The Pursuit of happiness
By Joan Spitz
To say one nation, religion, culture or government, class of people, are free from unfortunate belief system in leadership both past and present is not realistic. Organizations may have good intentions but when nefarious leadership takes the wheel all are impacted negatively. There are those that ignore, those that hide and those that challenge in these situations. This is how true leaders are born, people such as New Zealand’s Kate Sheppard, women’s rights advocate who lead the way to the first women’s suffrage.
Kate Shephard’s family originated in Scotland where she was educated moved to Liverpool England and then to New Zealand in 1866 at a time when the world was in the throws of change. Emerging from the first industrial revolution 1750-1914, end of civil war 1865 abolishing slavery, improved medical treatments, first flight 1908 by Glen Curtiss, necessitated evaluation of cultural norms giving rise to the birth of labor unions and civil rights organizations. These events shaped Kate’s life, her passion and her mission for women’s rights and beyond. Kate Sheppard supported a number of women rights issues from the advantages of contraception and the right to divorce to the abolishment of corsets.
The Vote
“Do not think your single vote does not matter much. The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops” Kate Sheppard.
Organize
Women demanding their civil rights were involved in not only advocating for their rights but for those of different cultures including men, women and children. Civil rights organizers have historically been crucified when demanding their inalienable rights that all men (women) are created equal.
Change happens when a group of people gather with the courage to say NO and ORGANIZE. Kate had a talent as a public speaker and presented argument with intellect and finesse. She campaigned effectively with other brave citizens both men and women. The efforts resulted in the 1893 bragging rights in New Zealand as the first self-governing nation in the world to grant the vote to women, challenging the rest of the Nations in the world to do the same.
Kate received a religious upbringing and a good education. These influences contributed to her becoming a founding member of the New Zealand Women’s Christian Temperance Union which organized the suffrage initiative. Out of her enduring sense of responsibility towards those in need she was able to advocate for the White Ribbon organization promoting Peace Prohibition and Purity, God, Home and Humanity.
The Industrial Revolution's ill gotten gains of “Some More Equal Than Others” animal farm The luxury of inalienable rights afforded to the privileged few inducing a forum for challenge, battles and transformation. In one of her pamphlets in reference to why women should vote she states, “Because women are less accessible than men to most of the debasing influences now brought to bear upon elections, and by doubling the number of electors to be dealt with women would make corruption less effective, as well as more difficult”. Corruption in government typically goes hand in hand with unfair business practices realigning what some call “fair market”. Some to be more fair than others at the expense of the people that they profess to serve. The great betrayal, government influence on who is wealthy and who suffers. Historical exploitation excuse “ends justify the means” is the vehicle for creating poverty, despair and crime. Going up against these forces is very dangerous proposition.
Truth has a way of illustration through arts and literature. Artist and writers have a higher agenda typically and are a good source of understanding historical challenges. They portray snapshots of what was and is going on at any given time-period.
The celebrated American writer Kate Chopin, a pioneer of the women literary movement illustrated female social disparity (1850-1904). From “The Awakening” She wrote: “It sometimes entered Mr. Pontellier’s mind to wonder if his wife were not growing a little unbalanced mentally. He could see plainly that she was not herself. That is, he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we would assume like a garment with which to appear before the world”
Wealth at the expense of others
Another influential artist was the American Sociologist and Photographer Lewis Hine. Mr. Hine used his camera as a tool for social reform which was instrumental in confronting child labor laws in the United States. Hine toured across America taking photos of children working in mines, textile factories and other businesses making money by exploitation instead of ingenuity. He was known to wear a disguise under threat of life to gain access to the working children obtaining honest photos of what was going on.
Injustice and oppression was brought to light for all to see confronting the wealth driven forces not only in the United States but in other countries. Moral social change is messy, it is not easy. People get hurt and some unfortunately lose their lives. Inability to come to a reasonable consensus is the misfortunate outcome of failure to introspect. "Wealth at the expense of others does not provide the best outcome"-Joan Spitz. After all, the oppressors still must go out into the crime society they create and some fall victim to it, if not themselves likely people they love.
An attempt was made to justify the disparity of the class system in a so-called fair market system utilizing Consequentialism which holds in general that an act is right if and only if the act or on some views that rule under which it falls will produce, will probably produce or its intended to produce, a grater balance of good over evil than any available alternative.
Likely people suffering don’t care about all that stuff, as they attempt to see about the next meal for their children after their representatives betray them. Some forced to a life of crime or moral compromise in order to survive.
Soujourn Truth
Soujourn Truth, abolitionist and women’s rights activist moved beyond her perilous recovery from being a slave to impart and influence the woman’s movement to include the rights of people of color who were attempting to move out of shackles of slavery into more hopeful, productive and happy lives. She asserted that "if you were going to challenge the constitution in its unbending nature to secure the inalienable rights that all “men” are created equal. The interpretation is clear".
Scrappers
The Fight
Marches and hunger strikes moved beyond holding signs wearing long dresses and wide brim hats, these brave women went up against the military and the police. The typical images available do not show the violence surrounding women simply asking to vote. They were pushed, beaten, jailed demeaned, and force fed during false imprisonment.
Many of the National Woman’s party picketers were arrested on charges of obstructing sidewalk traffic and sentenced up to six months in jail. They were ultimately set free in response to public outcry and the police departments inability to stop National Woman’s Party Picketers’ hunger strike.
Among the suffragettes scrappers was Alice Paul, leader of the National Woman’s Party who was put in solitary confinement in the mental ward of a male prison as a way to break her will and to undermine her credibility with the public. Degrading women in the household and in work environments who have the potential to bring more income home for some reason was a threat to some men. It begs the question, “why would the people with all the influence and power fight for women not to have a say in their lives? Because of fear. Denying women the right to vote and equal pay by extension is being afraid of women.
Thankfully both men and women, wealthy and poor were and continue to be instrumental in achieving the objective of women’s suffrage, civil rights and social well being for all. Willing to be laughed at, brave the storms, these brave women wore holes in the soles of their shoes, moving, marching, organizing the voices that say, "NO to the ends justify the means, you are not going to get away with that".
To Kate Sheppard and the leading ladies of female victories and the gentleman that deserve our respect that helped along the way, we tip our wide brimmed hats with gratitude.
MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
JULIA FIORE
Actress
Eugenia Benedyuk
Photographer
JOAN SPITZ
writer
