In an interview last night on CNN, Kamala Harris was asked about the historic nature of her candidacy as a woman and a person of color. The photo below was referenced. Harris’ response was not to talk about herself and all that she’d accomplished as a Black woman (against all odds). In response to the photo of her neice watching her speak, she said, “It is humbling.”
She also said, “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender.”
To me, it shows her humility.
Her answer was the answer we needed to hear. No one really needs to talk about her possibly breaking the glass ceiling, because it’s obvious. And sadly, to discuss it would not serve her candidacy well in this climate, it would only provide fodder for negativity and accusations of what— man-hating? I don’t know. I frankly get very tired of people who don’t think a woman should be President, or who have doubts about a woman’s ability to lead. Women and male allies know it’s time and she is the right person.
I have always been a feminist, but I never try to force it on anyone. Rather, I draw about it quietly, hoping to make a point. For our daughters, I chose to show possibility by living my life as I dreamed, by being an example. Kamala is not talking about her candidacy, she’s living it, she’s embodying her power, and for so many Americans, this is perfect. And for little girls, it’s something they can see.
JD Vance posted this horrible tweet today, it infurated me. Not only is this poor woman a candidate for a beauty contest, in essence a victim of the patriarchy in doing so, she is being humiliated (if you want to see the video, just go to Vance’s tweet. But I am sure you know what it is). The misogyny and sexism that Vance is displaying by this crude tweet is unbelievable. One could say it is expected, this is who he and Trump are—but what I find amazing is that they aren’t even trying to be careful about showing their hatred of women. We don’t have to accept it, and we should be loud in denouncing how cruel they are.
Harris did very well in the interview. She answered the questions perfectly, with humor, intelligence, thoughtfulness and compassion. She talked about her desire to start a new era in which leaders do not put people down, but raise them up. At a rally the same night, Trump attempted to steal the spotlight by announcing that his goverenment would pay for in-vitro fertilization for everybody. An empty promise that no one believes because it could never be paid for. I think the campaign is flailing.
To end on a positive note: I love knowing that little girls are dreaming of running things.
Have a good Friday! Thanks for being here, see you tomorrow.
You are so measured, even in outrage, Liza. Once I used to be ..well mostly.. and you inspire not only me, but my daughter and granddaughter. In fact all the women in our family- and there are many. As it happens satisfying the dreams of the parents and grandparents, educated, hardworking. Good people. The only thing that differentiates the girls from the boys is that, as I’ve learned over the years, that every one of the girls has been sexually harassed - or molested. The boys haven’t.
And the Republican leadership seems fine with that.
I know from my sister’s psych experiments in college, that the closer to the end of the maze, the more agitated the test subject. Perhaps that’s what’s happening here.
Because I find it unbelievable that no one rises to their feet and says - to the faces of these men who purport to advocate for mothers and infants - that their every other statement displays their intention to return to a time when women were so routinely demeaned and slighted that we learned to accept it, shrugged and just got with it.
Thank you for such an enlightening, and comforting, column. ♥️