuesday evening, even though many members of the Senate predicted his nomination would be rejected.

Holmes' writing on abortion, marriage, slavery and other theological issues generated opposition from not only many Democrats but also some Republicans.

Fueling much of the debate is a 1997 article Holmes and his wife, Susan, wrote for Arkansas Catholic magazine titled, "Gender Neutral Language, Destroying an Essential Element of Our Faith." The couple wrote that under Catholic teaching, "the woman is to place herself under the authority of the man" in marriage and "is to subordinate herself to the husband."

Senate Democrats who are also members of the Roman Catholic faith, such as Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, have said the positions taken by Holmes "reflect a narrow view of the Catholic theology and do not embody contemporary standards that should be followed by any federal judge in any state."

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn., lashed out at Durbin's criticism during floor debate.
"We hear so much from the other side about tolerance," said Santorum. "Where is the tolerance for people who want to believe what has been taught for 2,000 years?"

After reading aloud from Chapter 5 of the Book of Ephesians, Hatch said "it gets pretty bad around here" when lawmakers condemn Holmes for quoting the teachings of St. Paul the Apostle.
"I don't think anybody can read this without understanding husbands have tremendous obligations in order to gain the respect of their wives," said Hatch. "You might disagree with St. Paul but there are hundreds of millions of people who agree with St. Paul."

Hatch also discounted criticism over a 1980 letter Holmes wrote to a newspaper arguing that rape victims should not be allowed to have abortions because "conceptions from rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami." Holmes has since apologized for the comment.

"I find his statement to be insensitive and appalling," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, a former criminal prosecutor who cited studies showing an estimated 25,000 pregnancies occur each year due to rape. "Speak to the family of a 13-year-old girl who is pregnant by being raped by her family's best friend, the next-door neighbor."

Said Hatch: "I believe all of us have made statements in the past for which we wished we could apologize."

[Dragon Lady]

I could never consider to speak in someone else's stead.

However, on my own behalf I say this. It was precisely this type of thinking that helped to lead to my divorce.
I was once the dutiful officer's wife. I was a member of the OWC, volunteered with Red Cross, went to church every sunday taught childrens fellowship and even led an adult bible study. I spent 10 years studying Theology and learning to read Greek & Hebrew. I studied the ancient texts and was even a member of a Dead Sea Scroll preservation society. I studied precious photos (precious because there were so few at the time) of the scrolls in an attempt to interpret them. Unfortunately for history's sake, so much of what was written crumbled to dust and left too many gaps.
My point is this, I am a learned woman in the Way of the Word. The God I know is a loving and forgiving God. His story is broken into four very separate and distinct sections. The Rule of Law, when mankind was young in the world and foolish in his ways. We needed to be taught to worship the correct god (Okay don't go getting all pissy with me over this, and start yelling at me about what your particular brand of Judeau-Christianity has to say. I am mearly spouting what I was taught. take it or leave it, but please don't bash it). During those many generations mankind made many mistakes but there was a promise of a saviour who would come and cement man's relation with his god and wipe away the sins of the world. The second Section is the Life of the Chosen One. He brought us from the age of law into the age of grace. He taught us to love and forgive and that no matter what our bond with God could never be broken, even if we walk away. He prepared us for this time. The third section is the Age of Grace, this is the period that we are now in. It began with the ressurection and will continue until the beginning of the end. It is written that no man will know the day. The last will be what is called the Appocolypse or the end of days.

Now where am I going with all of this...well somewhere in all that a church elder snuck in that women should be subject unto their husbands and that the men should make all decisions for the household. And my ex believed him. So when the time came that he was sent to Korea for a 1 year remote, I left all the decisions up to him. I sent him the checkbook to pay all the bills. I called him constantly when anything came up, new tires for the car, our daughter's parent teacher conferences, chosing the lot to build the new house, chosing the style of house to put on the lot. After two months he sent back the checkbook along with a full power of attorney and told me to pay the $300 phone bill. I immediately changed the lot, and the style of house and built a beautiful 2600 sqf colonial on 2 1/2 acres outside of town in a wonderful school district.

The church elder even went so far as to twist the Word to his own use (that was his first break with the word). The problem is that the Word is a living breathing growing evolving entity. This is the true timelessness of the book called the Bible. Those words were written down countless centuries ago (okay, the bible we know today was actually written down in Germany, Guttenberg back in the middle ages). If it is to continue to live it must also grow and not remain stagnant in that period of time.
Another thing, if you are going to choose to believe in one part of the bible while ignoring the rest, you are, I'm sorry to say, a hypocrit.

And if you do decide to believe in the entire book as some of my former friends and family members have then you must also follow the old testiment to the letter. This means keeping the Sabbath (not sunday and not Saturday) every seventh day (It doesn't work with our present day Gregorian calendars) and you must sacrifice animals. Specific animals for specific reasons. For instance, a woman will remove herself from her family to live alone in a special hut for seven days every month during her "unclean" time, and yes that is how it is written. At the end of that time she is required to sacrifice (burnt offerings) a pair of doves at the temple. Try that next month at the local Baptist church and see what happens!
Again, I stray. This same church elder began to tell us that if our friends and family do not stand with the beliefs and teaching of the church than you should turn your back to them and shun them. Can you say Jim Jones!?
I made my stand and called him to task as is my duty. My (ex)husband said that I dishonored him and that I should obey him and keep my words to myself. Notice the "ex" part?

