I just have to share this letter to the editor I read this morning in the Kennebec Journal (Auguster, ME).
American sexism hurting Clinton run for Presidency
There is much comment in the news lately about racism and ongoing prejudice against black Americans. Little mention is made about the equally pervasive sexism in America — and in the world. The prejudice against women is so entrenched it often goes unnoticed.
Take just wages. In comparable jobs with comparable education, women on the whole earn about 75 percent of what men make. White men indeed make the most, but consistently black American men make 2 percent to 6 percent more than white women.
Black and Hispanic women fare even worse.
Women got the vote (power in our society) later than black men — not that they got to exercise that right often but at least they had it.
Even after finally getting the vote, women for years were expected to vote as their husbands told them, because men knew best.
The subtle put-downs of Sen. Hillary Clinton are endemic in American society. Her husband will be the power behind the throne; Bill will run things. She was weak for staying with a philanderer. She’s strident and pushy. It’s just plain unfeminine for a woman to lead the military (what about Margaret Thatcher?).
By the way, does anyone comment on a political man’s apparel and accessories? So who truly carries the most baggage in the current political campaign?
Eleanor Gay
Augusta, ME
Hillary’s problems are not related to sexism as we tyically understand that phrase, but upon her inability to grasp the basics of concepts like integrity, honesty (okay, so “honest politician” is an oxymoron), and tact.
She is divisive to the nth degree. Her personality is off the scale – in the wrong direction. She IS strident and pushy. And she lacks the experience she claims to possess.
She believed from the onset that she was the Annointed One - the Savior for whom we’ve been looking. But there is only one Savior, one Annointed One. And His name ain’t Hillary Clinton.
In the past few days, we’ve heard her repeat how, given some of the absurd comments he’s made, the Rev. Wright would no longer be her pastor. I could hear my other half mutter something about how Bill would no longer be her husband given the things he did in the Oval Office. But Hillary never said squat about that.
And poor little Chelsea… she thinks it’s no one’s business that her father got a little personal action on company time on the taxpayer’s property. Would it hurt her to make a simple statement to the effect that her father really disappointed her by having a little something on the side, or how it embarassed her?
gimme a blessed break.
And then there’s the not-so-subtle racial commentary.
“your sexism is worst than my racism.”
It’s always fun when life, politics and societal opinions are so neat and easy.
1 Comment
March 27, 2008 at 8:53 am
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