Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Martha Washington, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Barbara Jordan, Patsy Mink and many more of our foremothers are beaming down on Denver today, smiling at the Democratic National Convention and the historic event taking place there today.
How wonderful that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s historic speech takes place on the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. In 1920, that amendment finally granted American women the right to vote. The anniversary goes largely unnoticed despite its monumental importance: Its ratification enfranchised half of the American people!
Hillary’s historic campaign was centuries in the making. In March 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John, while he served on the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and famously asked him to “remember the ladies.” Adams and his peers did not “remember” then, and women still have not been granted equal rights in the Constitution.
When people insinuate that sexism is a thing of the past, I say they need to take off the blinders and take a hard look at what has occurred on the campaign trail this year. Gender is still one of the most restricting forces in our nation today, in the political arena and in our daily lives. Sen. Clinton has come closer than any other woman in history to finally tearing off the “No Girls Allowed” sign on the White House. Yet no action on her part could stop her detractors.
When “Iron my shirt” signs appeared at her speeches, it was considered humorous, yet Hillary kept on. Hideous comments and thinly veiled sexism on the part of Rush Limbaugh, Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd and others never ceased, but still Hillary kept her head up and stayed focused. When John McCain answered the question “How do we beat the bitch?” by responding “Good question” — without so much as a pause — she kept going. When those awful Hillary nutcrackers and T-shirts with appalling phrases such as “If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!” appeared on the campaign trial, she kept going.
Why does our culture allow such outrages against women when we would never tolerate such attitudes toward others in our society?
I contemplated running for president in 1988. What an undertaking. After some very exciting months, I realized that America was not man enough to elect a woman. Imagine the frustration I felt when, after giving a speech on the “Rendezvous with Reality” this nation needed, the first question would be, “Why are you running as a woman?” It was heartbreaking to face the many ways in which my gender eclipsed my message and to realize that running a symbolic campaign was the best I could hope for.
Eighty-eight years, and still we have far to go. Sen. Clinton has faced more roadblocks than any candidate in memory, yet she remained focused, calm and gracious throughout it all. She dazzled us with her energy and stellar debate performances.
As we listen to her speech today, we must reflect on all the strong women who carved the path for us all. It has been a long, hard fight, and clearly — despite what we may hope — we aren’t there yet. Because of Hillary, though, we are a step closer to the equality we deserve.
Sen. Clinton speaks on behalf of all of us. I know there will be thunder over Denver today, and it will be the sound of our foremothers dancing in heaven in celebration.
Pat Schroeder represented Denver in the U.S. House for 24 years. She is CEO of the American Publishers Association.
