Sexism v. Racism

My dear friend, Marilyn, who has an insightful comment regarding young women and Hillary in an earlier blog on my frustration and sadness, pointed out this article in today's Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/17/black_man_vs_white_woman/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2 . It is well-worth a read, and I commend it to you.

After reading Marilyn's comments, my frustration returned (okay - it isn't all that deep in terms of this whole election, so it hadn't far to go). I am so frustrated that these young people are not doing their homework on these two candidates. When it comes to Clinton, I am dismayed that these young people are buying into the RIGHT WING talking points on Clinton. Or that so many women are mad at her for staying with Bill after Monica. And here's the thing - first of all, it is in the Right Wing's best interest to tear her down - she is, IMHO, the most qualified out of ALL of the candidates running to lead this country. Second of all, WHOSE business is it to criticize her personal choice to stay with her husband after he had an affair? How many women, and men, choose to stay with their partners following such a painful event? Plenty, I'll tell you, in my professional AND personal experience. SO why is it that HILLARY is villified for her choice to stay with Bill? And what the hell kind of feminists ARE we when we diminish choices made by other women? NONE of us knows the ins and outs of that relationship - NONE OF US. So to judge another person based on the crapola the REPUBLICANS sought out to bring down a great president just irritates me. She stayed with him - for wahtever her reasons. And it has been a while, now, too, so what the heck with rehashing this over and over? It is just doing more of the Right Wing's work for them. WHY WOULD WE DO THAT??

The issue with young people in this particular election is really getting to me, though. Hillary has worked HARD for women and children her entire adult life. As my friend, Marilyn, pointed out, it is PRECISELY because of women like HER that these young women have all of the opportunities they enjoy today. It is a sad commentary that they have not been made more aware of this very recent history, or the struggles so many of us endured. Many young people are surprised when they asked if I played sports in high school and I tell them the only teams the GIRLS had were intramural ones (and yes, I did play). Or that my partner did not continue playing soccer when she got to UVA because there were no school sponsored women's teams (and she's 8 years younger than I am).

This, along with my constant hashing of Obama's relations with people like Lieberman and the lack of homework being done by all of these college kids, and it really makes me despair. The blind bandwagon jumping on at such a serious time in our country's history is exactly what we DON'T need. We need someone who can LEAD, someone who is serious (though Hillary does have a great sense of humor), someone who can make some sense out of the mess that will be left after Bush. I don't care that her last name is Clinton - I care that this brilliant, committed woman is willing to take on fixing the many problems with which we are faced.

So, to the young women and men - do your freaqkin' homework already!! Look into the candidates histories, their records, as well as their rhetoric! And especially for the young women - you need to go back and look at that it took to get the women's vote in this country; what it took to get Title IX in this country, and to ask yourself - who will get you Equal Pay for Equal Work in this country??? Then choose.