We are a grandmother, granddaughter, mother and aunt – Beth Martin, Amelia Potvin, Connie Potvin and Lynda Rohman – originally from northern Maine, who now reside in Bangor, Maine, and Carbondale, Colorado.
We read Kathleen Parker’s column last week (“Without the voices of women, it’s a one-sided conversation,” Jan. 27) with great interest. I, Beth (the grandmother), am a believer. Like billions of Catholics around the world, I, too, listen carefully to Pope Francis. I am inspired by the great strength he has demonstrated through his vision of social justice and stewardship of the Earth.
Parker’s column quoted the pope as saying, “Women are able to see things with different eyes than us.” Maybe Pope Francis’ suggestion about women’s leadership wasn’t confined to the altar, but to civil society in general.
Given his deep concern for equality and climate, we three generations believe he compels all women to take responsibility for the world we leave for our descendants. The four of us organize, as volunteers, two chapters of Citizens Climate Lobby.
Representing our two states, three of four U.S. senators voted that climate change is human-caused, including Sen. Susan Collins. We are driven to do our part to create a stable, livable, healthy world for present and future generations.
An independent economic review of the policy we are working to pass in Congress has shown that a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend will grow the U.S. economy and add much-needed jobs. More importantly to us (and the pope), it will reduce air-pollution-driven early deaths by 224,000 in the U.S. and reduce greenhouse gas emissions over 50 percent in two decades.
As we three generations of women work together toward our common vision of a better world, we think the pope meant that women have a lot to offer in the world as well as in the halls of Congress.
Amelia Potvin
Carbondale, Colorado
Beth Martin
Bangor
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