Divided We Will Fall

It’s early July, November is still four and a half months away, and the question still remains—is the Democratic Party strong enough to move beyond the divisiveness of the primaries and unite to win the general election?

At the beginning of 2008, everyone was talking about the election, which candidate they were supporting, and how anxious they were for a President who was anyone but Bush. History was being made with the first Black man and the first woman contending for the office as well as a man who would be the oldest elected President. Young voters were inspired, women were rallying, and political apathy seemed to be a thing of the past.

Two months after the primaries ended, there is still excitement, but the rhetoric has changed. It’s not so much the my candidate is better than yours, though there is some of that between McCain and Obama supporters, but now the focus is on Independents and former Hillary supporters. The objective has shifted for both political camps—target the women. Primaries are essentially about rallying the base of your political party. These are not your swing voters, but instead are the ones who will be solidly entrenched with you during the general election. The months preceding the election are about everyone else, vote counts, and polls.

In January, I think all Democrats assumed this election would be a breeze, that there would be enough anti Bush sentiment to fuel a Democratic election. And though the primary season facilitated true democracy, a sense of disinterest, hurt, and anger has been left behind for some. Now, Obama has to make amends with Hillary’s supporters.

The question now is: Can Obama do it? Initially, Obama was the media’s golden boy. He could do no wrong, but as his focus shifts towards Middle America, people assume his values are changing as well. From the onset of his campaign (and even prior) he has brought Conservatives, Democrats, and Independents together. To do this, I doubt his message has drastically changed.

As someone who certainly doesn’t want a McCain Presidency and doesn’t believe McCain can speak to what matters to the American public, I believe Obama is the better choice. That said, as Democrats, and former Hillary supporters, we need to look at the issues and potential threat McCain is. If we truly want to see change, then we need to join the ranks of the ‘Obamanites’ and march loyally with him through this battle.

Mercy Killing

In the same world where the media exploits and exposes an alleged affair between A-Rod and Madonna, 5,000 women each year are murdered as what is considered to be “mercy killings” to free them from their arranged marriages.

Chaudhry Rashid, a Pakistani man in Atlanta, GA, is charged with murdering his daughter, or in his eyes freeing her from a marriage she wasn’t happy with. Police and other officials have reported that Rashid is upset and saddened over the loss of his daughter, but not remorseful.

Anyone who knows me knows that I fully respect everyone’s right to practice their own religion, live their own lives, and not have anyone, let alone the law, interfere in your pursuit of happiness. However, I do not condone this.

How sad it is for a woman who lives and practices these cultural norms to believe that the only way out of an unhappy marriage is through death. How demeaning it must feel to know that your worth is through your family, your husband and nothing that’s directly yours.

Though it’s not as extreme, here in American culture, there is a public perception cast upon the woman when she gets divorced. “How will she take care of the kids?” or “I guess she just didn’t know how to please him.” Or maybe even little jokes such as, “I guess he just got tired of her cooking,” or “he traded her in for a newer model.” Not one of those presents a positive image of the woman. And no, not all divorces are his or her fault. They are messy, tough to talk about, stressful, legal hassles. We chastise and brand the woman. A divorced man is still a catch; a divorced woman carries society’s baggage.

Most of us will read the first part of this story and be shocked at the audacity of a father to take his daughter’s life and believe that was freeing her. We will want justice and a fair trial. And all of these are true, but who will standup and advocate for other women, whose lives have also been ripped apart because society still finds it easier to believe in a woman’s scorn, over emotional, and irrationalness, rather than see her as a person?

Yes, I realize it’s an extreme jump to go from a mercy killing to society’s perceptions, but really, if you brand a woman for being divorced as being “damaged goods” then maybe she too might desire a “mercy killing.” She, too, might want a way out.

Is The Public's Perception Stronger Than The Glass Ceiling?

This isn’t a new topic, especially for anyone who’s been paying attention to the 2008 election, but there seems to be so many double standards that we, as a society, are comfortable with. Earlier this year, the media had a field day when Hillary became a little choked up and she took a few extra seconds to compose herself. All of a sudden she was an emotional woman and this made her too soft.

