Letters to the Editor
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Settle down and think
The thing about us progressive men is that we can be a pretty vitriolic bunch. Whether it’s Anne Coulter suggesting that we’re less masculine than our conservative counterparts or others on the right labeling us as henpecked pushovers, we tend to get a bit cagey when our identities or intentions are called into question. So, when we get a little jazzed about a candidate like Obama, it’s hard to swallow our pride when a woman from our camp suggests that our motives might be fueled by sexism. Having said that, I think Ms. Traister has a point.
No, we are not, all of us, 100% fueled by sexism in our support for Obama or our relative disregard for Clinton. But, when we stamp her with the “b” word, refer to her with derogatory terms like school marm, or even confess without introspection to hating her, how are we advancing the notion of gender equality in politics? And, let’s be clear, it’s part of the burden of progressivism to ensure that everyone; regardless of race, creed or gender, has an equal opportunity to lend their voice to the political process without fear of prejudice. We do nothing by spouting glib epithets about Ms. Clinton. I’m not suggesting that we cloak our language in political correctness. I’m suggesting we move this debate to higher ground.
Each of these candidates has the will, the intelligence, and the leadership skills necessary to turn the dark tide of the previous 8 years. Let’s embrace their individual strengths and, more importantly, their shared values. Let’s also make sure that their differences don’t become so amplified in the heat of battle that we start to equivocate the less favored between them with the unfavorable alternative running against them.
One last thing, it breaks my heart to hear that a young girl can admit to disapproving of Ms. Clinton's candidacy simply because of her physical appearance. It devalues Ms. Clinton, specifically, but all women, more generally. I hope all of us with daughters can think about how our girls can grow up clinging to such a superficial brand of self-image and how we can counteract these perceptions in our own homes. We can start by showing more respect for our female leaders.