Letters to the Editor
ljwalker53
Published Letters: 559 Editor's Choice: 9
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@ Anonymous 1/28/2008 7:09 PM
[Read the article: Obama and the Kennedy legend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm doubting most 78-year-old's ability to ever see the worth in Obama, and the ridiculously skewed vote of 60+ voters for Clinton bears me out on this.
Maybe these 60-plus voters have a bit more understanding and appreciation of history, which is why so many of them support Hillary Clinton.
I'm not saying that I support Hillary simply because she is a woman, but that is a factor, since I understand all too well the challenges and hurdles that women still face. If you look at any measure of "equality" for women -- pay, job opportunities, promotions, health care, pensions, sports scholarships, science/technology opportunities -- women have a long, long way to go. They still earn less than any men no matter what their race/ethnicity.
Far too many young women, from my personal experience, believe that women have achieved equality and see no reason for feminism or addressing "women's issues." And yet sexism and gender discrimination are alive and well in front of our eyes in the constant bashing that the media delivers to Hillary Clinton and other strong women. Do you think it is fair to call Hillary Clinton's laugh a "cackle" or to comment about her choice of clothing? Such 19th century attitudes are right in front of you, if you choose to look.
So, most of the "60 +" voters you deride have been around the block a few times and personally understand why a) experience counts; and b) why supporting a woman for president goes way beyond gender...
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Reading And Seeing What You Want
[Read the article: Obama and the Kennedy legend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I.E. Your elders know better? I'm sorry, that's a terrible argument, particularly coming from Boomers, who went out of their way to reject the arguments of their predecessors.
That's your argument, not mine. I said that the 60 + voters you deride have been around the block a few times and know something about why a) experience matters, and b) why supporting a woman for president goes way beyond gender...
What part of that did you translate so seamlessly into "Your elders know better?"
I'm trying to make a sane argument about why sexism and gender discrimination are alive and well and why so many older women who support Hillary Clinton. Every single one of the values that Senator Clinton stands for crosses gender, age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. And every single one of them touches a woman's life in multiple and countless ways. If you want to advance a society, you help the least of those in it!
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@ AroyoCat
[Read the article: Obama and the Kennedy legend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was so moved by your post. I don't think any one of us has the class and dignity in them to say what you said with such honesty, humility and insight. I thank you for your words, for your lesson, and for the inspiration I came away with after reading this.
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@ DoloresFlower
[Read the article: Obama and the Kennedy legend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Clinton has not committed herself. Obama also supports driver's licenses for illegal aliens. This is another example of a fearless stand on a tricky issue--which I appreciate in Obama.
Please, please do your homework before making statements about Hillary Clinton's stands on the issues! Hillary Clinton has committed herself to a plan for addressing illegal immigration that is comprehensive and well-thought-out.
And by the way, Senator Obama's immigration "plan" is so close to Senator Clinton's as to be almost undistinguisable, EXCEPT on driver's licenses.
Here is one link:
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html#/context=detail/issue=immigration/candidateA=obama/candidateB=clinton
Here's another, for a more comprehensive list of issues and candidates' positions and votes:
http://www.vote-smart.org
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"Calculus of Despair" ?
[Read the article: Obama and the Kennedy legend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You may not have noticed, but minority women voted overwhelmingly for Obama in SC. And, while I don't want to delve too deeply into the same calculus of despair that seems to motivate Gloria Steinem and the like, white women are hardly the least in our society. Far. From. It.
Unless you subscribe to the bizarre second wave myopia displayed by NY-NOW today, that is self-evident.
ANONYMOUS: Monday, Januray 28, 2008 9:47 p.m.
I'm sorry that you see so many white women as the enemy, but I wish you could get to know a person up close and personal before judging. I have worked for years on behalf of civil rights, women's rights, union/worker's rights, glbt rights, and human rights. It always pains me when minority women hold such bitterness against white women. I don't have a clue what NY-NOW is doing and I really don't care. Once upon a time (many, many, many years ago) I thought of NOW as "the" women's organization, but I gave up that notion a long time ago because I saw that they were out of touch -- for whatever reason...doesn't mean I don't see some benefit in some of the work NOW does.
And, BTW, I still strongly believe that women's "issues" go way beyond gender. As I said in an earlier post: Health care, job opportunities, fairness in pensions/Social Security benefits, a clean environment, quality public education, the ability of workers to organize unions, scholarships and financial aid for college, and immigration reform, among others, cross gender, race/ethnic, age, socioeconomic status lines.