Question of the Day | 08/24/2009 11:00 pm

What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?

This was originally published on wOw in April ‘08.

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Kay Sara……..in is indeed sad when the legal "wisdom" for this land is to avoid the courts at all costs. I received that same advice from my attorney when I went through a contentious divorce — I was specifically told, you do not want this to go to court. It does seem, sadly, that as women — we have not yet reached equality when it comes to justice in court.

I suppose, if anything demonstrated the lack of equality for women in a judicial environment — it was the mean spirited questioning that now Supreme Court Justice Sotomayer had to endure prior to securing her place on the Court.

By Mickey Thompson on 08/27/2009 12:16 pm

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On behalf of all women, we thank you.

No equality yet.

By EKA - on 08/25/2009 3:54 pm

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Thank you, EKA, that means a lot to me. I am still fighting it and it has been an uphill battle every step of the way.

By Kay Sara on 08/25/2009 7:03 pm

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Traveled alone to Bangkok,Thailand, with ten copies of my cv, one thousand dollars, a plan to find a teaching job in a city of complete strangers. Wanted to challenge myself at 52. Walked around hot, sweaty streets, faced homesickness but didn’t take that plane home. Best thing I ever did.

By Tony Galento on 04/11/2008 6:11 am

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Correction- my compensation has been cut 40%. I wish women had the equivalent of an Al Sharpton or jesse Jackson to step in to bring media attention to the crimes against our sex since the court system is not about justice - it is as unfair towards women as the courts were unfair to blacks in the 1950s & 1960s. My husband went a tirade last night about how important influential women are cowards to stand up and help other women. Sandra Day O’Connor did more to make it impossible for women to sue for discrimination than any conservative Supreme Court Judge. Was she trying to prove she was “one of the boys”? Why won’t successful influential women take sex discrimination head on - call it out for what it is like influential black leaders do about racism? I think women who make want so desperately to be “seen as there for their competence” and play down at any cost the fact of what they had to overcome to get there because of their gender. And they are unwilling to stick their necks out for the plight of other women at the risk of tumbling from their insecure position of success. I risked my career for other women- i was the highest ranking and had the most evidence and knew I was highlyr respected so I was in the best position to take on my employer- knowing they would do all they could to destroy my credibility. Important women need to help other women. Elton John’s observation is very very true. this country is the worst in accepting hatred and abuse directed at women.

By Kay Sara on 04/11/2008 6:20 am

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Yeah. Where’s Bella Abzug when you need her! As it is, each of us is required to be our own hero. Best we can.

By Ms. Dee on 04/11/2008 9:59 am

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Ms. Dee I had forgotten about Bella Abzug - Thank you for reminding me of her! There is so much more chance for change is there are numbers standing together - united. But if we must stand alone, we still should stand…even if alone. Dor me it is not about being a hero, though- it is about stopping injustice. I had so many women come to me in tears: i.e. engineers assigned to secretarial jobs, V.P.s telling a woman if she wanted a raise she had better marry a rich man, if you ask me one more time for a raise I will fire you ; you cannot hire her, too much baggage- she is a mother; you cannot hire her she is overweight; secretly lowering womens 4-6 grade bands and then telling them they cannot get a raise because they have maxed out the salary limit….

By Kay Sara on 04/11/2008 11:01 am

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Ms. Dee - to remind everyone about this marvelous woman: Abzug is known for her boundless generosity. An indefatigable force for global survival, her mission, her challenge, and her legacy are clear: It’s not about women joining the polluted stream. It’s about cleaning the stream, changing the stagnant pools into fresh, flowing waters. Our struggle is [against] violence, intolerance, inequality, injustice. Our struggle is about creating sustainable lives, and attainable dreams. Our struggle is about creating violence-free families… . violence-free streets, violence free borders. Our call is to stop nuclear pollution. Our call is to build real democracies not hypocracies. Our call is to nurture and strengthen all families. Our call is to build communities, not only markets. Our call is to scale the great wall around women everywhere. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/abzug - very wonderful write-up on Bella Abzug

By Kay Sara on 04/11/2008 11:52 am

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More power to you Suzanne! I am behind you all the way! Just keep holding your head high. You did the right thing….you are in my prayers. But, you are absolutely correct. The Lord said-The revenge is his!

By M. Reyna on 04/11/2008 10:25 am

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M. Reyna, THANK YOU and I so very much appreciate your prayers. It is up to God how this will turn out, my belief in any justice in this country no longer exists. My husband worked many years defending this country and he is so disillusioned that this is what is happening in this country and he had worked so hard to defend that he wants to move to another country. He is (was) so patriotic, too - this is a major shift for him.

By Kay Sara on 04/11/2008 10:31 am

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Suzanne-I have seen this happen over and over again. Often if you are a crusader or stand up for your rights you do it alone. Women still earn $850,000. over a lifetime on average less that men doing the same work. It takes tremendous courage to do what you are doing. It makes you one of the rare ones and in that sense you have already won. Consider what it means in a country when a woman can be held captive and gang-raped by male coworkers of the firm handed billions in no-bid contracts by the US administration, when Cheney was it’s CEO, and remains it’s largest shareholder, and the woman is prevented from suing but must submit to ‘arbitration,’ and the men are protected from prosecution. Do they also arbitrate on- the-job murder? Although you are wise and see the whole picture, am sure it doesn’t make you feel less alone. Guard your health, and hopefully some day you can create your own business. Very best of luck—I really hope you win.

By Buh-Bye Hillary Hillary Buh-Bye on 04/11/2008 11:07 am

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Suzanne, my company has a corporate policy that prevents anyone from seeking or even talking to outside legal counsel about anything regarding the company clearly stating the threat of termination! Thank you,so much for your well wishes.

By Kay Sara on 04/11/2008 11:50 am

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This is illegal.

By Mugsy Peabody on 04/11/2008 3:18 pm

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Well, if it’s not, it should be. Surely, it’s unconstitutional for an employer to require an employee to obstruct justice, or deprive them of their right to press criminal charges against any individual. I can’t believe that’s business as usual.

By Ms. Dee on 04/11/2008 5:16 pm

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One of my witnesses - she had never had a promotion in 8 years and infact she had a couple of demotions - but coincidentally the day before her deposition my company promoted her to a Manager! Witness tampering- the judge ignored , too. The list of violations goes on and on - all ignored.

By Kay Sara on 04/12/2008 7:31 am