by Reggie Fullwood
America, it is time. Women have fought and died for our great nation – it’s time that a woman take the helm and lead the United States of America.
Hillary Clinton has already been able to put major cracks in this country’s political glass ceiling; and every day she moves closer to putting a permanent hole there as well.
She is on course to make history as the first woman to be a presidential nominee for a major U.S. political party and potentially becoming the country’s first female commander in chief.
After winning a series of primaries last week, which sealed the deal for her. The former first lady, New York Senator,and Secretary of State said, “Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone.”
She added, “Tonight’s victory is not about one person. It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made this moment possible.”
Yes, the land of the free and home of the brave may do something that only a few of major world powers have been able to do so far – elect a female president.
Great Britain and Israel may have had the most popular female heads of state to date. Margaret Thatcher was the first and only female prime minister of Britain. She was a conservative that served for some 11 years and earned the nickname the “Iron Lady.”
One of the founders of the state of Israel and the country’s fourth prime minister, Golda Meir was considered by her countrymen to be the original “Iron Lady.” You know she had to be tough being the head of state of a country surrounded by enemies during a very unstable time in the Middle East.
Angela Merkel became Germany’s first female chancellor in 2005, which was a surprise to many world leaders. She has been a strong and stable voice in the European Union and was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 and Time magazine named her Person of the Year in 2015. Her leadership has been critical in dealing with the Syrian migrant crisis.
There are currently 18 female world leaders, including 12 female heads of government and 11 elected female heads of state, according to United Nations data. This number may sound significant to some, but let’s put it in perspective. These women only account for about one-in-ten of today’s leaders of United Nations member states. Also consider the fact that half of them are the first women to hold their country’s highest office.
According to the Pew Research Center, “India has had the longest stretches with a woman in power, with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later President Pratibha Patil serving a combined 21 of the past 50 years. Ireland and Bangladesh ranked close behind, also with 21 years of female leadership apiece.”
Over here in the “civilized world,” or at least that’s what some think of North America, there has been a bad trend.Mexico, like the U.S., has never had a woman as head of state, and Canada’s first female prime minister served for just four months.
So needless to say North America – it’s time. And no, it’s not time for a racist, bigot, and arrogant bully like Donald Trump. It’s time that a strong female leader is elected president.
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness,” said Oprah Winfrey.
Hillary Clinton has certainly seen failure. She has lost elections and been ridiculed and degraded publicly, but you have to admire the fact that she presses on. The woman is no quitter, and has been through the fire. She is highly intelligent, committed, and poised to lead this nation.
Perhaps Wilma Rudolph said it best, “The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.”
America, it’s time.
Congratulations to Hillary Clinton, you are halfway there!
Signing off from Brooklyn, NY