Hillary Clinton seems to be a lot of things to a lot of different kinds of people in America. It would seem she is an inspiration to some, like a beacon of light in a dark time of political unrest. She appears to advocate for the downtrodden, women, minorities, non-citizens, and refugees. There is the suggestion that her experience as a political organizer, lawyer, first lady, and Secretary of State qualify her as Presidential material. And is it undeniable that she is a very popular candidate.
In what can only be seen as an effort to reach those women still uncertain if they can back her, the “first female major party candidate” (or whatever moniker was used in August when she formally accepted the Democratic nomination) has now written an open letter addressed to young women. I came across it as I perused my usual online news sources over breakfast. Because I tell myself that I like to keep an open mind about politics, and despite the fact that I have no intention of voting for Mrs. Clinton, I read the letter.
While I am not a “young woman” I also am not quite middle aged; I am in my early thirties. I have life experiences, a good job, a loving family, and dreams. I am not downtrodden in a real sense. I don’t have any debt and while I don’t have extra money, I get by and can afford the things I really need. I volunteer and am kind to those less fortunate than myself. I refer to myself as a Libertarian but I follow politics and have voted for a Democrat once in my life, and it was because he was the local candidate for sheriff and I felt he was better qualified for the post than his opposition. I admit all this to say that I read the letter posted by Mrs. Clinton as though I were her target audience - though I am sure that based on the above factoids I have provided, I surely am not.
I wish to admit upfront that women as a species are often fickle. They lie and cheat and drag down other women simply because they are female and competition is natural between people of the same sex. I am sure I have done something inadvertently to wrong a woman and that person has suffered for my actions. To deny that women have the ability to wound their peers is nonsensical.
But after reading her letter, knowing what is true about women everywhere, I do not wish to dissect the words of this candidate. I do, however, wish to express my opinion of Mrs. Clinton’s thinly veiled attempt to persuade fellow women everywhere to vote for her because she ‘sees us.’
You see us, Mrs. Clinton? I find that difficult to believe. I need only think of all the ways you have hurt other women during your career to know that can’t possibly be true.
What about all the women your dear husband fiddled with outside of your marital vows? Those women who were either derided or paid to keep the secrets of that marriage? The ones that tried to openly discuss their experience at his hands? The ones who came into the public view only to have their morals and life styles inspected at close range by anyone who wished a look? Did you see those women then? Can you see them now, some of these women you yourself have allegedly threatened and manipulated?
Do you see, Mrs. Clinton, the women whose fathers, sons, husbands, friends died in Benghazi, Libya? The ones whose torment at the death of their loved ones is partly on your hands? Those women who sat and watched as you went before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in January a few years ago and asked what difference it made in regards to what caused the death of the men they cherished?
Mrs. Clinton, can you see the women of this country who, like a younger version of yourself, believe in the misguided and fundamentally flawed communistic democratic socialism? Can you see them spouting the methodology of Saul Alinksy (though few of them realize they are adopting his tenants) that you have since buried in your own personal life? The ones that political optics allow you to hide away and your campaign handlers allow you to pretend are not housed at the core of your own beliefs? Do you see those women who prefer you over your peer Elizabeth Warren only because they are too foolish to connect the two of you and your leftist driven careers?
Can you see the women who are either police officers or are related to a police officer in the United States? Does the pain in the loss of loved ones on duty when radical groups protest and destroy their own communities register with you? Does the lack of safety women and police officers everywhere now experience due to the pressures put on officers of the law worry you even as you support the mothers of criminals like the ones paraded out at the Democratic National Convention?
I am one of the women who are from the upper middle class who have educations and degrees and well paying jobs. I am one of the women in this country who believe in personal freedoms and own a gun, believe in states’ rights and a Federalized guiding hand, are in favor of choice when one is confronted with an unwanted pregnancy without supporting the genocidal business called Planned Parenthood, and look onto the poor with pity and feel the need to ease their plight. I am one of the women who are disgusted by the insanely overpriced health care bill your ilk saddled our country with. One of the women who fears ISIS but only because the current administration has weakened our military standing across the globe and openly disagrees with the idea that enemies of Israel should be trusted, let alone humored, on the world stage.
I am a woman who supports law enforcement even as I advocate for the legalization of marijuana. I want a balanced budget and adequate Social Security spending. I demand that the influence enjoyed by the insurance and banking industries on the Federal Treasury be done away with. I strongly feel that Islamic Extremists should be defeated any time they endanger world peace and that no consideration should be given to the people who house them throughout the Middle East. I want to drill America’s oil and natural gas for our citizens even as we work toward ways to protect the environment. My dreams include the ability to provide our own people with meals free of genetically modified organisms. I am being honest, m’am, and I ask do you see me?
The answer is no, you do not. The answer is lies in the fact that any other candidate (with the exception of Mr. Cruz) was a better option for a woman like me than you are. You don’t see women, Mrs. Clinton, you see voters. You don’t care about women because you are not in this business of politics for other women. You are in this business for yourself. Espousing fair pay and equal rights and better everything for everyone is not how you really feel or how you intend to govern this country. I have seen you hurt other women with your actions too many times to believe you see me or any other woman. You leave women like me in a bad place as far as voting for the 45th President of these United States of America. And I doubt you see that fact at all. I only hope my words have opened another woman’s eyes to all the reasons no woman should ever vote for you.
