I have always prided myself on being relatively well informed. I know enough about a variety of subjects to be dangerous, a bit like a "jack-of-all-trades master of none". I realized this last week that I am painfully ignorant to the ways of our government. It began with the caucus I went to here in Nevada. I debated going because I have never been to one, and I am not comfortable in situations I am unfamiliar with. I had no idea what to expect and had assumed that there would be lots of people trying to give me information to help me make up my mind. Yes, I'm still on the fence, even after caucusing (if that's a word). That didn't happen. I had to beg to have my questions answered and no one from any camp knew a thing about midwives, especially the direct-entry variety. I can't say I'm shocked. What I can say is that I'm disappointed. I realize that I am entering a field that is not well known nationally and especially in Nevada, but I had hoped that someone would have some idea. Didn't happen. I did have conversations with several other voters, and they are now aware of midwives (or at least midwifery students) in Nevada. Maybe that is my role in all of this. Education. I know my massage clients are sick of hearing my latest midwifery rant, so talking about midwifery is apparently very easy and enjoyable for me.
Round two came in Washington state this week at school. Part of the education I am receiving includes political issues surrounding midwifery. It is an invaluable part of the program. I spent an entire day with midwives, instructors, student midwives, and midwifery consumers meeting with state senators and representatives to help gather support for a midwifery related bill. Embarrassingly, I have no idea who my representatives are, nor did I know that I could just make an appointment and talk with them. I can't say that before midwifery I had much to talk to them about. I have been fairly absent when it comes to knowing local issues.
I was impressed with the knowledge, tenacity and patience of these women who have come before me, the ones who have opened, and will continue to open, the door for me. I plan to help nudge it open a little further. I have now been bitten by the political bug, and have no idea where that will take me or what it might mean. I think it means I am in for a long, exhausting haul. With no licensing or regulation in the state of Nevada, and many who prefer it stay that way, I'm not sure what the future holds. What I do know is that I want to be part of that future, whatever it may bring.
1 comment:
Hi, I was wondering if you were coordinating your political activism with any large campaigns...I help out with social networking for the MAMAcampaign www.mamacampaign.org, twitter @MAMAcampaign, and they might be of use to you. They advocate for CPMs to be federally licensed.
And thanks for what you've done already; there's so much ground to cover in educating people about midwifery, and the US is so huge, that the more voices, the better.
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