Girl Power

New Dawning International Bookfair

presents

Girl Power – War on Women

A Novel about Respect and Fair Play for the Fair Sex

By

Dee Dawning

Copyright © 2012 Dee Dawning

This book is dedicated to the women of America and the World. While some men

may not appreciate your worth, others cherish you! Worry not your time to shine

is assured!

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Penny Barber-Schwartz, my extraordinary editor, who put GIRL

POWER on the front burner and edited it in record time.

Author's Note

I started to write GIRL POWER because I was intrigued by the disdain and

cavalier attitude with which politicians of the right treated their own women

constituents. Apparently having no thought or concern of how women would

retaliate, they passed gender related law after law, many of which are outlined in this book. These laws seemed to have one deleterious purpose—repressing the

fair sex. Laws against fair pay, choice, violence, family planning, even

contraception were proposed and in most cases passed by Republican majorities

and signed by Republican Governors in several states, sometimes under a cloak

of secrecy.

I knew women were upset about this and I wondered how these men

would react if the shoe were on the other foot. So, I started to write what I

planned to be a thirty thousand word novella, hopefully ready for publication by June 1st. Well, I missed both marks by quite a bit.

The news kept coming, growing weirder and weirder. This caused my book

to grow and take longer and you know what? The more I wrote the more I

believed a third party really is the answer to our growing problems with

polarized politics and gridlock. So when you go to vote, remember GIRL

POWER. I know I will.

There’s been a real deterioration in conservative thinking [over the past

decade]… I've become less conservative since the Republican Party started

becoming goofy. –
Judge Richard Posner

"We now take you to Richmond, Virginia, where Jenna Kenner is standing

by. Jenna, what's going on?"

"Thank you Jeff. I'm here at the state capital building, where a large group of peaceful, but angry women are demonstrating."

"So I see. How many demonstrators are there?"

"I don't know for sure. Somewhere between seven and nine hundred, I

would guess."

"One of the signs reads, 'Keep Yer Stinking Laws Out of My Vagina'. What

are they upset about?"

"From what I can determine they're wound-up over this new abortion law

the legislature passed last night where a woman seeking an abortion would have

to undergo and pay for a procedure known as a Trans-vaginal Ultrasonic Probe."

Snicker. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, and that's not funny, Jeff. How would you like a forced colonic

probe?"

"Ugh, I see your point, sorry. I see a sign that reads, 'If You Cut off my

Reproductive Choice, Can I Cut Off Yours? Signed Lorena Bobbitt'. I think I

know what that woman has in mind. Would you ask her why she's mad and

what she and her friends want?"

"I think she's the leader. I'll ask her"

Jenna approached the short, shapely blonde woman and stuck a mic in front

of her. "Hi. What's your name?"

"Doris."

"Hi, Doris. I'm Jenna Kenner with National News Network. I'd like to ask

you a few questions if I may."

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"I take it you ladies are protesting the new law that Governor Bob

McConnell has promised to sign into law today."

"And you'd be right. We want Governor "Ultrasound Bob" to know that the people this most affects don't like this stinking law, and women across the

country are not going to forget, come Election Day."

"Across the country?"

Doris rested her sign on the ground. "Absolutely, Virginia isn't the only

state where self-righteous men are sticking their nose in our panties."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"The Pachyderms have been having a field day approving regressive

legislation in Republican-controlled states across the country."

"Pachyderms?"

"Yeah, you know, the elephants in the room."

"Oh, yeah. Which states?"

"North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and

Pennsylvania, Georgia, Mississippi, to name a few.

"My God. I had no idea."

"I know. Republicans know the public doesn't support their laws so they're

passing them, like this one—under the radar—and being real quiet about it."

Jenna turned to the camera. "So there you have it, Jeff. These women feel

there is a conspiracy, a war on women, you might say, to take back their hard

fought gains on women's rights on health and reproduction."

"Thank you, Jenna. We'll keep following this story, but right now, I have the Chairman of the Republican Party, Crowe Magnon, and the President of the

Women's League, Molly Markum. Molly, we'll start with you. What do you think

about all this?"

Molly, a petite, middle-aged woman with brown hair and a no-nonsense

look, frowned. "Like your reporter said, the far right has started a war on women. With the misguided Republican war in Iraq over and forgotten war in

Afghanistan winding down, the GOP's collective fingers are getting itchy. So

they looked around and 'lo and behold' they've discovered us—women—and

decided they don't like the advances we have made over the last fifty years—"

"That's ridiculous," Crowe, a brawny, balding, blue-eyed man with shaggy shoulder-length hair, argued. "There is no war on women. Men idolize women."

