The Peoria chapter of NOW overturned the tradition of "ladies first" when they moved Jack Ryan to the beginning of the list of this year's Women's History Month Award recipients. Ryan needed to leave early to be on his usual Saturday event, at the corner of Main and University, participating with the Peoria Peace Network protestors.
Jack Ryan has been a local hero in the Peoria community for many years. Ryan originally studied for the priesthood before becoming a police officer and then a U.S. Army military police officer. He then spent almost 21 years as an FBI agent.
Almost. Ryan took a stand that cost him his retirement just ten months before he could have retired from the FBI with full government benefits.
He describes his evolution as a gradual and complicated process through his religious experience but he doesn't like the limitations that the designation of "Christian" places on him. Ryan especially abhors that the church does not consider women as fully human beings.
Upon receiving his award from NOW—Peoria, Ryan shared a personal anecdote. When his own son Paul was in first grade—about 30 years ago–he was given a hand-me-down pinkish/lavender jacket from his cousin, Katie Larson. Young Paul refused to wear the jacket, calling it a "girl's jacket."
Ryan continues to find it baffling that it would be perfectly fine for Katie to have worn a boy's jacket. But, somehow a "girl's jacket" was lesser and unacceptable to his son.
He continues to fight for all human rights. He continues to be active in the Peoria Peace Network, which is in its ninth year.
The notion of non-violence became a fascination for him. He began to believe that non-violence included all living things.
Every Saturday, Ryan protests with the Peoria Peace Network. He carries a sign with a quote from Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin, the first person to vote against World War I and World War II: "You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake."
"You don't know what an honor I see this as," Ryan said. "Phyllis Schlafly made me a feminist. If you don't know who Phyllis Schlafly is, don't waste any time finding out. She just didn't tell the truth!"
To read about this year's recipients, click on the links below.
- NOW—Peoria shakes up things with 2010 awards
- Por Amor
- Elaine Hopkins
- Sharon Samuels Reed
- Marilyn Leyland
Comments