On the flip side, she was also perceived as being to shrill. People actually questioned what would happen if she experience PMS and pressed the big red button. My usual response was, hasn’t our current President already done that?

Today, I came across a story that highlighted a trip McCain took in 1987 to Nicaragua where the McCain picked up an Ortega Associate by the collar of his shirt and attempt to put him in his place. Mind you, this was a diplomatic peace keeping mission, as the story reports. But unlike Hillary, McCain’s actions were lauded, (in comments I saw in today's press) and to some, this further solidified him in their minds as a hero. My only question is how is this any less of an emotional response?

I realize that Hillary isn’t the Democratic nominee and really, this discussion isn’t about the 2008 Presidential Election, but more so about the general perceptions we have and expect from men and women and these people serving as our leaders.

As Hillary put it, the glass ceiling was shattered into 18 Million pieces during her primary campaign. But look at the adversity she faced simply for being a woman. (Forget her politics for a second) The media criticized her hair, her cleavage, runs in her hose, whether she was too emotional or had any emotions at all, because of her husband’s previous indiscretions, etc. Tell me, when, when was the last time you heard of a male candidate’s standard Navy suite being criticized as being too dull, his hair too gray, or the fact that his wife either had or didn’t have a career. The media only introduces these when a woman is running.

Today, we tell children to dream big, work hard, and become anyone they want. But do we subtly tell little girls, except that or with a major cost? Even the President Barbie Dolls that were created to inspire young women to run for office were still anatomically incorrect and sexualized the image. (Perky boobs, high heals, short skirts) She even comes with her own ballroom dress rather than maybe a copy of the Constitution or something else that would be Presidential.

Most Americans speak on sound bites they’ve heard from political commentators, radio hosts, television shows, and websites to name a few. How the media characterizes a woman candidate starts the dialogue of how voters will critique her as well.
So the next time someone commends McCain for his temper, remember, he’s just as an emotional man, (temper) who’s equally capable of pressing the big red button for emotional reasons and rationalizations.

The Mess They Left Behind

It appears the U.S. government has let down its citizens again. In what appears to have been an act of carelessness, the U.S. Military failed to clean up their mess, leaving bombs behind, in Orlando, FL. Now, homeowners are watching as the Army Corp of Engineers searches with metal detectors to locate the weapons that were left behind.

During WWII, the property was known as PineCastle Jeep Range. There, the military tested bombs that would later be used on German and Japanese forces. However, after the war, the military forgot to clean up its mess. Two live bombs were found behind a school and others are still turning up as the Army Corp of Engineers continues their cleanup project.

Now, this story is about a year old and it appears that the Army Corp of Engineers is still working to clean up this mess. However, Mike Ornella, the leader of this clean up project stated that, “we’re never going to be 100 percent sure. We’re never going to give a 100 percent guarantee that the properties are clear.” How reassuring is that?

Imagine you’re a property owner; you have the 2.5 kids and a dog. Your kids attend this school where the first live bombs were found, how infuriating would that be that the government A. deceived you and B. cannot guarantee that all of the live bombs will be removed. Plus, the value of your home just dropped dramatically, not only because we’re in the middle of a downward spiral with the housing market, but also because who wants property that might have live bombs on it?

Too many times, our government has looked the other way and in turn has left people in a bind. Check out the Road to Nowhere in North Carolina. In 1943, the government came in and removed people from their homes to build a damn with the promise of building a road around the waterway so that commerce and life as normal could return. However, the road ends less than half a mile from where it started because there was a lack of government funding. Money was again secured in 2000, however, the road is still less than half a mile long.

Thus far, no fatalities have occurred from the live bombs in Orlando, however, there have been reports of injuries such as people being burned because a bomb detonated and ignited a fire. As a promise to its citizens, the U.S. government needs to be responsible for all of its projects, not only the implementation, but also the cleanup.