Open Letter to:

Lynn Neary, 2/18/2002 "Women in Power" Broadcast Host
Also to Juan Williams, Neal Conan,
All Staff Female and Male, Spouses and Families of
NPR's Talk of the Nation and National Public Radio
Attn Also: Program Participants
Attn Also: Diane Rehm
cc: Women and Gender in Journalism Forums and Leaders on the Internet
Gender and Government Forums and Leaders on the Internet
Schools of Journalism in the US and Worldwide

Re: Urgent Concern about NPR's and Program Participants
Talk of the Nation Broadcast of 2/18/2002, "Women in Power";
Suggested Prompt and Immediate Follow-Up Radio Broadcast
Apology, Explanation and Improved Presentation

Dear Ms. Neary and TOTN:

This is an urgent letter of shock and concern regarding your Talk of the Nation (TOTN) broadcast of 2/18/2002 entitled Women in Power, and suggestion/advisement that you immediately review the broadcast, and all your station's lack of coverage related to gender and governmental power, with intention to a follow-up program(s) as quickly as possible during the month of April, which of course, immediately follows March. March is importantly celebrated as Women's History Month so that it can remind us that is time to transform it and all human her-history for a more balanced human awareness of the gender inclusive human story that should always exist in any and every month, and no longer leave either gender out of our understanding of past, present or future. Extending Women's History "Month" into April and all months, and making this April the first gender balanced her-history month can bring home the point starting now, through Earth Day - a day about the balance of human nature in context of nature, and beyond.

It is our conclusion that certain conceptual and factual glaring omissions, self-imposed limitations, unusual vagaries, half-truths and negligences that your 2/18/2002 program contained has unwittingly but dangerously miscommunicated political realities to the listening American and worldwide public on one of the most important topics for our nation and world, and perpetuating serious gaps in your other programming, as well. We ask that you graciously overcome these disservices with responsible, fully factual, public statements and radio broadcasts with information about women in power AND men in power and representative balance in power, that you can be truly proud of. We also respectfully ask that you post this letter, with your and your invited participants gracious and hereby requested responses to it, on the NPR website, the Women and Public Policy Website, and on any websites and Internet forums in which you participate.

Please do not conceive of this letter as simply negatively or unconstructively critical in tone or intent to Ms. Neary. In fact, even though we were shocked at the inadequacy of the 2/18 broadcast, we have little doubt that all the planners and participants in the program are well-intentioned, extremely capable and truly gifted women (and men) and people. We suspect that the errors and omissions made on the broadcast arose from old habits and pressures upon US women (and men) discussing this important topic, rather than from any a permanent personal failing on the part of host or participants. The errors and ommissions can easily be graciously, indeed even gratefully acknowledged. A better discussion on your program is needed. This can freshen the air in the US media, which has become moribund and is suppressing information on this issue. This must happen and soon, in a spirit of public accountability and as an indicator of your NPR's courage, integrity and ongoing awareness, if it has such.

Here are our specific concerns about the 2/18/2001 program and the remarks made by both hostess and participants:

Unless you wish this program to be henceforth remembered as the "Talk of a Genderist, Isolationist Nation" When it Comes to Women, Men and Gender, please redress our concern that title, questions and contents of your 2/18 broadcast presented a extremely limited, and in our opinion, inexcusable and therefore needful of urgent redress, anachronistically isolationist concept and factual presentation. Indeed, we believe the broadcast spread misunderstanding about gender and power as it is currently conceived and distributed now, in the 21st century, which is a period marked by the need for global thinking and not isolationism, for both genders, especially in our US and any leading nation. Listeners to Talk of the Nation have a reasonable expectation and right to know if they are to trust NPR and the others who appeared in the broadcast as good sources on this issue, and will want you all to rebroadcast, starting in April, with regard to media isolationism in the US on gender issues. We believe you can do better. Specifically,

Without presenting a basic ground level of discussion on major global developments on this issue, by focussing on the US alone without global context to discuss gender and political power, you limited yourself to the nation, our nation, in which women currently have among the very LEAST political power at the national level compared to most other modern nations; and a currently regressed nation where men and women together have the worst current balance as partners in cooperation. The US has fallen behind in national self-governance and in party support for men and women in any proproportion related to demographic representation and natural group composition and balance. The 2/18 TOTN program was remarkable for keeping itself, therefore, to only the US and omitting comparative discussiion toward other nations.As the comedians' Church Lady might say of her Devil; "How Convenient!'

