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Show Page 8 The Utah Independent October 13, 1977 The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand BIG SISTER THE LEAGUE OF WOMAN VOTERS Continued from page 7 i tional Security Advisor. The purpose tax for the state, even though she of the Commission, Brzezinski ex- didn't necessarily agree. But the plained in Foreign Affairs , is to League now began to consider a achieve a shared political perspec- matter of life and death. The subtive among the governmental bodies ject was abortion. How does the League of Women of three trilateral units, which boils down to mean merger of the United Voters decide on a position? It does so States, Western Europe, and Japan. by means of the magic process called Consensus." The Local League In his 1970 book entitled Between Handbook Two Agest Zbigniew Brzezinski explains as follows: "Conapplauded Karl Marx as fol- sensus in the League means agreelows: Marxism represents a further ment among a substantial number of vital and creative stage in the matur- members, representative of the membership as a whole, reached afing of mans universal vision. Which certainly suggests that ter sustained study and group discusLucy is where she belongs. And re- sion . . . . You see: As a means of member that as always these are just concerting study, it has become cusa few examples. So weve seen the tomary for state and national boards What of the League of Women to focus decision making through use Voters. Weve seen the Why. And of consensus questions. Usually maybe even more important is the forms are supplied for making the How. Remember that most of the report and a deadline set for returnwomen. If ing it . . . . Thus: The major efLeaguers are middle-clas- s the radicals running the show get fort of interpretation by the board what they are working for federal relates to the boards evaluation of land control, national bankruptcy, reports of member thinking in disgun confiscation, and World Govern- cussion units or in general meetings has taken discussion ment it will destroy the hopes, where dreams, and lives of the individual place . . . . And naturally: Conmembers. So how does the League sensus evolves from informed dismaneuver its women voters to do its cussion and deliberation. It is a meeting of minds. It allows for variations bidding? and shades of opinion on many aspects of a given issue. Since this is Big Sister A typical example of how it is the nature of consensus, polling the done comes from Mrs. Robert J. membership by mail or phone is genDean of North Adams, Massachu- erally not a sound method. When the body of setts. Mrs. Dean and her husband, a Continuing: history teacher, have five opinion expressed in consensus has children. Mr. Dean at one time was a been put into words it is called a Navy frog man, but he looked per- position. State and national boards fectly human to your reporter. Mrs. perform this function for state and Dean has worked as a teletypist for national Program On the other the North Adams Transcript , and hand, consensus of local League before that worked part-tim- e for members on state and national items North Adams Redevelopment, a fed- does not constitute a position and eral operation. She calls herself a should not receive publicity. If it is I dont bereported to members in the bulletin, lieve in parties. I vote for the issue it must be made clear that this is and the man. local thinking and does not constitute Mary Dean is the type of socially a position . . . . It is made clear: conscious woman who enhances comThe League speaks with but one voice, the voice of a substantial mamunity cultural life. She is a doer. She joined the North Adams League jority Members in the minorof Women Voters with the best of ity are, of course, free to speak for will, for the best of reasons: to help themselves as individuals but. in dowith the towns kindergarten pro- ing so, they must not identify themgram. She became the local League's selves as League members. In short, the national board words secretary, and worked on playthe questions. The questions go to the grounds, parks, and recreation. Eventually, Mrs. Dean became the local Leagues. The local Leagues local League president, in which ca- chat about them. The chat goes back pacity she was in 1972 sent to Atlanta to the national board. The national to the L.W.V. national convention. board evaluates, consensifies, and There she heard Jimmy Carter speak. announces a position. Nowhere in the In her report to North Adams process do the women voters get to Leaguers in their monthly bulletin, vote , because voting on the issues The Torch, Mrs. Dean wrote that at might inhibit their opinions, it says the convention the League passed a here. If a local League comes up with Resolution to ask for immediate its own position, it shouldn't be anwithdrawal of the U.S. Forces in nounced. It isnt a position. Big SisSoutheast Asia. Minority wanted to ter, who is fighting for womens libgive support to our forces there. eration, will tell the girls what they Yes, thats right, friends: a minor- think. If a member thinks otherwise ity of the delegates to L.W.V.s na- she may say so, as long as she contional convention were willing to sup- ceals her membership. It is important to note that since port our fighting men in a war in which they were being asked to die. most Leaguers look normal, you wont Are you still wondering why our coun- necessarily spot one when she steps try is in trouble? And not long there- up to give her opinion. But if she has after, the moment of truth came for been active in your town you will Mrs. Dean. It is important to estab- know she is a Leaguer, which prelish that Mrs. Dean is not an agin-ne- sumably means she is disqualified by Remember that she joined the League rules to speak her minority League not to obstruct it but to work piece, because she is already identifor it. I could go along on lesser fied. A chilling