Bjorn Ulvaeus Quotes
Sweden is an open, liberal, secular and democratic country. We strive towards achieving equality; we are forward-looking and refuse to be pulled back by social constructs such as religion.
Ulvaeus, Björn. Ingemar Hedenius Award Acceptance Speech. Swedish Humanist Association, 2006.
While this was a type of “Equal Rights Amendment”, It emphasized dignity rather than operations. For example, adultery was made a crime if committed by a woman (not for a man), And women could be dismissed from a job, simply because they were pregnant. And unusual aspect of this quotation is the fact that it applies to equality of dignity of Social status. In America we have this as an unwritten concept of fairness and egalitarianism, but it is not followed very much and certainly not guaranteed by our Constitution.
This is a very Jeffersonian type statement.
While Hoover was generally correct, he was also of the opinion that providing equal opportunity was all that the government needed to do. His lack of attention to other economic variables and potential problems made him totally unprepared for the Great Depression which would occur the following year and his narrow view of the role of government provided no relief or improvement as those of his successor FDR did.
Helen Suzman, 1917–2009 was a white South African member of Parliament representing Capetown. She came from a Jewish English background and was the leader of the Progressive Party which was the opposition to the Nationalist party that had established the Fascist style Aparteid government where the 10% white population dominated and ruled the 90% black and Asian population. When all the other progressive MPs lost their seats, Suzman was the only member of the South African Parliament who totally opposed the racist apartheid of South Africa. She had little power to change or block Apartheid laws being only a single MP, but her eloquence and vigorous verbal demand for freedom and equality for blacks provided a focal point for foreign boycotts to produce change in South Africa. However, she did not publicly advocate revolution and violence. As a result most of the militant blacks did not value or even follow her activities to end apartheid, and many had no idea who she was. However, Mandela, imprisoned on Robin Island at the time, not only followed her activities, but sent frequent compliments and notes of encouragement to white opponents of the government and apartheid even though many did not support the armed violence that had become necessary to produce change. Mandela knew that there would be core of a white leadership that would favor one-man-one-vote which would make South Africa a black-dominated government when the apartheid Nationalists could be defeated. Mandela was like a great chess player playing a current game but thinking 5 and 6 moves in advance even while in prison. Suzman was one of Mandela’s leading white supporters after the regime change.
The Kotel -- or the "Western Wall" or the "Wailing Wall" as most outside of Israel call it -- is the Holiest of Jewish places where many Jews gather and pray. But the Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis who were charged by the Israeli Government to manage the Wailing Wall and vicinity had refused to allow women to pray at the wall. After much litigation, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that women had a right to pray there or anywhere else. After much foot-dragging, a small out of the way area at the wall was designated for women, but many Jews wanted to pray as a family which also offended those Rabbis in control of the area, After more Supreme Court Litigation the Government was ordered to establish an area at the Wall that was open to all. The Israeli Government Ministerial Committee for Holy Places was charged with implementing the Supreme Court rulings. However, Regev--who had ambitions of running for Prime Minister, was a conservative whose political base included the Ultra-Orthodox. When they objected to the Supreme Court Ruling, she resigned from the Commission she chaired rather than implement the law of the land. Her official view on the dire consequences of women (or mixed gender) praying at the Wall brought her the support of her base and the strong opposition of most Israeli women and many men as well.
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish singer-songwriter, producer, a member of the Swedish musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!. He co-produced the films Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with fellow ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson.
