Let’s NOT talk politics. I am not a terribly political person. It’s probably sad to admit, but I often don’t know which person is running for what office in what party. I avoid political debates in social setting and I will not editorialize on social media.
I do my own homework on topics and candidates on my own time without the help of major media and social media outlets.
That said, something historical has happened that no one ever thought was possible, and we should all pay attention. A woman has been nominated by a major political party to run for the highest political office in our country.
SHHHHH! Stop! Zip-it for one moment! I don’t care who you are stumping for. This is not about Republicans vs. Democrats or the Thunder Dome Death Match we are heading for in November.
This is not about Hilary or Trump. This is about my niece.
The first time I watched and paid attention to a presidential election I was in college. It was the early 90’s and Bill Clinton was adding a little humor and music to his campaign. I remember watching him play saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show! Of course, that’s really all I remember. I was in college, after all.
I graduated in 1993 and went about deciding what I was going to do with the rest of my life. My mother taught me from a young age that I could be anything I wanted to be. Apparently, in the mid-90’s, I could not be President. Why? According to an ultra-conservative group, it was against family values.
In 1995, a conservative political group stumbled across a t-shirt at a Wal-Mart that read “Some Day A Woman Will Be PRESIDENT!” It was Margaret from ‘Dennis the Menace’ who was making the declaration. I remember reading the stories that Walmart caved to the pressure from this group and pulled the shirt from its stores. The group claimed the shirt went against family values and was setting unrealistic goals for our little girls.
Although Walmart eventually changed their mind and put the shirts back on the racks, in my mind, the damage was done. This story and the image of the t-shirt stuck with me my entire adult life. I actually looked for one of these t-shirts when my niece was born.
I may not be in favor or either candidate in this year’s presidential election, but I can look forward to future candidates with some certainly that anyone, no matter what race or gender, can run for the office of President of the United States. In a couple decades maybe even my own niece could be pardoning turkeys on the White house lawn!
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