Once again, one of the two chambers of the legislature picked up its marbles and went home in a snit. Last time it was the House; this time it was the Senate. And this happens despite the fact that Republicans have big majorities in both. Their “leaders” – overwhelmingly white, male, and too young – seem to view state government as little more than a game and prefer scoring personal points to mature decision-making. My slogan for 2016: Elect grandmothers. Beginning with Hillary. Read More
Doris writes a weekly column for LaGaceta, the nation's only trilingual newspaper, which has pages in English, Spanish, and Italian. Begun in 1922 for Tampa's immigrant community, it continues to thrive more than a century later. Her column is titled "In Context," as it aims to put contemporary issues in the context of the past.
Contrasting Monarchs
August 24, 2015
I’ve been busy promoting my new book, which is a history of Florida that emphasizes its women. You can order it at the website of the University Press of Florida. I’m writing this column, however, prior to going to Arkansas for the inauguration of its Women’s Hall of Fame. It’s gratifying to see that even its current conservative governor has come to realize it’s important for young women to know of those who came before them. So many struggle to invent the wheel, completely unaware that some other women did this decades ago. Or even centuries ago. Read More
Remember, without us, history ends in a generation
August 17, 2015
Did you see the flap about Target announcing that they were going to desegregate children’s toys? No more shelves labeled “boys” and “girls,” but just a mixture acknowledging that kids can choose what they like, whether that is a bulldozer for a girl or a baby doll for a boy. That’s good preparation for parenthood – presumably the most important thing we ever do -- as well as for careers. Read More
The solution is more government oversight
August 3, 2015
We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Medicare last week. I well remember when it was debated and adopted. My mother worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Russellville, Arkansas, and she was among the millions of future happy recipients who vehemently opposed it back then. She was strongly influenced by the Catholic family who owned the hospital, which originally had been run by nuns – ala St. Joseph’s and other institutions here in Florida. But as fewer and fewer women were willing to live a life of self-sacrifice and obedience to male authorities who never actually worked in hospitals, most church-supported ones transitioned either to public ownership (ala Tampa General) or to private corporations (almost everything else in our town). Read More