Presidential Proclamation--Women's Equality Day

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WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution tore down the last formal barrier to women's enfranchisement in our Nation and empowered America's women to have their voices heard in the halls of power. This Amendment became law only after decades of work by committed trailblazers who fought to extend the right to vote to women across America. For the women who fought for this right, voting was not the end of the journey for equality, but the beginning of a new era in the advancement of our Union. These brave and tenacious women challenged our Nation to live up to its founding principles, and their legacy inspires us to reach ever higher in our pursuit of liberty and equality for all.

Before the Amendment took effect, women had been serving our Nation in the public realm since its earliest days. Even before they gained the right to vote, America's women were leaders of movements, academics, and reformers, and had even served in the Congress. Legions of brave women wrote and lectured for change. They let their feet speak when their voices alone were not enough, protesting and marching for their fundamental right to vote in the face of heckling, jail, and abuse. Their efforts led to enormous progress millions upon millions of women have since used the power of the ballot to help shape our country.

Today, our Nation's daughters reap the benefits of these courageous pioneers while paving the way for generations of women to come. But work still remains. My Administration is committed to advancing equality for all of our people. This year, the Council of Women and Girls released "Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being," the most comprehensive report in 50 years on the status of women in our country, shedding light on issues women face in employment, crime, health, and family life. We are working to ensure that women-owned businesses can compete in the marketplace, that women are not discriminated against in healthcare, and that we redouble our efforts to bring an end to sexual assault on college campuses.

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On the 91st anniversary of this landmark in civil rights, we continue to uphold the foundational American principles that we are all equal, and that each of us deserves a chance to pursue our dreams. We honor the heroes who have given of themselves to advance the causes of justice, opportunity, and prosperity. As we celebrate the legacy of those who made enormous strides in the last century and before, we renew our commitment to hold true to the dreams for which they fought, and we look forward to a bright future for our Nation's daughters.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States do hereby proclaim August 26, 2011, as Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the goal of gender equality in this country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

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BARACK OBAMA

August 26 of each year is designated in the United States as Women's Equality Day. Instituted by Rep. Bella Abzug and first established in 1971, the date commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave U.S. women full voting rights in 1920.  There were many women along the road to fight for a woman's right to vote.  Some of these women sacrificed their homes, families, children, jobs, and even lives.  I believe the best way to remember the struggles they had to give women the rights we now have is to take time this November, and exercise your right to vote by casting your ballot in this year's election.  This election as well as every election, will be an important one for our country, and every registered voter should be present to cast their vote.

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So today, on Women's Equality Day, remember these ladies who worked so hard for our rights, and cast your vote in the upcoming election

National Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

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By Terry Orr

Kayliegh's first day
of Kindergarten

Earlier this week our grandniece Kayliegh made the very exciting and nervous venture to kindergarten.  August is national Get Ready for Kindergarten month for all parents and guardians who must prep their little ones in time for school. If you are lucky, your child will look forward to the idea of school without too much hesitation. After all, who wouldn’t want to spend half the day playing with new friends and learning about colors?

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That was the opening line in Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” but it could equally apply to the first day of kindergarten. Some young children look forward to it as a wonderful adventure while others have to be pried off of their mother’s or father’s leg.

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Some skills that the kids will learn are:

• Early childhood skills;
• Letter recognition & alphabet sounds;
• Colors & shapes;
• Left & right hands and finger names;
• Number recognition & counting;
• Skip counting;
• Recognizing money amounts;
• Opposites;
• Seasons;
• Rhymes;
• Positional words;
• Body parts & the five senses;
• Frequently used words;
• Story order;
• Telling time;
• Calendar; and
• Name, address & telephone usage.

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By the way, Miss Kayliegh is having a wonderful time in in kindergarten!!

Child Abuse – 2012 Follow-up

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By Terry Orr

Last year we focused on Signs of Physical, Emotional and Sexual Abuse (http://kisbyto.blogspot.com/2011/08/child-abuse-facts-for-parents.html) and this year our focus in about what is child abuse and breaking the terrible cycle.

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What is child abuse?

Child abuse is definitely more than bruises, burns or black eyes. While physical abuse can be easily noticed or observed, other types of abuse such as child neglection or emotional abuse are hard to notice, and needless to say, it leaves a long and deep lasting scars that can never be forgotten.

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There are also other types of child abuse such as substance abuse, medical abuse, sexual abuse and verbal abuse. All these abuse can cause the child to suffer from long term psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression and anxiety.

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"Child abuse is a problem no one really talks about. Abuse and neglect is the number 1 cause of injury to children in the country. More children die of abuse or neglect than of natural causes" ~ Donna Miller

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Did You Know:

• Almost five children die every day because of child abuse. And more than three out of four children are under the age of 4.
• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
• 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach eighteen.
• Most of the child abuse parents have a history of child abuse themselves.
• 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.
• About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.

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The Cycle MUST be broken!

Break the cycle of abuse with the following steps:

• Deal with past abuse. Without intervention, abuse continues to affect you. Talking and acknowledging what happened helps you heal, which breaks the cycle of abuse.
• Recognize that pushing memories of abuse away often backfires. People find themselves repeating patterns on an unconscious level because they haven't dealt with the cycle of abuse in a healthy manner.
• Realize that some victims of child abuse don't abuse their children, but turn that anger inward and suffer from depression. Children of the abused are at risk of neglect or of being abused by someone else unless you break the cycle.
• Consider making an appointment for therapy. Talking with a trained therapist can help you work through your memories in order to recognize and break from abusive situations. Or attend a support group. Sometimes being with others who have suffered similar experiences helps people open up.
• Understand that abusers are at fault, not the person who was abused. Grieve for what you lost and find constructive ways to deal with feelings of anger. Learn appropriate communication skills in order to improve communication with others in a healthy manner.
• Take note of problems with relationships. Consider that relationship problems often relate to a history of abuse. Reliving abuse is common and problems to victims who can't have a trusting, intimate relationship.
• Seek assistance from a victim's aid group or domestic violence agency. Many organizations exist to provide a safe place to stay or provide legal information and emotional support.

