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Betty Ford’s Memorial: A wonderful tribute to a Women’s Rights Advocate

Posted: July 12, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Women's Rights | Tags: , |8 Comments

If you haven’t had a chance to read Cokie Roberts’ Eulogy for Former First Lady Betty Ford, you really should.

Over the years, as she spoke out more forcefully for women’s rights, Mrs. Ford strongly defended the housewife’s role: “Downgrading this work has been part of the pattern in our society that downgrades individual women’s talents in all areas.”

No wonder women all over the country have spent this past weekend loving her anew.

One talent political wives were expected to cultivate that they didn’t share with most women was that of first rate campaigner, especially wives of House members – the House wives – who faced an election every two years. By the time he ran for president, Ford supporters sported “Elect Betty’s Husband” buttons, but people in Michigan had been doing that for decades. It was another activity that brought political wives together – even if they were on different sides, they had the same complaints – and forged tightly joined connections that extended ot the men as well. They would bring the men together, serve them some drinks and a good meal, listen to their stories and make them behave. And some of that good behavior carried over to the corridors of Congress. It was a role political wives had played since the beginning of the republic and it worked.

Former First Lady Rosalynm Carter delivered the other eulogy. Mrs Ford requested this of both women.

Delivering the first eulogy, former first lady Rosalynn Carter said she had “an excellent role model and a hard act to follow.”

“Millions are forever in her debt today because she was never afraid to tell the truth,” Carter said. “Betty was my friend.”

Others paid tribute to the woman who was embraced by a generation of women who were just coming into their own. A social pioneer, Ford spoke openly about sex, cancer and addiction.

The service played on CSPAN 2 today and will undoubtedly be available for viewing this week.  I’d just like to remember Mrs. Ford as a woman who was a tireless fighter for the ERA and women’s health at a time when both abortion rights and support for the ERA were solid parts of the Republican platform as well as the Democratic party platform.  It’s difficult to remember that many Republican women were committed to women’s rights in this day of Republican women that stand against these rights.

8 Comments on “Betty Ford’s Memorial: A wonderful tribute to a Women’s Rights Advocate”

  1. bostonboomer says:
    July 12, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    That was a very nice tribute from Cokie Roberts. Betty Ford wouldn’t fit in at all with today’s Republicans.

    Thanks for this post, Dak.

    • Minkoff Minx says:
      July 12, 2011 at 8:27 pm

      I was very impressed with Roberts, I loved the emotion she showed when she was talking about Betty Ford’s passion for Women’s Rights.

      • dakinikat says:
        July 12, 2011 at 9:34 pm

        I especially admired her because she always supported women’s rights to do what they felt was right for them. Also, because she really was the first breast cancer advocate who went public and the same with alcoholism as a women’s issue too. She was damned brave!

    • JeanLouise says:
      July 12, 2011 at 9:36 pm

      I didn’t see the broadcast of Roberts’ eulogy but I think that both she and Carter did a brilliant job of describing Betty Ford.

      I’d forgotten how wonderful she was.

    • WomanVoter says:
      July 12, 2011 at 10:20 pm

      Gosh, if there was a Betty Ford running today… RIP

  2. Fannie says:
    July 12, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    More than anything, I want to thank you for this wonderful memorial of Betty Ford, she helped changed our lives. So long to Betty, and thank you for expressing how most of us felt.

  3. Minkoff Minx says:
    July 12, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    This next link seems appropriate for this post…I wonder what Betty Ford would think about it.Family planning in conflict

    Many areas of the world are at war and both the conflict and aftermath have dire consequences for the health of people affected. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Conflict and Health reports that while women in war-torn areas want access to family planning, these services are often not available at local hospitals or health centers. This can lead to further deprivation and unintended pregnancy.
    […]
    Therese McGinn, an Associate Professor at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and Director of the RAISE Initiative, New York, said that, “It is clear that many women are unable to obtain family planning services during a time when few would choose to become pregnant, and women who have complications due to unsafe abortions have no access to treatment. Consequently it is vitally important that family planning services are made available for conflict-affected men and women as part of strengthening local health services and aid packages.”

    Yes, this seems like yet another obvious hardship these women have to face in war torn areas. However…It really is a pathetic statement when women here in the USA are being deprived of affordable reproductive health services, birth control and abortions…and this lack of services are being forced upon us by politicians with religious right poles stuck up their hypocrite asses.

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