Column: Historic day for women transcends political party
“No matter which side of the political aisle you fall, there’s no arguing that history was made last week,” Caitlin says in her column this week.
Inauguration proceedings had just ended, as students began to debrief from the moment in American history.
Jeremy Potter, Ida Middle School seventh grade social studies teacher, asked his 12and 13-year old students questions about President Joseph Biden Jr.’s speech, along with comparing the address to other speeches by past presidents.
As the conversation was winding down, he asked: “So, what do you think of the first woman Vice President?”
Nearly every young girl in the room simultaneously shouted their excitement. One even applauded the U.S. for electing its first person of color to the vice presidency.
No matter which side of the political aisle you fall, there’s no arguing that history was made last week.
On Wednesday, former Democratic U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California formally ascended to nearly the highest political position in American government – an office where no woman has ever sat before.
It took nearly 50 sitting vice presidents before women throughout the country could consider presidential aspirations as a possibility in their political pursuits. Vice President Harris claimed the 49th slot, which also is especially remarkable as a woman of mixed race.
She’s not only be the first woman vice president, but believed the first the Black and first South Asian.
For me, it sends a message – especially to young girls – that America is a country that welcomes all people, a position that’s finally evidenced in its leadership.
While I may not have children, I’m not just pulling this assertion out of a hat. The impact is being felt countywide, even in our newsroom.
Monroe News sports reporter Ryan Loren posted to Facebook on Thursday, reflecting on the glass-shattering events of the day prior.
When he and his wife, Sarah, watched the inauguration at home, he explained that their oldest daughter was more engaged in the event than they would have expected from a 6 year old.
“We talked about a lot of government things, but she was genuinely shocked no woman has ever been president,” he shared.
“Then I explained the role of the vice president and that Kamala Harris today became the first women to ever have that role. She thought that was awesome!”
“All in all (Wednesday) was a great day to have a daughter,” he said.
Morgan (Hofbauer) Ringel, a former Monroe News page designer who now works for Gannett, the media company which owns our newspaper, also shared that she had a similar experience with her daughter, Rosa.
Rosa is 5.
“She was mind-blown that there’s never been a female president or VP too!,” Morgan shared. “Glad another ceiling was broken.”
It was a historic day for parents, especially those with daughters, and my heart warms for my coworkers who were able to share those moments with their children. I wouldn’t expect anything less from either of them as parents.
Should I have a daughter one day, now she’ll never know a time, until she studies it in history books, that a woman hasn’t had a chance to help lead our country.
Next step: The presidency.
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