I caught this post today while skimming through the Daily Kos. Today Geraldine Ferraro stepped down from her position on Hillary Clinton’s campaign finance committee. She didn’t apologize for her remarks unfortunately. I remember when this woman was on the Democratic ticket with Walter Mondale when I was a child. I had such hopes for her back then, but to think that no matter how hard I may work, some people, like her, will always throw my ethnicity out in front of my other qualities. This saddens me.
I could not have expressed these feeling more clearly. LaAbogada from the Daily Kos:
Dear Geraldine Ferarro and Clinton Campaign,
Geraldine Ferraro, I would like you to know that I am someone who always gives people the benefit of the doubt, but it was through your arrogant responses to the backlash you have received that I am convinced that you meant exactly what you said. I don’t know much about you, I was only 1 year old when you were the Vice President nominee, but as a fellow Democrat, the last 48 hours have deeply troubled me.
I would like you to know that the combination of your statement(s) and the Clinton campaign’s response; I cried last night. Yes, I cried. Let’s start with this:
You said: “He happens to be very lucky to be who he is
It reminded me of when I was 17 years old sitting in my AP Calculus class, and a “friend” in “congratulating” me for being accepted into a prestigious undergraduate institution told me how “you’re so lucky that you’re last name is ______.” Because of course, to him, my higher test scores and higher GPA were nothing in balance to my Spanish surname. That was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life, yet I went home and cried to my father. I woke up the next morning with an e-mail from my dad saying, “Yes, you are lucky to be Mexican. Because Mexicans are some of the hardest working people in the world.”
I received multiple comments like that as a teen, and admittedly they affected me. It took me a couple of years as an undergraduate to feel as though I was more than a charity case, that my spot was earned, even though I knew my qualifications and hard work better than anyone that made such comments.
Geraldine Ferraro you also said this: “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position.”
This reminded me of how after my success and confidence as an undergrad finally outgrew my “affirmative-action-baby-complex,” (for lack of a better term) that little did I know, I would be confronted with it over and over again no matter how great and how successful my accomplishments were. I, as a woman of color, know what it feels like for someone to not find it conceivable for you to be where you are.
A clearly blatant example of this was my very first orientation event for my Ivy League law school. It was held at a local bar, and myself along with three other students of color walked to the door, at which point the security guard asked us to step to the side thinking we were just “locals” and we had to wait for the white students in line behind us who were obviously students for the private party in the back to enter before us. Because in that security guard’s eyes it was inconceivable for us to be ivy-league law students. It was a lovely way to start my law school career. Obviously, this was not an employee of the school, but it speaks to the basic prejudices that still exist widely.
Because what you fail to recognize Geraldine Ferraro, is that when you say “he would not be in his position,” you are consequentially saying that you have no conceivable alternative (I don’t know maybe intelligence, dignity, at least equal if not better experience, hard work, and a smarter and better organized campaign to name a few) for his success.
Lastly, let’s talk about this: “And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position.”
The entirety of your statements inherently tells me that in your eyes: a woman of color is at the bottom of your expectations totem pole. That as a brown woman, no matter what future successes I may achieve, people like you will always have some other excuse or justification based on my gender and race for such accomplishments. In two months, I will be graduating from my second “elite” institution and entering into a workforce where last time I checked Latinas made up 1.2% of the working lawyer population. In other words, if you put 100 lawyers in a room, ONE will look like me. And because of statements like yours, the other 99 in the room might think I did not put in the same amount of work to be in that room that they did.
Geraldine Ferraro and the members of the Clinton Campaign, there are 3 main reasons why I am a Democrat:
- compassion
- equality
- common sense
And there are three main reasons why I have issues with Republicans and their rhetoric:
- greed
- inequality
- a lack of common sense
I am deeply discouraged and disappointed that within my own party I am beginning to have the same issues that I have with Republicans. Keep the greed, inequality, and lack of common sense to yourself. You are not our voice. You do not represent me. I reject and denounce your statements, and responses to your statements. And I will continue to focus on what I always have: that if you give me the opportunity, I will EXCEED your expectations, and if you don’t give me the opportunity, I’ll make one for myself.
I will not let one of the most amazing years of my life be tainted because of your flaws. Contrary to the media’s belief, this Latino/Woman/Catholic/Californian does not buy into your rhetoric. Barack Obama has brought me closer to my friends, family, community and country. He has led me to believe in all that is good and possible through hard work and hope. He embodies compassion, equality, and common sense. So you may have gotten me down for one night, but it ends there. I have no chip on my shoulder, and I have no hatred in my heart. I am sticking to his message and consequentially, will no longer listen to yours.
Yes I can; therefore, Yes we can.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Paul // Mar 12, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Thank you for this inspiring, refreshing and thoughtful piece. I couldn’t agree more. Sí se puede . . or in the preferred idiom of or our African-American brothers and sisters – You go girl!!!!
2 prof bw // Mar 13, 2008 at 3:59 am
this was so moving, and so sad b/c I am a lot older than that author and my experience is the same, so little has changed . . .
Clinton finally repudiated Ferraro’s statement, after one of 200 black reporters in a closed black reporter event asked her about it. ;{
3 EYES OF TEXAS // Mar 13, 2008 at 9:04 am
Obama is an image created by the media and can only be regarded as a novelty. He has managed to generate false hope that he alone can solve the problems of the U.S. and the world. With such little expreience in world politics he will not be the great savior he portrays himself to be. No one outside of Illinois hsd even heard of him until about a year and a half ago, yet now he has a fan base equal to an American Idol contestant. This fan base is comprised of mostly young first time voters that are not savvy to the real issues that face our nation and are easily lead along by promises of hope and change. These are hollow words with no definition and without substance or explaination as to how he plans to make changes. Ferraro’s statement hit very close to reality and that is why everyone took offense. If it’s hope that is driving your frenzy, keep on hopeing and if change is what you want, be prepared for changes you will not like.
