Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Roxcy O'Neal Bolton, a pioneer and champion for the rights of women and an honored constituent in my south Florida congressional district. Yet Roxcy is truly larger than life and belongs to our entire State as well as our Nation. This week she will be recognized as a Women of Character, Courage and Commitment Honoree by the National Women's History Project. This accolade is a well-deserved acknowledgment of her efforts to lead American women out from lifetimes as second-class citizens into an era of far greater equality between the genders, all while being a committed wife and mother. Just as she did in her home life, Roxcy demanded equal respect in the workplace. From equal opportunity to equal pay, she knew that if women banded together, we were going to make a difference. In 1972, she founded Women in Distress, the first women's rescue shelter in Florida to provide emergency housing, rescue services, and care to women who found themselves in situations of personal crisis. Roxcy was also a fighter on behalf of abused women. At that time, no one talked about rape, much less did anything about alleviating the horrendous trauma that the victim undergoes. Brave crime victims who actually reported their rapes were often treated callously. Roxcy used her amazing presence, her force of will and characteristic personality as aggressive tools for positive change.…”