In a sense, by way of hyperbole, limiting your show to women in power in the US alone at this regressed moment would be like Stalinist radio broadcast limiting its discussion of democracy to 1940's USSR alone, and deliberately not reporting to its people about anything outside the Iron Curtain because, after all, that "isn't our nation". If we believed this really were the best NPR and its guests could do, then perhaps women and gender-fair men in the US need a "Voice of Gender-Balanced Non-America" far more than they need a nationally preoccupied and uninformative NPR. Does NPR continue to exist behind a Gender Information Iron Curtain? We believe NPR and many guests can, must and will dare to do better, starting in April. You once did better on important issues. You must do better on this issue in April and beyond, or many women and men will make it a point NOT to turn their dial to NPR, and TOTN can become the pathetic target deserving the concerned "gossip" of the world's journalistic and internet community, until it redeems itself.

Your broadcast failed to say clearly what has already become the embarassed Talk of the Nation and World: If your are discussing women in the US, your audience has a right to know that the US Has Fallen Grossly Behind MOST large Western democracies in the fairness of representations of both genders and now ranks about 50th (see links attached) among the world's nations in its level of representation of women/gender fairness While the US has a mere 13 women Senators and about that level (13% and thus an 87% male skew throughout its mostly white male Congress, so the gender ratio is 13%-87%), many nations, i.e. Canada, Germany, France (recent local and upcoming national elections), Belgium, Spain, indeed most of mainland Europe, all the Nordic Countries of course (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden which are generally close to 50-50), South Africa and likely soon India, have between 30-70 and in several cases, 50-50 levels of representation in one or both houses of their legislatures already, and are seeking or have already passed laws to stabilize near 50-50 comprehensively for present and very immediate (within a year) future. Even at lower levels of women's presence in government power, many other nations have already exceeded the US, too (England, 18%, Pakistan, seeking 17%, Argentina 20%, China 22% women, for example, although even these levels also are unwisely still too low and not sufficient for peace and stability, see below). Similarly, there is a long list and daily growing number of nations that have already had women Presidents (or equiavalent Chief Executives such as Prime Minister or Premier) right along with men, unlike the US, which has not yet had even one.

This puts American men and women, especially those who hold positions in public life such as the participants of the 2/18/2002 program, in glaring contrast for having tolerated and become apologists for mostly one gender leadership and governmental systems for so and too long. Journalists had traditionally served to bring forth light and assist needed reform, often having been called the Fourth Estate or Branch of government. Yet the program host did not ask one probing question about this to any of the guests. So much for journalism, let alone humanity, your pride in being a woman yourself, or conscience, Ms. Neary. Was it a misogynist, isolationist culture at NPR that muzzled you in some way? Was your topic deliberately circumscribed to just the US by a male boss or sponsor? That is neither journalistic or human spirit, and makes a mockery of NPR.

Furthermore, the program's concept of power was outmoded, unilateral, unidimensional, defined by unigender (male) values pasted onto women, and unrelational. Instead of a notion that balance in gender in government is both representatively fair; instead of discussing a group dynamic of balance of gender that naturally balances and relationally empowers and represents both men and women optimally; your show limited itself to a feebly vague, unifocus: "more women", so that mere 13 tokenized women was somehow deemed "better" then 10 or 11, even if the vastly outnumbered token group is increasing voting and acting more often with male party bosses who control campaign chests, than women voters on issues.

A critical mass minimal level of balance (most believe it is between 30-40%) is not even imagined in your show's philosophy, even though it has become the trend in Europe and many other nations. The broadcast showed no awareness or concern that mostly male governments inherently become dominated by the most aggressive males, that is egoistic alpha-males, and tend to disempower more moral men as well as almost all women. The lack of relational and balance consciousness suggests that NPR, its hosts and guests have a primitive understanding of what really representative and moral power is, for men as well as women, and are caught up in defining power according to discussing dominant male- pattern power-hunger, hegemony and narcisstic, unrelational egoism, and the reactive unigender focus of some women, not democratic and representative power for good.

