I just finished reading Secretary Clinton’s memoir of her White House years, “Living History.” In the book she included a portion of the speech she gave as First Lady at Seneca Falls, NY in July 1998; the 150th anniversary of the First Woman’s Rights Convention. The Declaration she refers to is the “Declaration of Sentiments” created at the Convention.
I found the quotes she provided to be very inspiring. After finishing the book I sought out the speech in its entirety. Here are some of my favorite sections.
She begins the speech telling the story of those who traveled to be a part of the Convention…
“Frederick Douglass, the former slave and great abolitionist, was on his way there and he described the participants as "few in numbers, moderate in resources, and very little known in the world. The most we had to connect us was a firm commitment that we were in the right and a firm faith that the right must ultimately prevail." ”
She continues...
“I often wonder, when reflecting back on the Seneca Falls Convention, who of us - men and women - would have left our homes, our families, our work to make that journey one hundred and fifty years ago.
Think about the incredible courage it must have taken to join that procession. Ordinary men and women, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors.
And just like those who have embarked on other journeys throughout American history, seeking freedom or escaping religious or political persecution, speaking out against slavery, working for labor rights.
These men and women were motivated by dreams of better lives and more just societies.”
Cady Stanton was among other notable attendees…
“Stanton was inspired, along with the others who met, to rewrite our Declaration of Independence, and they boldly asserted, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal."
"All men and all women." It was the shout heard around the world, and if we listen, we can still hear its echoes today. We can hear it in the voices of women demanding their full civil and political rights anywhere in the world. I've heard such voices and their echoes from women, around the world, from Belfast to Bosnia to Beijing, as they work to change the conditions for women and girls and improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Further along, Mrs. Clinton calls us to action…
“Because we must tell and retell, learn and relearn, these women's stories, and we must make it our personal mission, in our everyday lives, to pass these stories on to our daughters and sons. Because we cannot - we must not - ever forget that the rights and opportunities that we enjoy as women today were not just bestowed upon us by some benevolent ruler. They were fought for, agonized over, marched for, jailed for and even died for by brave and persistent women and men who came before us.
Every time we buy or sell or inherit property in our own name - let us thank the pioneers who agitated to change the laws that made that possible.
Every time, every time we vote, let us thank the women and men of Seneca Falls, Susan B. Anthony and all the others, who tirelessly crossed our nation and withstood ridicule and the rest to bring about the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Every time we enter an occupation - a profession of our own choosing and receive a paycheck that reflect earnings equal to a male colleague, let us thank the signers and women like Kate Mullaney, who's house I visited yesterday, in Troy, New York.
Every time we elect a woman to office - let us thank ground breaking leaders like Jeannette Rankin and Margaret Chase Smith, Hattie Caraway, Louise Slaughter, Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm - all of whom proved that a woman's place is truly in the House, and in the Senate, and one day, in the White House, as well. (my emphasis)
And every time we take another step forward for justice in this nation--let us thank extraordinary women like Harriet Tubman, who's home in Auburn I visited yesterday, and who escaped herself from slavery, and, then risked her life, time and again, to bring at least two hundred other slaves to freedom as well.”
Later in the speech she shows us what equal rights and family values look like in our day to day lives…
“If we are to finish the work begun here - then no American should ever again face discrimination on the basis of gender, race or sexual orientation anywhere in our country.
If we are to finish the work begun here - then $0.76 in a woman's paycheck for every dollar in a man's is still not enough. Equal pay for equal work can once and for all be achieved.
If we are to finish the work begun here - then families need more help to balance their responsibilities at work and at home. In a letter to Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton writes, "Come here and I will do what I can to help you with your address, if you will hold the baby and make the pudding." Even then, women knew we had to have help with child care. All families should have access to safe, affordable, quality child care.
If we are to finish the work begun here - then women and children must be protected against what the Declaration called the "chastisement of women," namely domestic abuse and violence. We must take all steps necessary to end the scourge of violence against women and punish the perpetrator. And our country must join the rest of the world, as so eloquently Secretary Albright called for on Saturday night here in Seneca Falls, "Join the rest of the world and ratify the convention on the elimination of discrimination against women."
If we are to finish the work begun here - we must do more than talk about family values, we must adopt polices that truly value families - policies like a universal system of health care insurance that guarantees every American's access to affordable, quality health care. Policies like taking all steps necessary to keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. Policies like doing all that is necessary at all levels of our society to ensure high quality public education for every boy or girl no matter where that child lives.
If we are to finish the work begun here - we must ensure that women and men who work full-time earn a wage that lifts them out of poverty and all workers who retire have financial security in their later years through guaranteed Social Security and pensions.”
She closes with a reminder of the importance of voting…
“But when will the majority of women voters of our country exercise their most fundamental political right? Can you imagine what any of the Declaration signers would say if they learned how many women fail to vote in elections? They would be amazed and outraged. They would agree with a poster I saw in 1996. On it, there is a picture of a woman with a piece of tape covering her mouth and under it, it says, "Most politicians think women should be seen and not heard. In the last election, 54 million women agreed with them."
One hundred and fifty years ago, the women at Seneca Falls were silenced by someone else. Today, women, we silence ourselves.
We have a choice.
We have a voice.
And if we are going to finish the work begun here we must exercise our right to vote in every election we are eligible to vote in.”
Thank you for reading my first diary. I’m focusing on one of many reasons why I enthusiastically support Secretary Clinton and thought sharing this would be an ideal way to do just that!
Here is the link to the entire speech:
www.thelizlibrary.org/...