4 The Kaiser // Mar 13, 2008 at 8:19 pm
And what is your definition of worldly political experience? World events define themselves. I would rather have an intelligent person with character flaws with their hand on the button, than a stupid person whose delusions regularly connect him to Jesus Christ. Are you one of the 18% of the population that thinks the Bush White House has performed well these last seven years?
5 EYES OF TEXAS // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Bush has done nothing that has created me any harm or discomfort. He has not taxed the hell out of me as Hillary or Obama plan to do. I have a decent income and actually able the save some money for a rainy day. The new taxes that will be put on American citizens by Democraps will send our economy into a tail spin we will never pull out of. In typical Democrap fashion there will be so many new federal social services developed that the size and control of the government will double. I’m not part of the 18%, but it will be pure hell with Obama or Hillary.
6 The Kaiser // Mar 15, 2008 at 12:26 pm
You must be wholly dependent on Rush Limbaugh to tell you what color the sky is.
7 mary // Mar 18, 2008 at 10:53 am
Adriana,
Too bad tabloid journalism is all the rage in this country. We can’t get facts from TV and blogs– that’s for sure ;. I jlike to balance with some unbiased comments if I may:
“He happens to be very lucky to be who he is”
If you want to act affirmatively in this election, do so by voting for a woman. Affirmative action is for those who don’t have access to opportunities. Do you think women are making the same salary as men? Statistics say women are not doing so well.
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position.”
The fact is that Obama went after the black vote as a black man. Some say Bill Clinton did the same when he campaigned for his own presidency. This time around Clinton had a challenge he could not overcome — the color of his skin. Like it or not, we are a country of cultures divided and united.
HRC has always been the perceived democrat contender to take back the White House. And Obama’s leap into the event has changed the dynamics of the election. His campaign has garnered him 90% of the black vote. HRC would have had most of those votes if Obama was not black because “Clinton” was the black vote.
“And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position.”
Shall we look at history? The writer’s argument is baiting. She should know better by being a law student. If she has any wisdom, she well knows that HRC is a woman whose work has made her the viable nominee. She overcame the “female” obstacle by proving her strength. If Obama were a woman of any color he would be invisible beside HRC because he has not had the enduring time in the public eye a woman needs in this country.
Ferraro’s statements are profound. It is what it is — wake up.
8 EYES OF TEXAS // Mar 18, 2008 at 2:30 pm
What qualifications? I slept with a tax accountant a few times and I still can’t do my own tax return. Same goes for Hillarys so called 35 years of experience. Being married to a President does not qualify you for that position.
We, as a nation, need a Commander-In-Chief and only one candidate fits that bill. He may be old, but McCain has more experience than Hillary and Obama rolled together. Besides, McCain has already promised no new taxation on American citizens at a time when we need our money for living on instead of supporting more government social services, which is what the Democraps are all about.
With resent events happening to Obama concerning his mentor Reverend Wright, the general election will come down to Hillary vs McCain. The Bush/Clinton regime must not be allowed to continue and the majority of American voters know it to be a fact. Hillary can not win.
9 Michaelr // Mar 18, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Mary…
Ferraro’s statements are profound? Those are the words of a bigot. It takes more than skin color to run a political campaign and beat a pompous WASP woman who isn’t ashamed of telling big ass lies, doing nothing in the Senate, and voting for everything the Bush White House wants. Hillary Clinton is a bagman for Tyson Foods, Monsanto, Wal-Mart, and the Kingdom of Dubai. She will make no changes if she is elected President. She is the Status Quo. She isn’t even Democratic. She’s more GOP than John McCain.
Why do you continually insult the Black voter? Do you think they are incapable of looking beyond skin color? Barack Obama has a white mother, and he was raised by white grandparents. How Black is that? You need to pull your head out of your #$@, and quit pretending to be George Wallace.
10 mary // Mar 19, 2008 at 9:22 am
Michaelr,
I am not against Obama. I just prefer HRC. I will vote democrat in November, will you?
Obama has admitted he is gracious of the black vote. Do you really think that vote isn’t crucial to either candidate?
The Senate voted the same as HRC at the time. And BO was not a member at the time when the Senate voted “for the war” — yet he has voted the same as HRC since being a member. The two candidates are so similar on the issues and I think it is a little too convenient of him to continue the rhetoric.
You seem to be about as Democrat as every other Republican against the Clintons. Bush is the worst president ever. Did HRC vote for him too? No.
You are calling a viable democrat candidate a “[lying] pompous [white anglo saxon protestant] woman” — You are a bigot.
11 mary // Mar 19, 2008 at 9:25 am
Eyes of Texas,
Hillary and Bill share the same profession.
12 EYES OF TEXAS // Mar 19, 2008 at 11:59 am
Yes, they share the same profession of lying, cheating, decieving and either one would sell their daughter into prostitution to regain the White House. (And I’m sure someone would get a bargain basement deal on that sell)
13 Michaelr // Mar 19, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Mary…
I think your definition of a bigot is more self-serving as mine. I voted twice for Bill Clinton. And I had the misfortune of meeting HRC at the same event I first met Bill Clinton. And for the last sixteen years she has lived up to that first impression and expanded on it.
14 The Kaiser // Mar 22, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Hillary Clinton doesn’t practice, nor does she maintain any democractic values. She tells alot of bold faced lies, and takes credit for things she has never done. Why would we want another four years of Bush?
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