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Think women don't win elections? They do. And more of them should run.

Women are just as electable as men — they just need to get on the ballot.

“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

In February 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used these words to defend silencing Sen. Elizabeth Warren after invoking an obscure rule during her speech on the Senate floor.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is one of 21 women currently serving in the U.S. Senate. Photo via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

The dynamic was striking: A strong, opinionated woman was directly and vehemently shut down by a powerful man in politics.

It wasn't particularly surprising, though — men in power have silenced their female counterparts for much of U.S. history, and we're still barely emerging from that norm.

Remember the above image of the Freedom Caucus discussing whether the Republican health care bill should repeal maternity, prenatal, and newborn coverage? This is what happens when women's voices are missing politics — we get rooms full of men making decisions that directly affect women.

There are more than 500,000 elected offices in the U.S. Currently, women hold 25% of them.

Women make up about 51% of the population, yet Congress is 80% male. Just six states have women governors. Out of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., only 22 have women mayors.

Representation matters, and we don't have it yet.

The good news is that women win elections just as often as men — when they run.

This lack of female representation in politics irked activist and entrepreneur Erin Loos Cutraro. So she founded She Should Run, a nonpartisan organization that encourages women to run for office and helps them along that journey.Lush's Charity Pot program has helped fund the organization, which recently launched the #250KBY2030 campaign, with the goal of getting 250,000 women running for office by 2030.

That means encouraging women we know to run and inspiring young people to dream big. It's one thing to say women should run for office, but it's another to figure out how to make that happen.

She Should Run founder and CEO Erin Loos Cutraro spoke with me to share how the #250KBY2030 campaign can help get women on the ballot.

The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Since She Should Run was founded in 2011, nearly 40,000 women have been encouraged to run for office through the program. Image via She Should Run.‌

What prompted you to found She Should Run?

After being involved in politics for a number of years, I decided that it was time to change the playbook, because we needed different outcomes with who we saw on the ballot across the country.

Now, as a mother to two daughters, I can't sit by without doing everything possible to ensure that girls in the next generation grow up in a world where they are equal to everyone else and have the same opportunities as anyone.

Why is it so important for 250,000 to run by 2030? Why that number and that date?

There are over 500,000 elected offices in this country and it is our mission to see at least half the ballots filled with women in this lifetime rather than the next. This is a big goal, but we believe that is possible by 2030.

To achieve this goal and close the gender gap, people from all backgrounds and walks of life must come together and support women leaders in their communities.

Photo by Lush Cosmetics.

What specific challenges do women tend to face when running for office?

We know that when women run, they win at the same rate as men. They're just not running.

That doesn't mean that there aren't challenges — like fears about raising money, balancing home, work, and campaigning, and other barriers unique to women — but the bigger challenge is convincing women of all walks of life that they have something to give to their communities and their country and to put their names on the ballot.

Does it matter if women run under a particular party?

When I started She Should Run, it was tremendously important that our organization be nonpartisan, because we know that we are not going to get the best policies if the brightest people representing all perspectives do not have a seat at the table.

That why it's our mission to have women from all backgrounds, walks of life, and all across the political spectrum raising their hands to run for office.

What kind of women should run for office?

This a very short answer: Any woman who wants to make a difference in her community, state, or country. ‌‌

When we say #SheShouldRun, we're talking to each and every one of you—women from all backgrounds, from all walks of...

Posted by She Should Run on Thursday, March 8, 2018

What’s the first step a woman should take if she thinks she wants to run for office?

Join She Should Run. Our programs are designed to give women the tools they need to be ready to run.

Our one-of-a kind Incubator helps women in our community get specific on why they want to run and the impact they'll make in elected office. Once they've made the decision to run, we demystify resources available for additional support on their journeys to elected leadership.

Joining the Incubator also gives women access to a community made up of thousands of other women who are in various stages on their paths to public office.

What can women who can't/don't want to run for office do to support women who are considering it?

If there is a woman in your community who you believe would be great in office, encourage her to consider running! Our Ask a Woman to Run tool is a quick, easy way for you to tell us about great women leaders you know who should consider a run for office.

