Remember when we were kids, in the 80s, and the teachers would say, “you can be anything you want to be”? They encouraged us to work hard and we would succeed. I get that we were raised in a time when that seemed to be true, but as a girl I never had the feeling that it was.
This year, we are finally seeing a shift toward the ideals we were taught as children. But it is not without pushback. Unfortunately the pushing back is not just coming from the standard, “other side” contingent, but also from inside the party of progress.
Bernie Sanders ran in the Democratic Primary to push the party in a more progressive direction and this was truly a good thing. The unfortunate outcome of his campaign, though, was the creation of BernieBros. These (mostly) dudes refuse to give up, even in the face of Senator Sanders concession on the floor of the convention. They continue to complain on social media and attack those who are trying to be happy for the historical progress we are making with the nomination of the first woman for President on the Democratic Party line.
Let me pause here to just ponder that last sentence. The first woman, in 240 years, to get this far in a presidential race in the United States. This is extremely important. It is a moment in time that we must recognize as important. Whether you vote for her or not, you must at least admit that this time is important.
But why? Why is it such a big deal? Well, think back to how I started this post. When I was a little girl, growing up in the 80s, I was told I could be anything. But people don’t truly believe that things are possible until they can see other people like them doing those things. Until a woman leads the United States, other women cannot truly believe it is possible. Someone has to go first. And it is important.
So, if you have children, especially girls, you need to have them watch the DNC tonight when Secretary Clinton accepts the nomination. It is an important part of our history and it shatters a glass ceiling that has been sealed for 240 years. We should be sharing this moment with the young ones. We should be celebrating. This is a wonderful time and I’m not going to let the BernieBros, or the Racist Trumpites, or the Evangelicals who are afraid of female power, get me down.
My one wish, that will unfortunately not come true, is for my niece to see this moment. She should be exposed to this wonderful time in history and all the doors it opens for her future. She should be taught that she can do anything she wants and see other women who are doing those things. She needs strong female role models to counteract the messages she is fed through fundamentalist sources. I cannot change the path of the future for her, but I hope that someday she finds it on her own. Women truly can do anything and my wish for her is that she has the opportunity to see and feel that fact.
Enjoy the convention. Let the moment wash over you. We are a part of this awesome time in history and we must carry it through into November!
Peace,
Chantale aka hippiegrrl