Real Empowerment for Women by Andrea Elliott (Delaware County)
Over two years ago, Andrea Elliott wrote an article for Firing Lines. Below are excerpts from that article that are well worth remembering, today.
There is much talk today about empowering women and how we need a voice. Our voices do not have to be loud, offensive, or vulgar to make a point. Teach our children to use their minds and not their mouths, especially not in the fashion of the Hollywood elite and music icons that many seem to put on a pedestal; teach them to choose better heroes. The noise in the media is such a poor message to be sending our young women.
The best way to empower our girls is to teach them self-defense. Teach them to honor their lives and the lives of others. Teach them to honor their body and protect it.
Teach them to be respectable leaders, not mindless followers. Teach them to be patriotic, stand for the flag and recite the pledge of allegiance along with you.
Teach them to put down their phones, take up arms and do some target shooting. Teach them survival skills. Have them join competitive shooting teams. Support local sporting clubs and participate in outdoor activities that get kids away from the chaos of school and questionable influences.
When I see Dads and their daughters in full gear going out on a hunt it makes me smile, as the joy on their faces is what I remember feeling when my dad took me with him to hunt.
And very importantly, teach them about the Constitution and how important it is, especially the 2nd Amendment. They won’t learn it in school.
Teach them about voting, and how to vet a candidate. Take them to meet elected officials and ask them questions in a respectful manner.
Let’s set a good example for the next generation. You will not see me or any of my family wearing fake vaginas on our heads to protest how unfair life is. We will pull on our boots, roll up our sleeves and get to work – mostly behind the scenes at a grassroots level- because that is where a good foundation starts. Our best voice is our quiet confidence and willingness to step outside our comfort zone, educate ourselves and others in what really matters, and working together to protect ourselves, our families, and our Country. Never waste a teaching moment, our future depends on the time we put into raising our children, and our sons and daughters are depending on us to show them the way and give them a firm foundation to build on. Take extra time with your daughters, because they are the future mothers, and the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world!
