Women Arise: Be Seen, Be Heard, and Take Action
Image by Jackie Ramirez

While I didn't stay up to watch any of the speeches at the virtual Democratic National Convention, thanks to the internet and YouTube, I was able to watch the speeches after the fact. I was inspired, awed, and moved by the clarity, empathy, and the vision for the future expressed by the women who are representing the Democratic party and "we the people".

I called this article "Women Arise: Be Seen, Be Heard, and Take Action", and while I am referring to the women highlighted in the videos below, I am also speaking of each one of us. And not just of those of us in female bodies, but to all the "rising feminine" in all of us, male or female.

We are moving out of, as we desperately need to move out of, the age of patriarchy... the age of war and retribution, the age of anger and bullying, the age of my way or the highway. We are at a time in our lives, and in the life of this planet, when we need to get in touch with our caring side, our empathy for all regardless of their age, color, religion, or country of origin. We need to get in touch with our higher self, or what is described as the angels of our higher nature.

This period of time in our lives is a test... who are we? Who are we going to be? Who and what are we going to support?

It is said that in a crisis, people show their true colors. What is your true color? Is it one of love and caring, of course for yourself and your loved ones, but also for those who are not in your immediate family, but are in the family of humanity, and the family of Planet Earth. This includes humans, animals, nature, and the visions and dreams we all hold.


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From "Me Myself and I" to "One For All"

It is time to move out of the "me, myself and I" mentality into the "one for all" mentality. I encourage you to listen to the speeches of these key women at the DNC and find what resonates with you, what awakens your inner warrior, and then stand up for what is needed in this time of crisis and challenge... whether we are dealing with health crises, climate crises, or humanitarian crises. All of these can be addressed by our attitude and our actions.

We all have a voice that can be heard. We all have emotions that can be shared. We all have a higher vision that we can aim for.

And this year, part of that beeing seen, heard and taking action includes, very importantly, making your choice for the next President of the United States count. Whether you think Joe Biden is the "perfect candidate" or not is irrelevant. No one is ever the "perfect" candidate. But, we must make our choice for a better world, one where each person counts, one where we care for the lives of those that surround us no matter their race or religion.

We must stand up for what is right: love, caring, empathy. And Joe Biden offers a whole lot more of those positive possibilities for the future than the other option. Please, no matter what your opinion of politics or politicians may be, exercise your power and vote. Take responsibility for your future and the future of this country and the world. Take action. Vote. and encourage everyone you know to register to vote and vote.

The time is now to take action and make a difference.

Michelle Obama's Full Speech At The 2020 DNC
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The following are some quotes from the transcript of Michelle's speech:

"...regardless of our race, age, religion, or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what's going on in this country is just not right. This is not who we want to be..."

"But let’s be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty.... Going high means standing fierce against hatred... and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences. And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold, hard truth..."

"So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it."

"...we have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. Because right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting... this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning."

."This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth. So, it is up to us to add our voices and our votes to the course of history, echoing heroes like John Lewis who said, “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something.” That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids."

"And if we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States."

Kamala Harris’ full speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention

A few of her points are summarized and paraphrased here: We will act boldly... stand together for a better future... To love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country. ... an awesome responsibility, an awesome privilege. Fight with conviction, hope, confidence, commitment to the America we know is possible. Our children will ask: "Where were you when the stakes were so high?"

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Jill Biden’s Full Speech At The 2020 DNC

"If we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours. Bring us together and make us whole. Carry us forward in our time of need. Keep the promise of America for all of us."

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Hillary Clinton's Full Speech At The 2020 DNC

Hillary Clinton presents reasons why we need to vote. Not only for the things we need to stop, but also for the things we need to start and make happen. And she urges us not to give up on America, but to heal together, and redeem the soul and the promise of our country.

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Elizabeth Warren’s full speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention

"Nobody makes it on their own."  Elizabeth Warren reminds us that we need to get this country working for everyone. She suggests that what we want to be able to say to our children and grandchildren when they ask what we did in this dark chapter in our nation's history is: "We organized, we persisted, and we changed America."

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Nancy Pelosi's Full Speech At The 2020 DNC

Nancy Pelosi in her welcoming speech said: "we come together again, not to decry the darkness, but to light a way forward for our country."

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So where do we go from here? We take the next step, and then we continue with the next steps after that. For some that means registering to vote, and then voting. For others, requesting their mail-in ballot or finding out where and when they can vote. For some, it means signing up to help local or national Democratic candidates or working at the polls. For all of us, it needs to mean talking about the election, and helping people see the importance of participating.

This year, we need to make a complete shift in the leadership in power. It is time to support leaders that lead from the heart and with a vision of a better future for all. This is not the time to say, "oh, they are all the same". They are not all the same! Democrats are not perfect, but at least their goals are focusing on the good of all. The current driving force in Washington DC is one that seeks to benefit the few, and desires power for the few. It is not about helping the many, the sick, the poor, the downtrodden, the ones wanting a better life.

We need to participate in our democracy. America is a country based on "We The People", not "them the ones in charge", or the ones trying to control all the power and the money. We have the power of the vote, and while some are trying to diminish that power, that makes it essential that we all show up to vote, and that we vote for a Democratic leadership to clear the slate of the power-hungry, money-hungry, uncaring people who now are running the show. But they only run the show if we let them. It is time to walk our talk and help elect leaders who we can then support in walking their talk.

I saw a graphic today (in an article entitled: How To Make Sure Your Vote Counts), that showed that in the last election more people did not vote than the votes for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Those people made a difference. Unfortunately, they made a difference by not voting. Their vote could have tipped the scale.

The election is on November 3, 2020. That is coming up fast. Please vote, and vote early to make sure your vote gets counted.

Let's make sure that this year we show up in massive numbers to vote. This is not the time for apathy, for giving up, for feeling powerless. This is a time to stand up for our rights, and use the rights we have to make a difference. Talk to your family about voting, talk to your friends, talk to anyone you can... Remind people that voting is one major way they have a say in the future of this country, which is their future and our future as "we the people". Let's help direct the course of this country... back to caring, helping, and having empathy for those less fortunate than us, and taking action to make a difference.

While I have focused on  a few pf the women presenters at the DNC, there were many memorable presenters, both male and female. I encourage you to search them out online and watch them. They will help support you in your quest to make a difference, to stand up for what is right. If you have not seen it yet, Barack Obama's speech is inspiring, full of truth and gravitas, motivational, and most definitely worth watching and taking into your heart..

I close my article with the opening segment of the 2020 Democratic National Convention with Eva Longoria and friends (we the people).

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