"Humph! If you don't mind! Jeff asked me a question, and I was answering

before you rudely interrupted. As for your assertion that men adore women,

most men do, but not the petty Republican men. They think women, despite

being fifty-one percent of the electorate, having a measly seventeen percent of

the seats in Congress, is too much. They think women heading twelve of the

fortune five-hundred companies is too many, and they have the nerve to think

women making seventy-seven cents for every dollar men make is too much!

Crowe ran his fingers through his long, dark blond hair. "May I speak

now?"

Tightlipped, Molly glowered at Crowe, but Jeff said, "Go ahead."

"The seventy-seven percent figure has been debunked. Men work more

hours and overtime. More men have second jobs while many women only work

part time."

Molly snarled. "That's total horse shit and you know it."

"No, facts don't lie."

"Unless they come from the republican media—Wolf News."

"We're talking about your figures, not mine."

Molly shoved her chair back, stood up and stuck her chin out. "You don't

scare me, you walking bag of misinformation. We're talking about equal work

for an equal amount of time and women make three quarters of what men make.

If that isn't bad enough you're trying to take us back to the Donna Reed Show

days—to the Father Knows Best days. Well listen, you…you Neanderthal, father

doesn't know best. He never did. Mother knows best. If men were the ones

having babies—which men don't even seem to appreciate—then there wouldn't

be a pro-life movement and there would be record abortions. Conversely, if

women ran this country we wouldn't have the economic basket case we have

today."

~ * * ~

Sally Cummings picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.

"Molly's right. Brenda, I've made up my mind."

"What, Ms. Cummings?"

"I've watched this subtle war on women for months. Their attacks are

growing more frequent and bolder every day."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go see our state chairman tomorrow. I'm going to throw my

hat in the ring and run for the U.S. Senate."

Chapter One – Birth of a Movement

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the

world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

—Margaret Mead

After a thirty-minute wait, the secretary said, "Mr. Nelsen will see you

now." Sally slipped her tablet computer into her handbag and went into Brad Nelsen's office. He stood, a smile on his face. "Good to see you again, Ms.

Cummings. Please be seated. Can I have Linda get you anything? Coffee, tea,

water?"

Sally sat in the center of three chairs that sat in an arc in front of his large desk. "No thanks, I'm fine."

The state Democratic Chairman took his seat and leaned forward, forearms

on desk. "All right. What can I do for you today?"

"I wanted to let you know what I'd like to do."

Bead cupped his chin. "And what is that?"

"I'm not going to run for re-election."

"No?"

"No. Instead, I'm planning to run for the Senate. I can do much more for the people as a senator."

Brad scratched his head and sighed. "Damn, Sally, I wish I knew this a

month ago. You can't waltz in here, announce your intention to run for the U.S.

Senate, and expect us to back you, just like that."

Sally tilted her head. "Why not? You always did before. I thought you'd be

pleased."

Brad glanced up. "Normally, I would, but things are different now."

"What do you mean?"

"You've seen it, Republicans in control of many of the state legislations,

running roughshod, introducing and passing one ridiculous, unpopular bill after

another. Democracy itself is under assault. Moderate and progressive values are

under attack, the country is in a crisis.

"Yes, I know. It's happening in Congress, too. The House majority is passing only it's own far right agenda legislation and blocking everything else.

Meanwhile the Senate Republicans use the filibuster to neutralize our majority

and block everything that could help the country. It's absolutely imperative that we maintain control of the Senate."

Brad leaned back in his chair. "Yeah things are bad, but it's even worse in many states."

"Maybe, but Congress is rushing to catch up. Christ, that last bill the House passed wanted to take away women's right to birth control. Birth control, which

has been available to women and in widespread use for half a century. Can you

believe it? That's why I decided to run for the Senate."

"Sally, I wish it were possible, but it's not. The party has already promised Winston we'd back him."

She pursed her lips. "What's the difference? We'll both run and the one who wins the primary will run against Dan Mannogue in the general."

"It's not that easy."

"Why the hell not? I'm a woman—a known quantity—and Mannogue

is…well, he's vulnerable—especially now."

"I know, and we feel Winston has the best chance to unseat him. Sit tight in your House seat for now. After all, you're the Minority Whip and if we take the

House back, you'll be Majority Leader, one step away from the Speaker of the

House."

Frustrated, she brushed a wayward lock of her blonde hair back from her

eyes and stood. "We? You mean you think Winston has the best chance, too.

Why, on earth, would you say that? I'm a better politician and you know it."

Brad tapped his fingers on his desk. "That's beside the point."

Sally leaned her hands on Brad's desk. "What then? Why the hell would

the…the powers pick Winston over me?"

He gazed up with watery eyes. "Sally, you're right about one thing. The

Democratic Party can't afford to lose the Senate and a man has a fifty percent