Former First Lady Laura Bush will receive the Alice Award in September from the Sewall-Belmont House, which is a museum “committed to sharing the untold stories of women’s history.” The Alice Award “honors a distinguished woman who has made an outstanding contribution in breaking barriers and setting new precedents for women. Through Mrs. Bush’s commitment to education, health care and human rights, she has made an impact on women’s lives both at home and abroad.”
Isn’t it nice that the Sewall-Belmont House is honoring Mrs. Bush, a former first lady who used her position to enhance the well-being of women around the world?
No, say twenty-two women, including Sonia Pressman-Fuentes, the co-founder of the National Organization for Women. Declaring she is not partisan, Fuentes said, “I’m not complaining that she’s a Republican. I’m complaining that she’s never done anything for women to get this award.”
So, Mrs. Bush has “never done anything for women,” huh?
So, why did the Sewall-Belmont House award Mrs. Bush the Alice Award?
According to the museum’s website, Mrs. Bush:
- traveled to more than seventy-six countries, including historic trips to Afghanistan and helped launch groundbreaking educational and healthcare programs for women
- is an advocate for women’s health
- has been an active participant in campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer and heart disease, both in the U.S. and around the world
- partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in The Heart Truth campaign and the Red Dress project
- traveled to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Panama to help launch international partnerships for breast cancer awareness and research
Perhaps the letter writers were not aware of all of Mrs. Bush’s efforts to aid women because the liberal media rarely portrays the efforts of those with whom they disagree? Maybe the Sewall-Belmont House recognized Mrs. Bush’s “untold” story?
Fuentes, who served on the museum’s board, said she would not give the award to President or Mrs. Obama either because they have, “disappointed me in terms of women’s rights.” She suggested Senator Barbara Mikulski and Eleanor Smeal as replacements for Mrs. Bush or as additional recipients to Mrs. Bush. Mikulski and Smeal?
In an interview with Larry King, Mrs. Bush said she does not wish to see Roe v. Wade overturned, a position with which it is safe to say Fuentes would agree. So is Fuentes upset that Mrs. Bush didn’t contradict her husband’s position while they were in the White House? Is that what she means when she mentions her disappointment about women’s rights? Is it that Mrs. Bush didn’t abort her twin girls? With feminists it seems to come down to abortion more often than not.
Fuentes said she cannot recall any major controversies with other recipients, who include Olympia Snowe, Katie Couric, Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Hmmm, what do those ladies have in common that Laura Bush doesn’t share?
No, the letter from the women blasting the choice of Laura Bush for the award couldn’t possibly be about ideology or partisanship.