What Tami Said blog author Tamara Winfrey Harris has an interesting and provocative column here. Below is a short excerpt:
Americans tout our egalitarian democracy to the world: anyone can be president, we say. But some of us know this isn’t quite true. Ask the parents of little girls or gay teens or Muslim, Hindu or Jewish children whether they believe it is possible for their children to one day rule the nation. But now things might be different for little black boys. As my parents did for me, I will tell my son that he can be anything he wants to be. And I will have more confidence that this is true. This is good for my country. We can say that we are one step closer to achieving the ideals we hold dear.
One step closer, but not there yet. That is why my elation over an Obama presidency is tempered with worry.
Indeed. With the withdrawal of Carolyn Kennedy’s bid for the open Senate seat, I have been reflecting on the harsh treatment she received from the media. If John Kennedy, Jr. had been alive and had thrown his name in the hat for the Senate seat I believe the media and pundits would have embraced him as a candidate. Carolyn is significantly more qualified than her brother would have been, but she is not a man ….