As the South Carolina results come in I was struck by how soon we will know who the Democratic nominee is. I also realized that I had never explained a very personal reason that I have for supporting Senator Clinton. I realized that if I did not share this now, I might not have another chance, because I will be so busy campaigning passionately for Senator Clinton in the next few weeks.
I write a lot about the reasons that I support Hillary Clinton and the reasons I believe that she is best suited to be our next President. A lot of these reasons rely on things like electability, experience, issues, and substance. In this diary I abandon those arguments. I am not abandoning them for good or because they are not valid arguments, I am abandoning them to share a very personal reason that I have for supporting Senator Clinton.
As a 23 year old college student I am amazed at the level of political apathy that I see all around me. This degree of apathy would have never been tolerated in my house growing up. My mother, a strong activist and advocate for liberal/Democratic causes would have never allowed it.
My mother became pregnant with me when she was 15, and had me when she was 16. She married my father, and at the age of 18 she gave birth to my little sister. My mom graduated High School and many people around her expected her to work in a factory for the rest of her life. My parents marriage dissolved quickly and at 19 my mom got divorced.
At the time of my parents divorce I was 5 years old and my sister was 2. My mother decided that she was going to go back to college. In 1990 she moved us to Vermillion, sD and began attending the University of South Dakota. 4 years later she earned her undergraduate degree in social work. Soon after she began pursuing a Master's degree and 2 years later she earned her MSW.
My mother insisted that we become involved politically. In 5th grade I had to write a report on Christopher Columbus. My mom handed me a Howard Zinn book and told me to read the chapter on Christopher Columbus. I am sure my teacher was shocked when she read my paper which detailed the grotesque and brutal conquests of Columbus.
When I was the victim of intense harassment and bullying she fought the school who continually told her that there was nothing they could do. She wrote letters to the editor, and insisted on a bullying policy.
My mother also went on to pursue a PhD in sociology and today teaches advance social work classes.
Although she has been very successful this success was not achieved easily. My mother had to work harder than her male counterparts to receive an equal degree of respect. She defied all the predictions that were made about her when she became a teenage mother. If there is one value my mother instilled in me it would be the importance of fighting for what you believe in. She often stressed the importance of standing up for yourself even when you know you cannot win. She has been a huge role model for me and a very close friend.
I see reflections of my mother in Hillary Clinton. The types of attacks launched by the mainstream media and Senator Clinton's opponents are the exact same types of attacks I seen my mother confront in her personal and professional life for years. My mother has often been called bitchy, cold, and too assertive. Senator Clinton has to fight against these charges as well.
My mother's ability to defy all odds was a victory for all women.
Senator Clinton's political success represents a victory for all women.
I also believe that if Hillary Clinton is elected President it will send a message to women everywhere regardless of their race or sexual orientation or socioeconomic status that women are equal. It will also send a message to men that women are equal.
My mother taught me to respect strong women who stand up for what they believe in. I believe that Hillary Clinton is one of many strong women who does exactly that.