As a leading edge Boomer Dama, I had hoped as a nation we were at a point where national politics could rise above sexism and misogyny. Compassion, emotion and empathy are human traits which should be valued in all people – especially those running for national offices. I, as many of you, have experienced politics in many venues: the politics involved in our family structures, in our workplaces, places of worship, social circles, and in our communities. As a boomer woman in the corporate world for the last twenty plus years of my career, I worked with some extremely sexist people and it drove me crazy at times. Yet, I keep putting on my rose-colored glasses hoping to see changes in society regarding gender-typing in leadership for greater opportunities for women at the highest levels.
All this flak about Hillary’s emotions and how that may or may not influence her ability to make decisions is about to drive me to distraction. I have several granddaughters at this point in my life, and I cringe at how these attacks might influence them to avoid public service and the world of politics. I believe that female leaders from other countries must have shown some emotion during their tenure…..women such a Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, and Indira Ghandhi. The posting on The Pie-Eyed Picayune has some interesting comments on Margaret Thatcher’s show of emotions during her years as prime minister of England. I also enjoyed reading through the comments from men on Hillary’s emotions on the site HillaryNowObabmaLater.org. Tobin Horshaw shares some interesting thoughts along with over 100 bloggers in his New York Times Opinionator story Hillary Clinton’s Mixed Emotions. I truly do not understand what makes people attack others by designing such misogynist t-shirts as you will find for sale on Cafe Press.
David Crary, an AP National Writer, stated that “Beyond the back-and-forth between a white woman and a black man seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, the situation has created a snapshot of the nation’s sensitivity — or lack thereof — to certain kinds of comments. Is it more acceptable, for instance, to make a sexist remark than a racist remark?”
Political ideologies aside, as boomer women, are we interested in how politics affects women as they seek elected offices? We have all gained wisdom over the years from flower children to major contributors to society in many career paths. Do we have a role as mentors? Do we have a role in philanthropic endeavors to help women around the world to raise their level of expectations in the political environments in which they live?
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written by Cindi Flow \\ tags: 2008 presidential primaries, boomer damas, boomer women, emotions, gender typing, Golda Meir, Hillary Clinton, Indira Ghandhi, leadership traits, Margaret Thatcher, misogyny, sexism, women in politics, women mentors