Explain why you believe she would be a strong leader and what she could bring to the table with her personal experience and narrative. Then point her to She Should Run and our flagship program, the Incubator, that can help her take that next step on her path to public office.

Many of us know a woman who would be a great leader would be a tremendous problem solver for her community; oftentimes, she just needs that extra push.

Additionally, women can work or volunteer to support women candidates who they believe in. There are a record-breaking number of women running for office across the country at every level of government — state, local, and federal.

Giving time and/or resources to a campaign is also a great way to see if you want to run for office and to gain invaluable experience for a future run.

What specific role do you think men should play to empower/encourage women to run for office?

Everyone is necessary for us to achieve our goals of political parity and most certainly to get to #250KBY2030. Men can be mentors, supporters, and staffers to female candidates. They can also raise their daughters to be strong, ambitious women and support the women in their lives when they decide to throw their hats in the rings.

Where can women find more information about what elected offices are open and how to go about running?

Our first-of-its-kind She Should Run Incubator offers resources and a community that meets women where they are in their paths to elected leadership.

The community aspect provides a wealth of knowledge from women all over the country running for office at various levels of government who share their stories and experiences that prove to be useful for other women running for office.

The Incubator's unique approach focuses our members on why they want to run and the impact they'll make in elected office. And we demystify resources available once women in our community have made the decision to run.

[rebelmouse-image 19398109 dam="1" original_size="945x960" caption="Image via She Should Run." expand=1]Image via She Should Run.

We also recently launched a new tool called Pinpoint, an interactive tool that allows you to find and share valuable educational resources that focus on running and serving in elected office. There are so many local organizations that can assist a woman in running for office, so we made it easier for women to search for them!

All of these programs and tools are designed to simplify a woman's path to elected office.

Bottom line: We need more women to run for office, and She Should Run is offering the tools to help make it happen. Let's use them to give more girls and women a seat at the table.

She Should Run is supported, in part, by Lush Cosmetics' Charity Pot program, which funds grassroots organizations fighting for human rights, animal welfare and environmental protection. Learn more at She Should Run and Lush USA.

From Your Site Articles
Family

Dad camping with his kids shared the handwritten note left on his car from a fellow camper

More of this, please.

Photo credit: Canva, Note image via RCampR6/Reddit

A dad got a sweet note from a fellow father after camping with his kids.

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you're doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you're conscientious enough to even wonder if you're a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there's always a lingering voice in your head saying, "What if you're really screwing this whole thing up?"

Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.

"You are killing it as a dad."

Someone on Yosemite Reddit thread shared a photo of a handwritten note with the caption, "To the man who left this thoughtful note on my windshield at Lower Pines Campground this weekend, I extend my heartfelt gratitude; your acknowledgment of my efforts to be a good father means a great deal to me."


Windshield Note.
byu/RCampR6 inYosemite

The note reads:

"Bro,

I camped in the spot behind you last night. Let me just say, you are killing it as a dad. First off, I watched your wife guide you in as you backed up your trailer and nailed it on the first try without any yelling. Then your kids unloaded from the truck and were mild-mannered and well behaved. You told stories around the campfire and I had the pleasure of listening to the sounds of giggles and laughter.

From one dad to another, you are killing it. Keep it up.

P.S. Whatever you cooked for dinner smelled delicious!"

How often do we share these thoughts with strangers, even if we have them? And who wouldn't love to get a surprise bit of praise with specific examples of things we did right?

Everyone needs to hear a compliment once in a while.

So many people found the note to be a breath of fresh air and a good reminder to compliment people when we feel the urge:

"That would make any daddy's eyes water."

"It’s always nice, as a guy, to get a compliment."

"I complimented a guy's glasses at work (I'm also a guy, and btw they were really cool glasses, I wasn't just being nice) and now he keeps trying to tell me where he got his glasses and how I should get some. But I'm just having to be polite because I already have glasses and I'm not in the market. I finally had to tell him I'm not going to buy them lmao I just like them on him.

Made me feel like that's the first compliment he's had in years because he can't stop talking about it. Also I mainly liked the glasses because I think he's cute but he really thinks it's just the glasses haha jokes on him that cute bastard."

via GIPHY

"I was in the store with my wife and one of our 'adopted nephews' yesterday (we’re close friends with his parents and we’ve known him and his brother since they were newborns and 2yo, respectively). A woman came up to me at checkout while my wife was running out to the car and said 'I’m not sure what your family relationship is here, but I just have to tell you how nice and refreshing it is to hear all the laughter and joy from the 3 of you. You both seem like such a good influence on him and it warms my heart.' It’s such a small thing but as a dude, I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a compliment in public and it made my freaking day."

"10/10 letter. The and not yelling part gave me a good chuckle lol."

"We need so much more of men getting such heartfelt and sincere compliments. Thanks for sharing. ❤️"

"I’ve never considered leaving a note, but when I see a harmonious family with good parenting, it’s healing for me. My childhood was awful."

"Such an awesome compliment! Even though I don't have children myself, I like to remind my friends too that they're doing great & it brings them happy tears."

via GIPHY

"This made me cry. I love that you are getting your 'flowers.' My dad sucked, I’m so glad you are one of the good ones."

"This made me cry too. It’s so hard to be a human. Let alone a parent. Getting a good job sticker every now and then really means a lot these days."

"I'm a big bearded guy and I would cry if I got this note. More people like this, please."

The best part of this story is that no one knows who the dad who wrote the note is, not even the dad who shared it. It wasn't written for clout or notoriety, it wasn't to get attention or make himself look good. No name or signature, just an anonymous act of kindness to uplift a stranger whether he needed it or not.

We all need to hear or read kind things said about us, and sometimes it means even more coming from an anonymous stranger who has nothing to gain by sharing. A good reminder to share it when you feel it—you never know how many people you may move and inspire.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles
parenting
Identity

A teacher had to tell her deaf students that people can hear farts. Their reaction was hilarious.

This is amazing.

Photo from Facebook.

Anna Trupiano educates on passing gas in public.

Anna Trupiano is a first-grade teacher at a school that serves deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students from birth through eighth grade.

In addition to teaching the usual subjects, Trupiano is charged with helping her students thrive in a society that doesn't do enough to cater to the needs of the hard-of-hearing.

Once, Trupiano had to teach her students about a rather personal topic: passing gas in public.

A six-year-old child farted so loud in class that some of their classmates began to laugh. The child was surprised by their reaction because they didn't know farts make a sound. This created a wonderful and funny teaching moment for Trupiano.

Trupiano shared the conversation on Facebook.

Screenshot of a Facebook post

"Wait, they can hear all farts?!?!"

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

Screenshot of a Facebook post

The discerning listener.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

While the discussion Trupiano had with her students was funny, it points to a serious problem faced by the deaf community. "I know it started with farts, but the real issue is that many of my students aren't able to learn about these things at home or from their peers because they don't have the same linguistic access," she told GOOD.

"So many of my students don't have families who can sign well enough to explain so many things it's incredibly isolating for these kids," she continued.

Trupiano hopes her funny story about bodily functions will inspire others to become more involved with the deaf community by learning sign language.

"I would love to see a world where my students can learn about anything from anyone they interact with during their day," she told GOOD. "Whether that means learning about the solar system, the candy options at a store, or even farts, it would be so great for them to have that language access anywhere they go."

Interested in learning ASL? Here's a great list of places you can start.

Screenshot of a Facebook post

Farts are funny.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

Screenshot of a Facebook post

An education reduced to conversations on farts.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

While the discussion Tupiano had with her students was funny, it points to a serious problem faced by the deaf community. "I know it started with farts, but the real issue is that many of my students aren't able to learn about these things at home or from their peers because they don't have the same linguistic access," she told GOOD.

"So many of my students don't have families who can sign well enough to explain so many things and it's incredibly isolating for these kids," she continued.

Tupiano hopes her funny story about bodily functions will inspire others to become more involved with the deaf community by learning sign language.

"I would love to see a world where my students can learn about anything from anyone they interact with during their day," she told GOOD. "Whether that means learning about the solar system, the candy options at a store, or even farts, it would be so great for them to have that language access anywhere they go."

Interested in learning American Sign Language? Here are some great places you can start.


This article originally appeared seven years ago.

From Your Site Articles
humor
Science

Eye-opening video shows why 80 percent of Americans live east of this line

You'll never see the U.S. the same again.

via YouTube/RealLifeLore

There's a big change at the 98th meridian.

Have you ever wondered why the eastern half of the United States is densely populated while everything west of Omaha, save for a few metro areas, is no man’s land?

Most people would assume that it’s because people first settled in the east and moved west. Or, they may believe it’s because of the vast desert that takes up most of the southwest. Those are some decent reasons, but it’s a much more complicated issue than you'd imagine.

A 20-minute video by RealLifeLore explains how topography and rainfall have created what appears to be a straight line down the middle of the country on the 98th meridian that dictates population density. Eighty percent of Americans live on the east side of the line and just twenty percent to the west.

RealLifeLore is a YouTube channel that focuses on geography and topography created by Joseph Pisenti.

In the video, we see that several large cities border the American frontier—San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux Falls, and Fargo, as well as Winnipeg up in Canada. To the west of those cities? Not much until you reach western California and the Pacific Northwest.

Why? Watch:

The major reason why the population drastically changes is rainfall. It rains much more on the east side of the line versus the west. The reason for the drastic change in rainfall is that the Rocky Mountains create a colossal wall known as a rain shadow that prevents moisture from passing from the Pacific Ocean. This has created a large swath of dry land that’s not conducive to larger populations.

Though the eastern U.S. is more densely populated, it doesn't mean the west doesn't sometimes feel crowded, especially if you live in Los Angeles County. What side of the line are you on?

This article originally appeared three years ago.

From Your Site Articles
geography
Health

Woman’s shocking before-and-after pictures reveal the truth about panic attacks

Appearances aren’t always what they seem.

Amber Smith on Facebook.

Feeling good.

In 2016, Amber Smith from Warwickshire, England, revealed something about herself that many of her Facebook friends didn't know: she suffers from crippling panic attacks.

Smith shared her story by posting two completely different pictures of herself and the powerful imagery was subsequently shared over 7,500 times.

"Top Picture: What I showcase to the world via social media. Dressed up, make-up done, filters galore. The 'normal' side to me.”

Woman poses in the mirror

Dressed up and ready.

Amber Smith on Facebook.

"Bottom picture: Taken tonight shortly after suffering from a panic attack because of my anxiety. Also, the 'normal' side to me that most people don't see."

Woman covers face in distress

Suffering the panic attack.

Amber Smith on Facebook.

Full post:

God knows why I'm doing this, but people need some home truths..

Top picture: What I showcase to the world via social media. Dressed up, make up done, filters galore. The 'normal' side to me.
Bottom picture: Taken tonight shortly after suffering from a panic attack because of my anxiety. Also the 'normal'' side to me that most people don't see.

I'm so sick of the fact that it's 2016 and there is still so much stigma around mental health. It disgusts me that so many people are so uneducated and judgmental over the topic. They say that 1 in 3 people will suffer with a mental illness at some point in their life. 1 in 3! Do you know how many people that equates to worldwide?! And yet I've been battling with anxiety and depression for years and years and there's still people that make comments like 'you'll get over it', 'you don't need tablets, just be happier', 'you're too young to suffer with that'

F*** YOU. F*** all of you small minded people that think that because I physically look 'fine' that I'm not battling a monster inside my head every single day.

Someone actually said this to me one day 'aren't you too young to be suffering with anxiety and depression? What do you actually have to be depressed about at your age?'' Wow, just wow.

I'm a strong person, I've been through my fair share of crap in life (the same as anyone else) and I will be okay. I have the best family and friends around me and I am thankful everyday that they have the patience to help and support me.
To anyone who is going through the same, please do not suffer in silence. There is so much support around - Don't be scared to ask for help.

This is why I can't stress enough that it costs nothing to be nice to others. Don't bully others, don't put others down and the hardest one of them all (as we have all done it at some point) don't judge another person. We're all human regardless of age, race, religion, wealth, job. So build one another up instead of breaking each other down.
Peace & love guys

Smith's before-and-after photos perfectly symbolize how panic attacks feel, because they often come on without any warning. People suffering from attacks can experience shortness of breath, heart palpitations, trembling, hot and cold flashes or myriad other debilitating symptoms.

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, over four million Americans suffer from panic attacks, and although they are emotionally debilitating, they can be overcome through cognitive/behavioral therapy. According to Thomas A. Richards, Ph. D, "Today, panic attacks and agoraphobia can be treated successfully with a motivated client and a knowledgeable therapist."


This article originally appeared eight years ago.

From Your Site Articles
mental health
Education

A school replaced detention with meditation. The results are stunning.

🙏🙌

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.

Teaching students how to self-regulate had big results.


Imagine you're working at a school and one of the kids is starting to act up. What do you do?

Traditionally, the answer would be to give the unruly kid detention or suspension.

But in my memory, detention tended to involve staring at walls, bored out of my mind, trying to either surreptitiously talk to the kids around me without getting caught or trying to read a book. If it was designed to make me think about my actions, it didn't really work. It just made everything feel stupid and unfair.

But Robert W. Coleman Elementary School has been doing something different when students act out: offering meditation.

Instead of punishing disruptive kids or sending them to the principal's office, the Baltimore school has something called the Mindful Moment Room instead.

The room looks nothing like your standard windowless detention room. Instead, it's filled with lamps, decorations, and plush purple pillows. Misbehaving kids are encouraged to sit in the room and go through practices like breathing or meditation, helping them calm down and re-center. They are also asked to talk through what happened.

Two young people meditating

Meditation can have profoundly positive effects on the mind and body

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.


Meditation and mindfulness are pretty interesting, scientifically.

children meditation

A child meditates

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.

Mindful meditation has been around in some form or another for thousands of years. Recently, though, science has started looking at its effects on our minds and bodies, and it's finding some interesting effects.

A 2010 study, for example, suggested that mindful meditation could give practicing soldiers a kind of mental armor against disruptive emotions, and it can improve memory too. Another suggested mindful meditation could improve a person's attention span and focus.

Individual studies should be taken with a grain of salt (results don't always carry in every single situation), but overall, science is starting to build up a really interesting picture of how awesome meditation can be. Mindfulness in particular has even become part of certain fairly successful psychotherapies.

Children practicing yoga

After-school yoga.

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.

Back at the school, the Mindful Moment Room isn't the only way Robert W. Coleman Elementary has been encouraging its kids.

The meditation room was created as a partnership with the Holistic Life Foundation, a local nonprofit that runs other programs as well. For more than 10 years the foundation has been offering the after-school program Holistic Me, where kids from pre-K through the fifth grade practice mindfulness exercises and yoga.

"It's amazing," said Kirk Philips, the Holistic Me coordinator at Robert W. Coleman. "You wouldn't think that little kids would meditate in silence. And they do."

Child wearing sunglasses meditates

A child meditates at the Holistic Life Foundation

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.

There was a Christmas party, for example, where the kids knew they were going to get presents but were still expected to do meditation first. "As a little kid, that's got to be hard to sit down and meditate when you know you're about to get a bag of gifts, and they did it! It was beautiful, we were all smiling at each other watching them," said Philips.

The kids may even be bringing that mindfulness back home with them. In the August 2016 issue of Oprah Magazine, Holistic Life Foundation co-founder Andres Gonzalez said: "We've had parents tell us, 'I came home the other day stressed out, and my daughter said, "Hey, Mom, you need to sit down. I need to teach you how to breathe.'"

The program also helps mentor and tutor the kids, as well as teach them about the environment.

Children work in the garden

Building a vegetable garden.

Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.

They help clean up local parks, build gardens, and visit nearby farms. Philips said they even teach kids to be co-teachers, letting them run the yoga sessions.

This isn't just happening at one school, either. Lots of schools are trying this kind of holistic thinking, and it's producing incredible results.

In the U.K., for example, the Mindfulness in Schools Project is teaching adults how to set up programs. Mindful Schools, another nonprofit, is helping to set up similar programs in the United States.

Oh, and by the way, the schools are seeing a tangible benefit from this program, too.

Philips said that at Robert W. Coleman Elementary, there were exactly zero suspensions during the 2014-15 school year and beyond. For over two decades, they've been transforming lives and schools for the better. Check out their progress on their Instagram.


This article originally appeared nine years ago.

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