This is evidenced by statements of women who feel it is sufficient to effort toward the Presidency of one lonely woman breaking a ceiling, instead of revising the across the board pattern set by a generally grossly gender imbalanced government. Such notions can only reveal that your staff and guests are thinking according to old outmoded models of individually and gradually achieved and traditionally male-defined "power" unrelated to the progress and balance of the the entire Whole.

This is, in fact, an outmoded "emperor" model set up and maintained by self-deluding generations of men who saw one leader at the top of a vertical and hierarchical heap and others; especially women, at the bottom. It is a model for women's gradual hierarhical and uphill progress that has now been rejected by much of the world in favor or a more relational, all-at-once, standard-of-balance sharing, group model for the genders which ultimately helps moral and less egoistic candidates and the system as a whole. This is what you could have reported was stated quite clearly in France's 1995 Manifesto that brought forth its Gender Parite Law, has been understood by Scandinavian cultures for decades, and is now sweeping nations in Europe and beyond. Therefore, we do not believe your 2/18/2002 broadcast is your "best effort" on women and power. We do not think it could be; and invite you to revisit the topic, with all these concerns in mind, beginning in April, and continuing.

We have some very specific Thoughts for Women (and Men) in Media - for Ms. Neary, Neal Conan, Juan Williams, and staff of Talk of the Nation, female and male, and their families.

By broadcasting at all on any issue concerning government and power, NPR and Ms. Neary and all the program hosts have the special responsbility as media to redress the grievances of not only the 2/18/2002 broadcast, but also to discuss the general shocking failure of US media, especially women in the US media, to carry the extremely major stories of Sonia Gandhi and the India's Women's Reservation Bill (for a minimum of 33% of gender) sit-ins in 1998 (which occurred simultaneouw with the Seneca Falls Anniversay of Women' Suffrage in the US). NPR's Media coverage should also discuss the equally shocking failure to cover French Gender Parite Multiparty Manifestos in 1996 and 50-50 gender in governmnt Law, especially when the law was passed in 1999, the first election held under the last year in 2001 that brought 50-50 gender balance in government to every French municipality including Paris, and the gender balanced French Parliamentary election occurring immediately upcoming in April 2002, a race in which one of the top male candidates and his wife developed the gender balance law, the other top male candidate and his wife appear to have embraced it, and the third most populat candidate is a woman.

Did NPR itself cover these earth-shaking stories when they occurred and since? Can anyone dare say these stories of the fall of patriarchism and the rise of partnerism are less important than the fall of Communism of of the Berlin Wall? Has Neary ever heard of anything happening in the world outside of a Washington that is routinely declared unfit or unrepresentative of them, by most Americans? Do women journalists and gender-caring men at NPR follow the activities of already fully gender balanced nations, such as Sweden and Finland, and those achieving or near balance, such as France, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, the Phillipines, India and others? As a member of the US media and a woman, Ms. Neary has a responsiblity to know about this before she or any NPR representative undertakes to discuss government and power as responsible journalists accountable to a public audience in a global era in which the US must find its place. Of course, the lack is most evident on a Program entitled "Women in Power". But, even without this program, the lack of coverage of these stories and others similar has long been simply negligence and bias in reporting, negligence and bias in world view, negligence and bias in the journalistic search for truth, and ultimately, a sign of a culture in negligence of its own both-gendered humanity (of which there are many critical symptoms in the media). But now it the Turning Point. IT IS THE MOMENT to empower the better in yourself and others.

So, ow, instead, we look forward to Ms. Neary's and other hosts independent and uncensored comments on these matters in the April broadcasts which we hereby urgently recommend, and encourage the program's regular male hosts, Neal Conan or Juan Williams, to participate in the program with her and in support of her in this way, as well, as evidence of real gender consciousness at NPR. TOTN staff wishes intelligent and informed men and women to continue to listen to Talk of the Nation. Journalists, particularly beleaguered women journalists make omissions and mistakes because of a self-perpetuating lack of esteem in themselves, faith in their audience, and a lack of support and teamwork from men in the media.

