A Different Take On Secretary Clinton’s Africa Trip
By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on August 19, 2009 at 7:01 PM in Abuse, Africa, Bamboozling, Current Affairs, Feminism, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Aid, Foreign Policy, Gender Bias, Hoodwinking, MSM, Media Bias, Media Handling of Story, Misogyny, Obama's Broken Promises, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sexism, Washington Post, Women and Children, World News
Faithful NQ reader, CG, mentioned recently that the Washington Post actually did a very nice article on Secretary Clinton’s recent trip to Africa. Well, you coulda knocked me over with a feather. This morning, in my daily “DipBlog” from the State Department, sure enough, there it was, along with a link to an interactive map of where Secretary Clinton went (also mentioned by CG). I had a pretty painful day on Tuesday, one about which I can’t write just yet, so I appreciate CG’s heads-up, and of course, love getting my DipBlog. You can sign up, too, if you wish. Here’s the LINK to do so. It’s a cool site, with articles, videos, and of course, travel alerts and such.
Now to the article in Washington Post, “Clinton Puts Spotlight On Women’s Issues.” May I just say, before I share the article with you, that she is doing EXACTLY what she said she would do. I’m just sayin’ - she is remaining true to her principles and what she considers to be important. Unlike SOME people I could name. About time some in the MSM got the memo, but WaPo did:
She talked chickens with female farmers in Kenya. She listened to the excruciating stories of rape victims in war-torn eastern Congo. And in South Africa, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited a housing project built by poor women, where she danced with a choir singing “Heel-a-ree! Heel-a-ree!”Clinton’s just-concluded 11-day trip to Africa has sent the clearest signal yet that she intends to make women’s rights one of her signature issues and a higher priority than ever before in American diplomacy.
She plans to press governments on abuses of women’s rights and make women more central in U.S. aid programs.
But her efforts go beyond the marble halls of government and show how she is redefining the role of secretary of state. Her trips are packed with town hall meetings and visits to micro-credit projects and women’s dinners. Ever the politician, she is using her star power to boost women who could be her allies.
“It’s just a constant effort to elevate people who, in their societies, may not even be known by their own leaders,” Clinton said in an interview. “My coming gives them a platform, which then gives us the chance to try and change the priorities of the governments.”
Wow. That is quite a statement. I am glad she is doing this work abroad, for the marginalized and oppressed. Oh, how I wish she was doing it as the President (and we know she would have kept her word then, too).
But, things don’t always run smoothly, as we know:
Clinton’s agenda faces numerous obstacles. The U.S. aid system is a dysfunctional jumble of programs. Some critics may question why she is focusing on women’s rights instead of terrorism or nuclear proliferation. And improving the lot of women in such places as Congo is complicated by deeply rooted social problems.“It’s great she’s mentioning the issue,” said Brett Schaefer, an Africa scholar at the Heritage Foundation. “As to whether her bringing it up will substantially improve the situation or treatment of women in Africa, frankly I doubt it.”
Lawrence Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, said that Clinton has to tread carefully in socially conservative regions, particularly those where the U.S. military is at war. “You might be right, in the narrow sense of women in that country or region need to be empowered, but you’re saying something inimical to other U.S. interests,” he said.
Despite Clinton’s efforts to spotlight women’s issues, it was her own angry response to what she perceived as a sexist question at a town hall meeting in Congo that dominated American television coverage of her Africa trip. A student had asked for former president Bill Clinton’s opinion on a local political issue — “through the mouth of Mrs. Clinton.” Snapped Hillary Clinton: “My husband is not the secretary of state. I am.”
Clinton is not the first female secretary of state, but neither of her predecessors had her impact abroad as a pop feminist icon. On nearly every foreign trip, she has met with women — South Korean students, Israeli entrepreneurs, Iraqi war widows, Chinese civic activists. Clinton mentioned “women” or “woman” at least 450 times in public comments in her first five months in the position, twice as often as her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice.
