San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

LETTERS: 2-11-08

What’s a girl to think?I am writing in response to Amanda Strouse’s column printed on Jan. 31, as well as a letter to the editor commentary by Madalyn Miller printed on Feb. 6.Allow me to start by saying that I respect both of the young ladies’ opinions, but I strongly disagree with them. Strouse, to be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with the content of your article. I feel that you had the opportunity to depict Sen. Clinton in a positive manner; inform San Diego State students of her many accomplishments and attributes that make her a great candidate for president. Instead you gave us 16 paragraphs of superficiality. Stating that SDSU voters should vote for Sen. Clinton strictly because she is a woman is counterproductive to the women’s movement and its successes. Yes, women still make 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. Yes, despite active legislation, sexual harassment still persists. Yes, there is still a glass ceiling, but the vital fact that you omitted was that despite all of that, women are progressing and Sen. Clinton is living proof of that. SDSU students are free to vote for whomever they choose; Democrat or Republican, black or white, male or female, but should not choose solely because of one of those characteristics.Now, Miller, despite my disappointment with Strouse’s column, your response to her was insensitive, disrespectful and downright wrong. Although we both agree Strouse did not do very well with her column, your rebuttal that Sen. Clinton’s nomination would be insignificant for women, as well as the country, is na’ve. What I urge SDSU students to realize is that we have been a nation for more than 200 years and each one of our presidents have been white men. Why is that? Is it because women don’t want the position? Considering that 12 women (not including alternative party candidates) have run for the presidency, this is not true. Maybe it is because Americans have doubts about a woman’s competency to be president. This is evident by the daily commentary of political pundits of whether Sen. Clinton’s public display of emotion in New Hampshire would write her off as weak and incapable of leadership.What I would like to know, Miller, is why do you think in more than 200 years no woman has been given the highest position in the country? If women are already equal, as you say, then why don’t women comprise half of the House, half of the Senate, or half the gubernatorial positions of our states? What I am trying to point out to you is that, yes, several women have come into power (like the CEOs you stated) since the feminist movement, but women as a whole have a long way to go.I encourage this open dialogue between women because I feel that in order to progress we need to communicate and find solutions to our problems. We, as women, are in this together, so the disrespect, insensitivity and ignorance toward women’s rights and each other needs to stop. Let us learn from the past mistakes of the women’s movement and not become adversarial. Again, we are in this together.

-Ashley Boyd,political science sophomore

Disliking BillaryHow in the heck – a day before Sen. Hillary Clinton came to SDSU – can the biggest whine and cheese be delivered to readers of The Daily Aztec? “If Clinton is elected president … it would be a triumph for all American women” (“Electing Hillary: a crucial step for women,” Jan. 31). Amanda Strouse got the noun wrong in her statement, because electing Billary would be a triumph for socialists, not for women.Of all the baseless and valueless attributes of a human being, gender and race should absolutely not be reasons for voting for a human being, unless you are so shallow and pathetic that you only know yourself by what you see in the mirror. Or worse, that you would judge other people by their flesh. Oh, “She’s a woman, so she is good. He’s a man, so he should be relegated to a lesser position.” Or, “He’s a black man and I am a black person, so I will vote for him. I don’t vote for white people.”C’mon people, use your noggins! God gave us brains to discern morals and philosophies. We don’t have to waste our time on gender and skin color! Let the shallow people rally themselves behind those things while the rest of us hear people out. I can assure you that if you took my advice, you’d say “Hell no” to Billary Clinton, Barack Obama and St. John McCain. These folks would put America down the toilet using the sentiments of Strouse against her: because America needs to be taken down a peg or two.For those of you who love America, there are at least three candidates who you can vote for that share our opinion of this great nation and its history: Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Hear them out and judge for yourself, but don’t get bigoted and write them off simply because you perceive them as male or white. Use your noggin! It goes deeper than the flesh, my friends.And one final note – there is nothing wrong with religion. All Americans have inalienable rights endowed by the Creator, and you should thank God that our government knows that and made a contract with the people in order to protect those rights.

-Kevin R. Haughn,religious studies graduate student

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
LETTERS: 2-11-08