Sweet Victory

Two weeks ago no one gave Serena Williams a chance of reaching the second week of the Australian open. The reasons they gave in the press were related to her lack of tournament play. Sportscasters decried her lack of fitness.

In my local tennis clubs the descriptive language was less kind. With a few exceptions, she was referred to as "fat" and a "diva," her choice of tennisware "outrageous." Few people were taking her seriously anymore.

I remember some similar discomfort among white people when Jackie Joyner-Kerse used to grace the track with coifed hair, loud manicures, and bright makeup. But any indignation was tempered with a tacit conviction by white sports fans that track was a black sport. Such confidence in dress and manner in a black tennis player has been offensive to many, and they "dog" Serena every chance possible.

Today Serena Williams answered her critics with an overpowering 6-1, 6-2 victory over top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final. I take courage that she is an "out there" minority woman. Thank you, Serena.

Send In The Troops, (Not The Soldiers --The Grandmothers!)

On January 10, 2007 George Bush announced that he will send about 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq and said that it was a mistake not to have more forces fighting the war before now. Most American politicians, a majority of American citizens, and many pundits now concede they were wrong to support Bush’s invasion of Iraq, stating that the administration lied to them about its justification. Then, why, oh why, did he deploy troops to Iraq in the first place? What were the reasons for starting a preemptive war? The Bush administration did have reasons. Theories abound regarding these reasons, but no who knows what they really are has fessed up. Likely, they believe that the truth would be too sensitive to divulge to the American people, since doing so would inadvertently also inform the enemy of freedom, the terrorists. Or, maybe they believe we are not able to understand the complex nuances of contemporary sociopolitics.

Certainly, not articulating the truth about why we are at war gives rise to the reason the Bush administration can't quite define what winning would mean.

So now we will send 21,500 more soldiers to win a war in Iraq for some reason we don't know. . . No wonder I have been humming Holly Near's "1000 Grandmothers!"

1000 Grandmothers
Words and music by Holly Near

Send in a thousand grandmothers
They will surely volunteer
With their ancient wisdom flowing
They will lend a loving ear.

First they'll form a loving circle
Around the wounded wing
Then contain the brutal beast of war
Sweet freedom songs they'll sing.

A lullaby much stronger
Than bombs and threats to kill
A force unlike we've ever known
Will break the murderer's will.

To the prisons we'll invite them
The most violent men will weep
When a thousand women hold them strong
And pray their souls to keep.

Let them rock the few who steal the most
And rule with youthful charm
So they'll see the damage that they do
And will fall into grandma's arms
Two thousand loving arms.

If you think these women are too soft
To face the world at hand
Then you've never known the power of love
And you fail to understand.

An old woman holds a powerful force
When she no longer needs to please
She can cut your shallow lie to bits
And bring you to your knees.
We best get down on our knees

And pray for a thousand grandmothers
Will you please come volunteer?
No longer tucked out of sight
Will you bring your power here

Will you bring your power here?

© copyright. Holly Near recorded on her CD "Edge"