A GOOD WOMAN IS NOT HARD TO FIND

Hoàng Ngọc Nguyên

We are celebrating the International Women’s Day this month, so it is simply timely to pronounce that Arizona is a land of great women, especially after we have learned the story of Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old graduate from the University of Arizona, Flagstaff, who early last month died in the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). One can argue on whether this Grand Canyon State could be called the land of opportunities, in view of the high rate of unemployment Arizona is still struggling with. But it is beyond dispute that in Arizona women outrank men in providing opportunities for those in need – young or old, male or female, white or black, desperate or hopeful.

The present governor of this state is Mr. Doug Ducey, his administration being only a couple of months old. Three governors preceding him are all female: Jane Dee Hull (September 1997- January 2003), Janet Politano (January 2003- January 2009), and Jan Brewer (January 2009-January 2014) – all of them serving six years for different reasons. Ms. Hull was the state’s secretary of state when then Governor Fife Symington had to resign due to a felony conviction, and she constitutionally replaced him for the rest of his term, which was also considered her first term. Each governor can serve only two terms. Her six years were unfortunately tarnished with scandals and crises. She was a staunch disciple of the late Senator Barry Goldwater, moving to this state in 1962 because of him and fervently campaigning for him against President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. When we look back the years of 60’s historically, we inevitably come up with some self-questions: what ifs. Which one was a better choice for the American people, and for the Vietnamese, in 1964? Could Mr. Goldwater have been worse?

Her successor, Ms. Politano, however, is an outstanding politician as a Democrat (“liberal” as tagged by her foes, “moderate” as described by her friends) running an administration besieged by a Republican-controlled Legislature. She’s known to have vetoed 180 times during her six year tenure of office. Before becoming a governor, she had been a state attorney general, in defense of justice. In 2009, President Barack Obama recruited her to be his Homeland Security Secretary. In 2013, she resigned to become the president of the University of California. To understand how great she is, we only need to point out that she has been considered both as a strong candidate for the Supreme Court justice and the presidential elections of 2016.

Ms. Jan Brewer, a secretary of state, became governor when Ms. Politano resigned. As a Republican governor, she fought against the Obama administration over the border and immigration issue. As the head of a government “of the people, for the people, by the people”, she resisted the pressure from his Republican colleagues in order to make sure that her uninsured people can take advantage of the Obamacare and the students can benefit from education reforms under the Common Core program. She has successfully convinced us that woman politicians, rather than man ones, have the guts to rescue our democracy which seems to be lost in the menacing face of interminable bipartisanship.

A good woman actually is there to find. Gabrielle Giffords is one that should be extolled on the International women’s Day. Before the shooting on 8 January, 2011, she had been a respectable figure in the House of Representatives, known for her taking side with the underprivileged. After the shooting, markedly incapacitated by the event, Ms. Giffords has launched a vigorous and sustained campaign against gun rights. Until now, many people still fail to see that stupid and crazy shootings should stop even if we have to rewrite the Second Amendment to curtail the abusive power of the NRA. Gun violence is the most unfortunate thing for this country, and one keeps wondering how we can call ourselves a civilized society while tolerating such a “right”.

Four years ago, it was Giffords’ shots that shook us. This year, the stun of Kayla Mueller’s murder is even more disturbing. She is no longer with us, though she has always stood out in our minds, in our hearts. We do not need to waste time scrutinizing the inhuman sins of the murderous Islamic State, which has been acting in the most anti-religious way in the name of a religion. There is simply no sense in the act of taking prisoner a young girl who was so harmless and indefensible. Especially that girl was trying to reach uncountable homeless, starving, sick and desperate Islamic refugees in most horribly endangered mountainous camps in Syria and Iraq? Instead of a grateful nod in appreciation of what she had done for Islamic followers, these Islamic insurgents held her as a hostage!

Certainly, we have been trying to understand how Kayla was so “stubbornly” committed to the humanitarian mission she had pursued ever since she graduated from the university with a degree in political science. One obvious reason was that she was too human. She simply could not feel at peace when humanity was still suffering. She reportedly told her family that when she saw the plight of children flee the strife in war-torn Syria, she saw God in their eyes and knew she had to help”. Not being a Buddhist, she might have anyway believed that “life is a sea of sufferings” – like the teaching of Buddha. But she might also have been victimized by the learning of political science. It’s a karma which overwhelmed her nights and days with unanswerable questions about the devastating effects of politics on human life everywhere, from free and democratic countries to despotic regimes as well as from states where poverty and war deprive humanity the sense of existence. The desperate search for the answers which she could not find during those years at school has finally led her to this tragic end!

To those bringing their children with special needs to the Phoenix-based Head to Toe (H2T) Therapy (5314N, 7th Street), Carolyn Estrada is more than a musician or an artist. She’s their hope! These parents owe her not only the happiness of their children but also a reason for a positive attitude. Carolyn is a Board-Certified Music Therapist, and a Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Services degree. Also known as Carolyn Karnes, this Phoenix native has made music her lifelong study. For Carolyn, through the ups and downs of life, there was always music. Music was the constant beauty that could lift her beyond the mundane. So when offered the opportunity to become a music therapist, and be able to share the power of music with others, Carolyn said yes! In her own account, after 20 years of trying to explain to employers and clients why and how music was good for them, Carolyn found Neurologic Music Therapy, a research / evidence – based form of Music Therapy that was so solid, so understandable, even insurance companies liked it. More importantly, as she applied it, successes multiplied, and clients made visible improvements that were undeniable if not amazing! For Carolyn, the greatest love is in the moment of music creation. That is when all the doors to Heaven are flung open and true Unity is found. Her records could be more enhanced once we have a chance to see her at work!

Music therapy is a way to help children improve their communication skills and focus abilities, but an important byproduct is to help the kids love music and spend time enjoyably with it. To deal with children with special needs, the therapist should be extremely patient, words should be sweet, voice should be gentle… Witnessing her patience, her sweetness, her gentleness, one can feel certain about her success, meaning also the success of the children who are coming to her. Or we just look at the face of the kid, sitting beside her, or walking following her steps walking backward from one room to another, her holding a drum beating on its surface to arouse in him or her the attention… A face beaming with pleasure, or highly attentive to make sure he or she won’t miss anything or making any mistakes. And eventually, a smile of confidence, of pride, and in appreciation of what the therapist has done for him/her.

Ms. Estrada is an artist, and I suppose that as an artist she must live much in imaginations. In dreams. She may have imagined, or she may have dreamt, that God comes to her, reminding her of what she can do with her music talent for our kids with some problems. She simply stated :”I am here only to be truly helpful. I seek to use the gifts that God has given me to help others wherever possible”. To help people in need is a great thing, to help children with special needs is a greater thing, if you understand what I mean. Or if you come to this institution at anytime during a working day and look at anxious-looking parents taking their children there desperately looking for a remedy to what nobody can be sure they have found one.

On this Women’s Day, we can see that a good woman is not hard to find, and one does not even need to be prominent to be one!

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