Guest Columnist Haley Bader
It is a societal flaw that women are regarded as inferior to or less productive than men. American history, along with the majority of the histories of other cultures, proves that women have long been disregarded or repressed. However, as of August 26, 1920, American women ascertained their worth by winning the right to vote. In the years following this victory, women have participated in nearly every role in politics, from Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Justice of the Supreme Court, to Hillary Clinton, who ran for President in the Democratic Convention, and Sarah Palin, who ran for Vice President in the past election. These brave women dedicated their lives to politics, and in doing so, have inspired women of all ethnicities and political affiliations. They have shown us that it is not only important, but also right, for women to be
involved.
In today's society, women still face many issues on being taken seriously as politicians. It is said that if you are a female politician, you are either a heartless woman, practically a man, or eye candy, useful only for entertaining male politicians. These assumptions are both stereotypical and dead wrong. Hillary Clinton may have been a harsh candidate, but she was successful, and is now our Secretary of State. Sarah Palin battled family issues and braved harsh criticism to run for Vice President with John McCain, and she never backed down. What is common in both women is their incredible strength of mind and personal fortitude. To be an electable female politician, one must be strong and willing to sacrifice much of her self for the greater good of other women.
Personal responsibility is one of the most important things for the youth of our society to be exposed to. Female politicians can best encourage adolescents to be responsible by sharing their life experiences and mistakes. Some female politicians come to schools to promote abstinence, and speak of regrets, relief, or health issues. Others prove the importance of family values by showcasing their own families. Truly, the best way for female politicians to encourage personal responsibility is by being responsible themselves. Their responsible actions will influence those who watch them because of their unrelenting exposure to the public eye.
Sarah Palin was criticized for the way she dealt with her daughter's pregnancy, and for the way she ran her family. However, she handled the situations with determination and grit. She chose to have her son Trig, a child with Down's syndrome, instead of aborting the fetus. Her courageousness inspired and gave hope to many mothers of Down's syndrome children, and other mothers chose to keep the babies they were considering to abort. Other female politicians organize rallies to speak out against abortion, promote fidelity in marriage, and many emphasize the importance of abstinence to preserve one's emotional and physical health. All of these actions help to strengthen morality, as well as maintain freedom. The choice to speak out in support of morality is the epitome of freedom, as it is the action of speaking out to promote one's opinion.
Female politicians may best be able to promote morality and responsibility because they are female, and therefore promote the image of motherly, caring figures. This image, and the strength it takes to be a politician, has the power to enthuse not only young women, but support a respectable image of the female in our society as a whole.
Haley Bader is the winner of the 2009 Marion Simpson Scholarship. She is a Graduate of Madison County High School, Madison, Virginia.
It is a societal flaw that women are regarded as inferior to or less productive than men. American history, along with the majority of the histories of other cultures, proves that women have long been disregarded or repressed. However, as of August 26, 1920, American women ascertained their worth by winning the right to vote. In the years following this victory, women have participated in nearly every role in politics, from Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Justice of the Supreme Court, to Hillary Clinton, who ran for President in the Democratic Convention, and Sarah Palin, who ran for Vice President in the past election. These brave women dedicated their lives to politics, and in doing so, have inspired women of all ethnicities and political affiliations. They have shown us that it is not only important, but also right, for women to be
involved.
In today's society, women still face many issues on being taken seriously as politicians. It is said that if you are a female politician, you are either a heartless woman, practically a man, or eye candy, useful only for entertaining male politicians. These assumptions are both stereotypical and dead wrong. Hillary Clinton may have been a harsh candidate, but she was successful, and is now our Secretary of State. Sarah Palin battled family issues and braved harsh criticism to run for Vice President with John McCain, and she never backed down. What is common in both women is their incredible strength of mind and personal fortitude. To be an electable female politician, one must be strong and willing to sacrifice much of her self for the greater good of other women.
Personal responsibility is one of the most important things for the youth of our society to be exposed to. Female politicians can best encourage adolescents to be responsible by sharing their life experiences and mistakes. Some female politicians come to schools to promote abstinence, and speak of regrets, relief, or health issues. Others prove the importance of family values by showcasing their own families. Truly, the best way for female politicians to encourage personal responsibility is by being responsible themselves. Their responsible actions will influence those who watch them because of their unrelenting exposure to the public eye.
Sarah Palin was criticized for the way she dealt with her daughter's pregnancy, and for the way she ran her family. However, she handled the situations with determination and grit. She chose to have her son Trig, a child with Down's syndrome, instead of aborting the fetus. Her courageousness inspired and gave hope to many mothers of Down's syndrome children, and other mothers chose to keep the babies they were considering to abort. Other female politicians organize rallies to speak out against abortion, promote fidelity in marriage, and many emphasize the importance of abstinence to preserve one's emotional and physical health. All of these actions help to strengthen morality, as well as maintain freedom. The choice to speak out in support of morality is the epitome of freedom, as it is the action of speaking out to promote one's opinion.
Female politicians may best be able to promote morality and responsibility because they are female, and therefore promote the image of motherly, caring figures. This image, and the strength it takes to be a politician, has the power to enthuse not only young women, but support a respectable image of the female in our society as a whole.
Haley Bader is the winner of the 2009 Marion Simpson Scholarship. She is a Graduate of Madison County High School, Madison, Virginia.
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