After almost 80 years on the planet I am still amazed that I am trapped. I can not be another race and I can not be another gender. Meanwhile I am forced to cope with race and gender constantly in politics.
So I read this article by Andrew O’Hehir in Salon: Hillary, Bernie, women and men: Hey, guys — gender politics are central to this race, not a footnote
As women debate the Clinton candidacy, it's time for men to own up to the gender issues we don't see or understand
This is a reasonable request, but what if we have tried to do this? How are these issues to be isolated from an entire spectrum of interrelated “issues” in a campaign that pits the establishment against a revolution?
The author asks:
I suppose those women can’t both be right, in terms of the underlying moral and political question: Does the historic moment presented by Bernie Sanders’ left-populist insurrection trump the historic opportunity to elect our first female president?
What if it were more clear? What if it were a clear choice between a female fascist and a male who believes in democracy? Would the question still be valid? If not how do we determine the point at which the difference between the candidates lessened enough to make it valid?
If you can answer this I applaud you for making a distinction I can not.
Eight years ago we had a different choice. It was between a woman and man who was not white. I did not frame that choice in terms of choosing between a woman and a non-white. I worked and voted for Obama because he offered me a vision and hope that Clinton could not.
I had history behind me because when Bill Clinton came on the scene in 1992 I called him a republican. Many things about his Presidency were positive but overall I have not changed that opinion.
I was deep into health care reform then and was devastated by Hillary’s bungling.
I believe it is actions, not words, that determine what one really believes. That is why I have no problem with my stance on “gender issues”.
I was deeply involved in the New Politics events and was a faculty adviser to SDS in 1967 and beyond and took my first steps toward gender equality advocacy then.
At the same time I was deep into the Civil rights having gotten involved at the University of Chicago a few years back when Bernie did.
I am firmly convinced that it is very sexist to even suggest that an enlightened person vote for a person because of their gender.
I am very convinced that it is very racist to suggest that an enlightened person vote for someone because of their race.
I am also convinced that the establishment that enslaves us would love to fan these fires to distract us from seeing that the man behind the curtain has been revealed.
I guess this author shares my view but have to wonder after reading the article.