06-25 TABLE of CONTENTS: The Mann Act DATES, ANNIVERSARIES, and EVENTS QUOTES by Susan B. Anthony. The Mann Act       Event 06-25-1910, The Mann Act, which prohibits the transportation of females across state or internationally lines for immoral purposes, is enacted by the U.S. Congress. It was said to be an attempt to curb the huge "white slave" and prostitution business in the U.S. and the world.       At the time it was estimated that there were more than 600 recognized houses of prostitution in Chicago alone. New Orleans was "closed" to naval personnel because of the number of brothels. But the situation was nothing new. Prostitution has been rampant in ALL periods of history - many times directly operated by religious monks, priests, etc., no matter what religion was involved.       With the change from rural to city living caused by the industrial revolution, more and more women were on their own without family to help support them. Regardless of the need, the labor market still excluded women except in the most menial and lowest paid jobs. Often prostitution was the only recourse for women as well as for women who were "ruined, " i.e., any woman who was raped, jilted, or was a single parent without a male relative to support her and the child(ren), or because of a thousand other reasons... most of which were at the convenience of male prerogative societal rules.       Here is a seeming paradox. Men opposed prostitution by law but by social and business customs they encouraged it by not paying fair wages to women or giving them work (or educational) opportunities to support themselves. The explanation, of course, is spelled h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y, since 99.9% of prostitutes operate for the sexual convenience and pleasure of men. There is also the economic selfishness as noted in the quote du jour of 06-24 WOA. 06-25 DATES, ANNIVERSARIES, and EVENTS B. 06-25-1831, Harriet Mann Miller - U.S. author. HMM signed her name as Olive Thorne to hundreds of articles and a number of books about birds as well as well received fiction novels. B. 06-25-1855, Etelka Gerster - Hungarian soprano, voice teacher, administrator, and writer. B. 06-25-1872, Birdsall Otis Edey, president of the Girl Scouts and a pioneer in the woman's suffrage movement. B. 06-25-1874, Rose Cecil O'Neill, illustrator and author. She developed the "Kewpie" figures and dolls which made her very rich. Her serious art work, however, led to her election to the _Societ­ des Beaux Arts_. B. 06-25-1881, Crystal Eastman - one of the mot influential U.S. women of her day. She was an attorney, feminist, labor reformer, peace advocate, birth control advocate, suffragist, and worker for women's financial equality in both the U.S. and England. She was active in the Political Equality League, Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, Women's Peace Party, the Feminist Congress, and a member of the famed Heterodoxy Club of New York. Unfortunately she died when she was only 46.       Her mother was a suffragist, fighter for women's rights, and Congregational preacher. {Lesbian} B. 06-25-1892, Aileen Osborn Webb, founder of the American Craftsmen's Council and chair 1958-76. B. 06-25-1918, Marion Alice Orr, member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. MAO was one of the most noted pilots for the RCAF in England during World War II. She ferried military planes - some terribly shot up and dangerous to fly - from landing strips to repair locations and back. Her flights always subject to German fighter interception as well as the dangers from the planes disintegrating in air. The women also flew planes that had made their regular night sorties over Germany from air fields close to the channel to safer locations to the west of England and then returned them to the eastern air bases that evening. A number of women who ferried the planes died. In Canada, she was the first woman to fly and instruct helicopters. For further information on this remarkable woman and other Canadian flyers, see http://www.schoolnet.ca/collections/aviation/ Event 06-25-1981, The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the congressionally mandated all-male draft. Feminists oppose the draft, but say if there was to be one, it should include women.       "If there is to be registration (for military draft), it must include women. Let's face it -- women are an established part of the modern military. We are a key part of the trained and trainable pool of young people required to operate today's military, which is more in need of brains than brawn... NOW is against the registration of both young men and young women because it is a response which stimulates an environment of perparation for ware. But if there is a draft, it must included women."             -- Eleanor Smeal speaking as president of the National Organization for Women 02-08-1980. Event 06-25-1993: In an amazing move, Tansu ¥illar was named prime minister of Turkey, the first woman to head Turkey and the first woman in an Islamic country to reach a leadership position without strong family ties. A liberal economist who emphasized economic development and closer links with Europe, she was forced to call for new elections two years later when the Social democrats withdrew their support from the ruling coalition. She had been elected one of eight women to the 450 member legislature in 1990 and served as economic minister under the previous prime minister before being chosen to lead. Surprisingly she chose a cabinet that ousted some of the previous prime minister's favorite people - and probably doomed her tenure. Event 06-25-1993: The Chicago Board of Education announced its selection of New York's deputy school chancellor Argie K. Johnson, 54, as general superintendent of its school system, the sixth person to hold the job in 13 years. The decentralized Chicago district was called the worst in the nation, but Johnson said she believed in the reforms that were under way and wanted to be a part of them. QUOTES DU JOUR ANTHONY, SUSAN B.:      "So while I do not pray for anybody or any party to commit outrages, still I do pray, and that earnestly and constantly, for some terrific shock to startle the women of this nation into a SELF-RESPECT which will COMPEL them to see the abject degradation of their present position; which will force them to break their yoke of bondage, and give them FAITH IN THEMSELVES; which will make them proclaim their allegiance to WOMEN FIRST; which will enable them to see that man can no more feel, speak or act for women than could the old slaveholder for his slave. The fact is, women are in chains, and their servitude is all the more debasing because they do not realize it.       "O, to compel them to see and feel and to give them courage and conscience to speak and act for their own freedom, though they face the scorn and contempt of all the world for doing it! "             -- Susan B. Anthony, 1870. (This quote was brought to our attention by Wendy Brewer who said: "Makes you wanna stand up and clap doesn't it ? Does me....") | PRIOR DATE |        | HOME |       | WOA INDEX |       | NEXT DATE |   | RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE |