04-23-1995, Episode 268 - Women of Achievement and Herstory

      "I'll be back," vowed the first American woman astronaut pilot
to her hometown of Elmira, New York.  Collins appearance in a
triumphant parade before 20,000 of her hometown neighbors was
cancelled by NASA following a death threat.
      It was the second time Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, 37, has been
threatened and NASA pulled her back to Houston just before she
boarded a shuttle plan to her hometown rather than risk her life.  At
least one male astronaut Richard Covey down played the incident in a
left-handed slap. "I won't change anything I do in public.  I don't
have any fears about it.  I fly in rockets."
      Well, so does Collins fly rockets but no one has threatened
Covey and it was NOT Collins choice to cancel. NASA *ORDERED* her
to stay away.
      Covey should apologize and learn a little more about the
epidemic of men stalking and killing women.  Covey may fly rockets,
but he isn't very educated.
      The threat on Collins' life was made in a phone call by a man
to the Elmira newspaper office and he said in part " ... during the
parade tomorrow, I'm going to put a bullet in Eileen Collins' head ...
"
      Elmira citizens held the parade anyway and were incensed, as
one columnist said, "We were robbed - cruelly, callously,
thoughtlessly, robbed by an anonymous caller who probably resented
(her) magnificent achievement of becoming the first woman space
shuttle pilot.
      "Robbed of a chance to celebrate how a little girl who once
lived on welfare in Elmira could grow up to lead humankind on one
of its greatest adventures.
      "Robbed of the opportunity to show Eileen Collins how proud
we are of her and how much she means to us."
      Collins was verbally threatened two weeks before the scheduled
parade by a man during a presentation Collins made in November
1994.  She has also been harassed by a man who said he was
infatuated with her and became abusive when he couldn't meet her.
      Although the parade went on with Collins' parents and a
replica of the space shuttle Discovery before thousands of cheering
hometowners, three-days of events, which included the dedication of
the Eileen M. Collins Observatory, were cancelled.
      One psychiatrist said women of high achievement in male-
dominated fields are natural targets for such anger. "These men (who
make threats) might feel there are too many uppity women in their
lives.  They might want to get back at these women."
      Some men feel threatened by successful women like Collins and
first lady Hillary Clinton, Dr. John Beziganan explained. Those men
are frustrated that they haven't gotten what they expected or
deserved in life.
      Collins sent word: "I was with you in spirit if I wasn't with
you in body."
      Our gratitude to Judy Blair who sent us copies of the Elmira
newspapers containing the information for this sad episode of WOA.  
They show the immense pride Elmira, NY has in Eileen Collins, a pride
shared by all decent people in this world. 

04-23 Anniversaries ...............................................

      B. 04-23-1804, Marie Taglioni, ballerina trained by her father to
become one of the first women (never men!) to dance on the points of
her toes. Her diaphanous costumes led to the modern tutu.

      B. 04-23-1858, Dame Ethel Mary Smyth*, recognized as the most
outstanding woman musician and composer of her day, in 1910 the
first woman composer to have an opera performed at Covent Garden
(_The Wreckers_). Militant leader in the suffrage movement and she
two months in jail for her protests.  Her _March of Women_ was used
extensively in the cause. Made Dame of the British Empire 1922.
Several prominent conductors of the day, including Bruno Walter,
considered her works bordering on great music but in the usual
fashion, her (or any woman's) music is not played in the male-
dominated music field. 

      Event 04-23-1872, Charlotte E. Ray became the first black
woman admitted to the District of Columbia bar.

Quotes du jour ...............................................

      "Women fail to understand how much men hate them."
            -- Germaine Greer, _The Female Eunuch_. 


(C) 1995 Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs National Park, AR
71902, irenestuber@delphi.com. Distribute verbatim copies freely with
copyright notice for non-profit use. Don't let anyone tell you there
weren't notable and effective women throughout history.  They were
always there, but historians failed to note them in our histories so
that each generation of women has had to reinvent themselves.