(ThyBlackMan.com) Kamala Harris is currently Vice President of The United States of America. She holds the highest office of any woman and person of color. Within her many were able to see themselves represented. Representation is a personal matter of perspective, and for some it can reach beyond the scope of political agenda. Granted there are those that questioned whether she would be the best choice for the job. Some of this is based off her tenure as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California. There are others that will take issue with other areas of her politics…and of course there are those that can’t seem to relate to her at all. Varying degrees of acceptance, and resistance is the life of a Politian regardless of their platform. While I want to allow my mind to think on whether I would feel, as a voter, Vice President Kamala Harris would be suited to be President of the Unites States…I simply cannot get to that part in my thought process. Unfortunately, before I can begin to make the argument in my own mind for or against her as a suitable option for President I must first deal with the barriers & concerns that are not of her making.
The real question worth asking is, “Is the United States of America ready to elect a woman to the office of President”. This leads us down the path of what electing a woman, and woman of color, to this office would mean and are men and women ready to allow such to happen. The hard truth for some Americans to swallow is exactly how devastating the Trump Administration was on both the foreign front, and domestic. A political party was single handed torn apart from the inside and it is still in tatters. The Republican Party, regardless of whether you agreed with their politics or not, will never be the same. This country was literally forced to watch insurrection in our nation’s capital. With everything that would happen under that administration, and as it was to be transitioning out, would the administration of say, Hillary Clinton been worse?
Granted one might suggest that this is a question that men must wrestle with, in all fairness, since there are those that felt that men would rather let America burn than see a woman lead their nation. The biggest misconception is that men are the gatekeepers that same a woman isn’t suited to be president. One thing that must be remembered is how many white women voted against their own demographic, then had the audacity to protest about the problems their decisions would cause on the back end. Of course, there are men that need to reckon with their sexist position, but they aren’t alone in the great reckoning that must occur. Women can’t shout for equality, speak openly about having women in various positions same as a man, campaign for a woman…and then betray her at the polls.
Women must be held to the same standards, and margin for error if we are going to seriously consider a woman for the office of President. Many different men have held the office of the President, and none of them were perfect. Not only were they flawed, but some can argue their mistakes, at various times, have been detrimental to the country. Yet, some of these men were not only elected, but they were re-elected President. However, when we look at women that can run for the office their lived and careers are picked apart in a way that some could label as unfair. One of the most recent examples of this is simple, if Donald Trump was deemed suited to be President…Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris are overly qualified for the office based on their political resume alone. There may be may aspects of said resume that we can disagree with, but there is an extensive career in public service, and Hillary Clinton was the Former Secretary of State…none of that matter the country elected Donald Trump. Something about that isn’t right, and it speaks poorly to the judgment of Americans across the country. It speaks to an unconscious and conscious unfairness we tend to have regarding women in public office. Women must be perfect, or they are not suitable.
The verdict is still out for me regarding if I personally thing Vice President Kamala Harris is suited to be President. However, as I access that question I will be fair with her. I know she is just as qualified, and in some cased more qualified, than some of the men that have come before her. Even if she is the most suitable candidate, I’m just not confident the country would acknowledge it. I’m not sure women would truly support her. I simply don’t have faith that the right choice would be made.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; C. Starr and also Twitter; MrzZeta.
Also via email at; CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com.