Dee Ives: Walker's War on Women and Veterans

Dee Ives is a United States Air Force veteran who became a nurse in the 90s to protect and serve her fellow veterans in the state nursing homes. She got involved in the uprising not only because of Act 10, but because many veterans like her gain civilian employment in Federal, State & Local governments after returning to civilian life and in the Walker Budget the veterans trust funds were given to DPSP.  She writes that it's "bad enough that Russell stole vets charity funds for his illegal campaign website, they literally stole our veteran assets in the Budget."  For Dee, an outspoken Republican who feels her party has been hijacked by Walker's anti-veteran and anti-worker agenda, "it's always about my vets."

Dee presented the following speech at the April 28, 2012 Unite Against the War on Women Rally in Madison (see clips of the rally here). She published it first on the Wisconsin Citizens' Media Cooperative page and shares it again with us here as her "open letter" to the people of Wisconsin:

Solidarity Wisconsin! As an SEIU “Union Thug” nurse and veteran, I spoke last year about how Governor Walker’s Act 10 would amount to a War on Women and veterans by using his religious right wing TEA Party to crush our female-dominated teachers and nurses unions, and assault women’s equal workplace protections under the law.

Walker’s new state of Fitzwalkerstan mirrored strategies used by extreme Taliban jihadists as they took over Afghanistan: They had declared a TEAhad on women’s constitutional rights. My fear manifested as his Fitzwalkerstan regime, those TEAhadist Taliban, passed the onerous Voter ID bill. This cost veterans, seniors, minorities and students their ability to vote in the Spring elections.

Women veterans who served in the Mid-East and had seen the Taliban there strip Afghan women of their rights to vote, own property, be educated, or hold gainful employment, now saw correlation at home as our Fitzwalkerstan TEA Taliban decreed our Wisconsin women to be second class citizens.

As one of Wisconsin’s 28,000 Women Warriors who volunteered to serve our country, swearing to defend our constitution against ALL enemies both foreign and domestic, to preserve freedom and democracy, I believe a critical denial of a woman’s constitutional right to freedom exists when her rights to vote or to join unions are denied. They are also denied when access to affordable education is restricted through budget cuts, or when many of the 25% of unemployed returning veterans can’t start businesses due to cuts in Wisconsin VA loans, or when women cannot obtain access to health insurance that preserves patient confidentiality and freedom of choice regarding reproductive rights.

Women lose the ability to go to college, pursue a career outside the home, or even join the military as they lose their ability to obtain contraceptives or reproductive healthcare options that allow them to choose when or if to start a family. The only cure for this Traumatic Scott Walker Syndrome infecting Wisconsin is to vote for politicians who support Wisconsin ratifying the ERA and our Wisconsin women’s right to choose. Women can win this War. I hope this Ode To Fitzwalkerstan inspires each and every Wisconsin woman to become a Warrior, and join this battle to recall any politician, male or female, who voted to deny Wisconsin Women their Rights this year.

I awoke to Fitzwalkerstan, yes it is done
The John Birch TEApubliCONs crow they have won
Koch addict Scott Walker & Fitzgeralds, two
Shout “We’ve beaten the unions” and they’re coming for you!

Think they crippled the unions, squashed them like bugs
Imply teachers & nurses are “Slobs”,”Union Thugs”
Emblazoned by recalls, TEA Assembly one day
Sold ALEC Corporations the right to deny women equal pay

Ignoring Grandmothers voices, treating mothers with scorn
Deny contraceptives to our daughters crying “Protect the unborn!”
The doorway they need to deny prescriptive care
To our mothers, wives, daughters & de-fund BadgerCare

Impudently passed law, like a dagger you see
Denying worker discrimination suits based on equality
Affecting all women, next they come for our vote
Progressive Lady Forward to violate, and on this note

Remember last spring, just a scant year agone?
Supreme Court election was flipped as Democracy was undone?
By their touchscreen machines & by voter ID
Seek to silence our voice in WI Democracy!

The names Prosser & Jensen, Ms Nickolaus too

Parts of the last Caucus Scandal our WI knew
Votes lost & found, the open recount bag seals
And touchscreen machines WI elections all steal.

Those unions they target, our nurses & teachers
Show the ignorance of these TEA-Party over-reachers
We voted collectively , with great accolade
“Union” said our 6 who have proud Union Maids!

WI women are voters whom they would deny the right
To have freedom of choices, or voice in our life?
The Rove machine tied to our Governor’s name
In the FBI probe of John Doe, yet un-named

Koch minions target WI, our Progressive State
By attacking our women, trying to dictate our Fate?
Like cowards pass laws in the dark of the night
Deny assembly to silence our 1st Amendment Right!

Lady Forward to pillage & rape they do seek
Passing destruction of wetlands & mining this week
Despite 1 million voices raised up to recall
In desperation Fitzwalkerstan’s grabbing it all

Our message TEApubliCONs ,tis to no avail
This Fitzwalkerstan I woke to is doomed to fail
Your mothers & daughters now join in this fight
We are ALL Lady Forward post what you did that night

No more shall you abuse our sisters & daughters
Or sell out our land, or our air, or our waters,
Or undo a century of our Progressive fight
To steal our voices or deny our rights!

Rise up now my sisters of frozen tundra fame
Get your voter ID’s this injustice to tame
Remember LaFollette’s sweet Progressive call
And become Lady Forward as you vote to RECALL!

Have YOU taken the MoD Open Letter Challenge challenge yet?  It's not too late!  The recall election will be held on June 5, 2012. Make your case for the recall today and share your concerns with your friends and neighbors. Every voice matters! Make sure yours is heard in time!