The unigender and unbalanced hosting and guesting of this topic on 2/18 suggested a problem in and of itself, since the issue is really about the genders sharing power, about democratic balance. It is a world class issue, of importance to men, women, boys and girls, all mutually. It is equal in importance to any other international global issue that affects our nation that NPR has covered in a global awareness, from global markets to terrorism. Both men and women at NPR, like Juan Williams and other men, as well as Ms. Neary and Diane Rehm, and all broadcasters, should be able to talk to the American nation about how important it is that this country catch up quickly to gender balance in government levels already achieved first in Scandinavia, and now in most of Europe, and many other nations, and achieve full gender balance in government for the nation and our planet.

V. Suggested Program for April to Redeem the Pathetic
NPR Talk of the Nation of 2/18/2002, a Dismal Disservice
to an Important Topic: Women in Power (and thus, Men in Power)
The Topic for Talk of the Nation Must be "Gender in Power"

This is an addendum to other letter of concern regarding the 2/18/2002 Broadcast of NPR's Talk of the Nation.

March has recently emerged in our still developing consciousness worldwide as Women' History Month. But what if the follow-up to this Woman's History Month saw women, and the men they call to their side in mutuality, grace the radio world with their most profound understanding as partners to men in mutual power of love in democracy? The month of mutuality is human balance month, and balance of nature month; it can start with this April, and become every month.

We therefore request and insist that Ms. Neary, Ms. Budson, and their other guests, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Bailey-Hutchinson and Ms.Ferraro, redo and redeem the 2/18/2002 program during the month of April. Let the Talk of the Nation be on the topic: Gender and Human Balance in Our Nation as Part of our World.

Invite the following guests to attend and/or call in:

Ms. Budson and any man in or outside of the US who will speak with her about the 50-50 balances in many marriages, workplaces and organizations in the world and US, in medical and law schools, and the levels of gender balance in all modern governments currently compared to the US.

Ms. Ferraro and Mr Mondale together discussing why the US has lagged so far behind other nations in bringing female talent into official balance in general and executive leadership.

Lionel Jospin and Sylvianne Agacinski, primary catalyt of the Frenmch Gedner Parite Law which has already achieved gender balance in all municipal elections and will effect the French national election in April; to discuss her book Parity, now in US bookstores, and the Frenchmen's understanding of vive le difference as it improves government with balance. Also invite Chirac and his wife Bernadette, as well as female third running candidate Laguiller, and black female candidate Christine Taubira. Also invite Anna Karamanou, leading woman of the European Union, to call in and invite an exchange with Giscard d'Estaing of the EU Convention about the importance of gender balance to the people of Europe in relation to the world.

Finnish President Tarya Halonen and her husband, Pettya Arajarvi, who is also a Minister in the Government to discuss marriage and leadership for human rights and dignity. Invite women and men speakers of gender balanced Nordic legislatures and administrations, such as Sweden, Norway and others.

Ms. Bailey Hutchinson and the man who nominated Elzabeth Dole for President about gender balance leadership to discuss ambivalence and female tokenism among conservatives.

Politically Independent and Unaffiliated Men and Women,, Including members of third parties such as Winona Laduke, Ralph Nader, and political scene commentators like Michael Moore and any of the women he lists as his choice for President in his currently best-selling book.

Sonia Gandhi, Benizar Bhutto, and men who supported their political careers.

B'Hai, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, B'Hai, Hindu and African and Middle Eastern women experts who can speak to experiences with Golda Meir, Tansu Pillar (Islamic woman PResident of Turkey) and the global meaning of the Queen Esther story as a governmental Easter resurrecting the partnership of men and women who love each other as spiritaul and political equals, and how gender partnership in all governments can allay fears of genocide and oppression in various cultures around the world where fratrical terror, war and patriarchal male skewed officialdoms persists.

We suggest you devote at several shows and hours to the topic, and divide the show into segments all related to gender balance, because of its central and human importance. We insist that the issue be discussed in far greater depth and accuracy than it has been on NPR to date.

If you receive any pressure from NPR or any participating organizations not to participate in such a program, shouldn't you (and we all) question your membership in any such organization as it currently treats you and the women and people of your organization, nation and world?

As the few Women's "Her-story" Months
and Too Many Past "History Months" of War and Terror
Become
Human Gender Balanced Her-History
EveryMonths of Mutuality, and Millennia of Peace

Every Blessing,

Your Listeners Who Have Already Shared the Truth
with Thousands on the Internet, and Care Enough About You
to Encourage You to Do the Same on the Air.and Far more
Prominently on Your Websites on this Issue.

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