I continue to believe in a loving a kind God. (Although I no longer stand with that particular church.) I don't presume to know or understand him but I see evidence of his existence all around me, in my grandson's eyes, my children's love, the way my horse seems to float through his canters in the pasture with very little effort. The mountains around me and the very complex DNA that wouldn't be possible without the very simple protein that makes it live.
I say to these men, go back and read that book cover to cover, write down your questions and accept that without a loving caring yet strong woman...you wouldn't even be here today.

Sorry Rev, I'm not meaning to hammer you on this only those idiots that presume to represent "The People". They have the right to their beliefs, I just wish they would return the same respect to women.

[revwardoc]

DL,

I agree with you. I believe that a marriage should be a partnership, not a dictatorship, and I'm all in favor of equal rights. What scares me is that the Bush administration actually nominated a self-righteous bigot like Holmes and, even worse, is that he was actually confirmed by the Senate! Personal and civil rights in Arkansas just took a major step back into the 19th century. God help the women of The Natural State.

[Dragon Lady]

Those women are decendent from the women of the wagon trains. They come from some very tough stock and I doubt they will put up with shenanigans from this knucklhead from the dark ages.

I do like Kay Hutchinson's reply on the matter...How can he be expected to uphold the constitutional equal protection under the law?

These are indeed some very scary times my friend.

[revwardoc]

http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?...articleID=9901

The feminist revolution in the Air Force

Ten years after IAF required to allow women to participate in pilot training course, the IAF is unveiling its first all-woman fighter squadron.
Amir Buhbut

A revolution is taking place in the air force: ten years after the IAF was forced to open the doors to its prestigious training course to women, the air force is showing initiative and is showing off a unique combat squadron that composed solely by women.

In the new squadron, all positions are staffed by members of the fairer sex: from the combat pilot to the operations officer, training officer, air traffic control sergeant right down to the ground technician.

The female revolution should be credited to IAF Commander, Major General Eliezar Shkedi. Upon entering his position, Shkedi ordered the maximization of female potential in the air force. The results in the field were soon to follow.

To realize the vision, the IDF?s first combat squadron, founded in 1948 and located in the air force base in Hatzor, was randomly selected. The squadron?s first sortie, which was composed of Messerschmitt and Spitfire, halted the Egyptian column that was advancing towards Tel-Aviv near Ashdod. Unsurprisingly, this squadron holds the record of shooting down 60 enemy aircraft.

A stressful job with a great deal of satisfaction

Everything appeared very differently ten years ago. In August 1994, Alice Miller petitioned the Supreme Court to force the Israel Air Force to let her take the pilot?s test. On her way to fulfilling her dream, Miller met with then President Ezer Weizman. ?Tell me, do you see men knitting socks? Only when pigs fly will women be pilots? ? Weizman told her.

Miller?s efforts bore fruit. The Supreme Court forced the air force to invite women candidates to tests as well. Miller, however, did not earn the right to wear pilot?s wings. The air force internalized the ruling and within a short period of time, integrated women into the course. The IAF?s first female combat pilot was Ronnie, who was teamed with navigator Sharon. The two were not satisfied with this and decided to complete the efforts for all positions.

The position of squadron operations officer, which had been reserved for young male pilots, was filled by second-lieutenant Yale Pedhatzur. ?If it weren?t for us, nothing would be accomplished in the squadron. This is a very stressful but highly satisfying job?, says Pedhatzur. She also volunteers information about the nature of the job: I coordinate the flights and launch the pilots into operations. If there is a mid-air malfunction, I coordinate a solution with the technical division and air traffic control tower?.

First lieutenant Meital Gita is the squadron training officer. She is considered to be a pioneer for her position and is defined by the pilots as a wizard. ?The crux of combat pilot activity is training and I am responsible for planning this training?. According to Gita, ?No one raises an eyebrow any more when a female training officer is in charge?.

Forward air controller, sergeant Gal Shwartz, was the first to be appointed to shift manager in the air traffic control tower. Her real dream remains becoming a combat pilot and is waiting for her invitation. ?I am responsible for the plane from the moment it takes off until it leaves the base?s air space?, she says. ?My heart contracts when I see pilots and I am still waiting for formation?, adds Shwartz.

Colonel Rotem Shapira, a Class A technician, completes the female puzzle in the squadron. Her duties include preparing the plane for take-off and signing to confirm the plane?s competency right before the pilot enters the cockpit. ?My job entails significant responsibilities and not one of the gang here truly understands this?, she says and adds, ?it is the difference between being a technician and a clerk?.

The IAF explains that senior positions, such as squadron command requires experiences and as time passes, these positions will be filled by women as well. Major General Eliezar Shkedi referred to his vision regarding the integration of women in the air force and emphasized: ?We have an excellent combat squadron, not just a good one. Women will be given every opportunity to do whatever they are capable of.?