look at the crucial con- issues, such as the graduated income ful-some- high-scho- ly ol .... Democrat-Independen- t. .... r. sensus comes from the Massachusetts L.W.V.s Local League Discussion Leader Handbook, which explains: . . . The League uses the discussion method for several reasons. Interest is increased by participation. Information is better retained since the individual has been able to think it through and assimilate it during the interchange of discussion. The experience in creative thinking is valuable, and personal growth and maturity are enhanced through increased verbal articulation, and group rapport. The League is able to develop real consensus and support for its program through this kind of member involvement. So the purpose of the discussion isnt just to find out what members think, but to build League support, and to enhance the maturity of these already mature women. . . . The leaders basic job is to interest the group in the subject, to get them thinking about it, to get them sharing their thoughts with each other, and to keep the discussion moving along to a conclusion. The Discussion Leader is told: Read the publications which are made available to the members Make sure that everyone is comfortable, sitting in a circle if possible Begin by stating the issues to be discussed and the focus and scope of the discussion. Reading the consensus questions is sometimes helpful. Indicate any related areas that will not be discussed Start discusself-confiden- ce, .... .... .... sion off with a provocative, carefully prepared question which calls for opinions, not fact, and stems directly from the introduction and leads to the first area to be discussed. Use a question that cant be answered by yes or no. The necessity for information will now be apparent, and it is time for resource members to supply it. tute standards; and, seventeen questioned effectiveness of preswhich could mean that ent laws these ladies believed the present laws are not strict enough. The reports also contained the fol- lowing member comments. Wellesley: There was a feeling of dissatisfaction with the questions and a vague feeling that they were leading to a liberal consensus. Topsfield: No abortion mill in Massachusetts. If rights of fetus disWakefield: cussed, results of units might be different. Unable to Wayland: reach consensus because of Con- Leominster: fusion on questions. Only 115 members involved in consensus. Lexington: Fathers rights left unresolved. In a letter to the editor which the Boston Globe refused to print, Mrs. Dean asked: Is this consensus to abolish abortion laws? How could these statistics be interpreted as consensus that the majority of leagues wanted to abolish the present abortion law, or do they indicate a great deal of disagreement within the League and no consensus? Do you suppose State League Board would allow public appraisal of this consensus? On such a vital issue, shouldnt every member be allowed to vote ? If the League allowed its members to vote for consensus and tabulated results were reported back to the local leagues, then each local league would know how many votes were actually cast in favor of the State position, and how many leagues were pro and con. This would be truly democratic and grass roots action. Evidently, the League does not want this because they would rather have the tabulation unknown, ambiguous; in this way the consensus can be easily interpreted, or misinterpreted. I feel sorry for the many dedicated women in the League who think they do contribute and participate in a democratic organization; they are being deceived . . . . Mrs. Dean joined Right To Life in Pittsfield. A letter came from the state L.W.V. in Boston, saying that in order to continue as North Adams president, or even as a member of the local board, she would have to quit Right To Life. In March 1973, sadder but wiser, Mrs. Dean resigned from the League of Women Voters. In May, she and some others asked to present their case to the state L.W.V. convention at the Copley-Plaz- a in Boston. Denied admittance, they picketed outside. Inside, League conventioneers were giving a standing ovation to then Corrections Commissioner John 0. Boone, the febrile radical whose permissive reforms were turning the states penal system into a playpen. So there it is. And remember that Mrs. Dean is only one of many such victims through the years of the nonvoting Women Voters. Indeed, her experience may be eerily familiar even to those who have never met the ... So the North Adams League went into consensus. Mary Dean recalls or so memthat of the forty-eigbers, ten or twelve usually showed up. Only eight were present for the consensus on abortion. An even more dramatic indication of how few members participate in such matters comes to us from the minutes of April 30, 1969: The President read, briefly, the meaning of Consensus from the handbook. She reminded us that at one Consensus meeting there was only one member present who was from the general membership and not a member of the Board, or from the study committee. As usual, the background material and the questions came from the state, and were directed to the answers it wanted. They say its grass roots, but the questions are stacked, says Mrs. Dean. And when the state got done evaluating, it announced the League in favor of abortion. Being a sensible woman, Mrs. Dean was against that, so she went to state headquarters to see the Consensus reports. Of the one hundred five League. Leagues in the state, forty-thre- e had not supported abortion. Of the re- Brave New World Permit your reporter respectfully twenty-on- e had maining sixty-twsupported change in the laws; an- to request that you local Leaguers other twenty-on- e had supported read a book entitled The New Totalchange with restrictions ; three had itarian (New York, Stein and Day, supported the American Law Insti 1972), by Roland Huntford, longtime ht o, x i t m Continued on page 1 1 0 |