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(Read more: How to Break the Cycle of Abuse | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2157545_break-cycle-abuse.html#ixzz24UrTQizA)

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Kiss and Make Up Day

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By Diane Forrest

I recently read an article about things women do that upset men.  Some of these, well most of these were really miniscule problems.  Some of the responses were:

• Not putting caps back on things like tooth paste or mouth wash or shampoo;
• Not drying their hair and getting my pillow wet;
• Making noise in the morning, waking them up;
• Spending too much time getting ready to go out;
• Wearing too much make up;
• Wearing too much perfume;
• Leaving shoes in the kitchen; and or
• Not rinsing out the bathtub and leaving it slippery.

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Then I read the comments listed under these problems and one caught my eye.  It simply said that if you didn't have your significant other anymore, you would wish these small habits were there to annoy you.

There is a quote that says "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff."

While irritation and aggravation to these complaints may be real and can cause frustration and arguments, it is important to remember what is important in life.  If you have some little quirk or habit that upsets your significant other, today is a day to make things right. 

Today, August 25th  is Kiss and Make up Day.  Today is a day to put aside your differences, end a feud or spat, and maybe even apologize, then Kiss and Make UP!  Some people like to fight, just so they will be able to kiss and make up, but it doesn’t have to be with just your significant other, you can kiss and make up with your friends, family, kids, anyone you have had a problem or fight with.  So today, forget about the small stuff, and share a kiss with your "foe" and make up with them.  You will feel alot better after the air is cleared, and if it is your significant other, kissing and making up can be the best part of the fight.

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Think Safety First – Always!

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By Terry Orr

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SAFETY ATTITTUDE DO’S and DON’TS
DO:	Don’t:
·         Think about safety ALL the time	·         Take shortcuts or engage in horseplay
·         Put safety ahead of rushing to get the job done	·         Have the attitude that you never need any help
·         Immediately report any injuries	·         Fail to pay close attention to the task at hand

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Remember – Murphy is alive and well!  Just takes a blink of an eye for something to go wrong – trust me folks I am living proof over the years both to myself and witnessing others to have accidents.

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I am talking about every aspect of your life:

• Walking, steps, climbing;
• Driving – there are simply too many distractions;
• Electrical work;
• Plumbing;
• Yard work;
• Car maintenance or changing a tire;
• Ensuring your home is safe for babies, children, and elderly;
• Ensuring your sidewalks, driveways, etc. are free of potential hazards;
• Using ladders;
• Boating – following safe boating rules; wearing your life vest; and
• Sporting activities and at play.

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My parting comment folks – we must as adults MUST set the example for the young people and others.

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National Waffle Day

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By Diane Forrest

A friend of mine, who is not much of a breakfast eater, has been home recuperating from surgery the past couple of weeks.  During this time he has been eating breakfast regularly to help with his healing.  His breakfast of choice is waffles, so I thought he would be a great candidate to interview for National Waffle Day.   He prefers fresh made waffles from Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix instead of the frozen kind.  He also likes the regular waffles and not the Belgium waffles, because they are too deep, and I guess they hold too much syrup.

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One year my son asked for a waffle iron for Christmas.  I never made waffles while he was growing up, because I didn't have a waffle iron, so that Christmas he got 3 of them, and never made another waffle.  My husband loved waffles, but there was no place in town to get them, and I still didn't have a waffle iron, so when we went out of town, we would go to a waffle house where he would order waffles with either fruits and whipped cream, or syrup and pecans.  They looked more like dessert instead of breakfast.  When he was in the hospital, I had a hotel room at a nearby hotel because he was in ICU and I couldn't stay there with him.  The hotel offered free breakfast, and included was a make it yourself waffle iron, so I would get up and make him a fresh waffle once he was able to eat again.

Today is National Waffle Day.  This day was picked because it marks the anniversary of the first U.S. patent for a waffle iron, which Cornelius Swarthout received on August 24, 1869. The waffle dates back to the 1300s in Greece. Greeks cooked flat cakes between two metal pans. At the time, they topped it with cheeses and herbs.  Traditionally, waffles are served at breakfast. However, there are so many ways to enjoy them that you could eat waffles at any time of day. Chicken and waffles and corn waffles are just two examples of the numerous savory varieties that exist.

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So today, on National Waffle Day, celebrate the waffle by having some for breakfast or supper, or just a snack.  If you don't have a waffle iron, you can head to your nearest waffle house, or even pick up some frozen waffles and heat them in your toaster. There is no excuse not to have a delicious waffle today.

Gun Safety - 2012 Update

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By Terry Orr

Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms.

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Firearm Safety -- 10 Rules of Safe Gun Handling:

1. Always Keep the Muzzle Pointed In a Safe Direction;
2. Firearms Should Be Unloaded When Not Actually In Use;
3. Don't Rely On Your Gun's "Safety";
4. Be Sure Of Your Target and What's Beyond It;
5. Use Correct Ammunition;
6. If Your Gun Fails To Fire When the Trigger Is Pulled, Handle With Care;
7. Always Wear Eye and Ear Protection When Shooting;
8. Be Sure the Barrel Is Clear Of Obstructions before Shooting;
9. Don't Alter or Modify Your Gun, and Have Guns Serviced Regularly; and
10. Learn the Mechanical and Handling Characteristics of The Firearm You Are Using.

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