I recently added pictures of two women in the sidebar, women who are heroes of mine because of what they have done and the strength they manifested in a male dominated world. Elizabeth Anscombe, a famous English philosopher and student of Wittgenstein was also a non-violent activist. She was one of the first in England to begin picketing and protesting peacefully outside of abortion clinics when abortion was first legalized. She had all her children and family out with her. Now that's a model for raising children for Christ. She also famously protested Truman's speech at Oxford and refused to enter the building because of his use of atomic weapons in Japan.
Joan Andrews-Bell, who I was privileged to meet several times, is also a great hero of mine. One of the strongest women I have ever met, she now runs a house for women in New Jersey. Before that however, she was arrested over 200 times in her activities with Operation Rescue, and once spent 2 1/2 years in solitary confinement in Florida for unplugging an abortion suction device. In July 1998, Catholic New York reported that Pope John Paul II met with anti-abortion activist Joan Andrews Bell and praised her work with Operation Rescue.
The Church is desperately in need of women like these, women who can teach us men how to be cunning and courageous, brilliant and brave. Like Dorothy Day, both of these women deserve canonization some day. But more importantly, they deserve emulation in a nation full of cowards.
If you have any interesting information you want to share on these women, I would appreciate the input.
Markel, SJ
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