And that is why it still shocks me that women who consider themselves feminists, and womens organizations, did not wholeheartedly throw their support behind Hillary Clinton, rather going for the young, inexperienced man. Clinton is not new to this issue, and doesn’t just pay lip service to it, either:
Clinton’s interest in global women’s issues is deeply personal, a mission she adopted as first lady after the stinging defeat of her health-care reform effort in 1994. For months, she kept a low profile. Then, in September 1995, she addressed the U.N. women’s conference in Beijing, strongly denouncing abuses of women’s rights. Delegates jumped to their feet in applause.“It was a transformational moment for her,” said Melanne Verveer, who has worked closely with Clinton since her White House days.
Clinton began traveling the world, highlighting women’s issues. She gradually built a network of female activists, politicians and entrepreneurs, especially through a group she helped found, Vital Voices, that has trained more than 7,000 emerging leaders worldwide. She developed a following among middle-class women in male-dominated countries who devoured her autobiography and eagerly watched her presidential run.
“She might not be having the same restrictions as we have, but she has had restrictions — and she’s moving on. That’s a symbol to us,” said Tara Fela-Durotoye, a businesswoman in Abuja, Nigeria.
Clinton’s legacy is evident in such places as the Victoria Mxenge housing development outside Cape Town, South Africa, a dusty sprawl of small, pastel-colored homes she championed as first lady. When her bus rolled into the female-run project during her trip, a joyful commotion broke out. Women in purple and yellow gowns lined the streets, waving wildly.
Huh. How does this match with the rhetoric spewed by Obama about Hillary Clinton and her work abroad? Does the expression, “Liar, liar, pants on fire” mean anything to you? And yet, people bought his words, hook, line, and sinker. I wonder how they’re feeling now, especially when they read what the effects of her work are, discernible, and quantifiable:
A youth choir swayed outside a community center decorated with photos of Clinton on her previous visits to the project, which has grown to 50,000 houses. Clinton vowed in a major policy address last month to make women the focus of U.S. assistance programs. The idea is applauded by development experts, who have found that investing in girls’ education, maternal health and women’s micro-finance provides a powerful boost to Third World families.Ritu Sharma, president of the anti-poverty group Women Thrive Worldwide, said she already sees the results of Clinton’s efforts in the bureaucracy. When Sharma’s staff recently attended a meeting about a new agricultural aid program, she said, one State Department official joked, “We have to integrate women — or we’re going to be fired.”
Still, Sharma questioned whether the program would succeed in reaching poor women, especially given the weaknesses in U.S. foreign assistance.
“There’s a lot of healthy skepticism about ‘Will it really happen?’ ” she said.
In a sign of the priority she gives to the issue, Clinton has appointed her close friend Verveer as the State Department’s first global ambassador for women’s affairs.
“She will permeate the State Department, as I want her to, with what we should be doing about empowering and focusing on women across the board,” Clinton said.
This reminds me - do you remember that Obama has a school named after him in Kenya? You know, the one to which he has given not one thin dime? Uh, yeah. Who walks the walk here? Clearly, it’s Hillary:
One issue Verveer has been concerned about is violence against women, particularly the stunningly high number of rapes in eastern Congo. Last week, Clinton, Verveer and the delegation boarded U.N. planes to visit the remote, impoverished region and meet with rape victims. Clinton pressed the Congolese president to prosecute offenders and offered $17 million in new assistance for victims.“Raising issues like the ones I’ve been raising on this trip to get governments to focus on them, to see they’re not sidelined or subsidiary issues, but that the U.S. government at the highest levels cares about them, is important,” she said. “It changes the dynamic within governments.”
Clinton’s efforts are being reinforced by a White House women’s council and a Congress with a growing number of powerful female members. One sign of that: Aid dedicated to programs for Afghan women and girls increased about threefold this year, to $250 million, because of lawmakers such as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who was recently named head of the first Senate subcommittee on global women’s issues, and Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations.
It is striking how much time Clinton dedicates to women’s events on her trips, even ones that receive little public attention. In South Africa, a clearly delighted Clinton spent 90 minutes at the housing project, twice as long as she met with South Africa’s president. “It feeds my heart,” she explained. “Which is really critical to me personally since a lot of what I do as secretary of state is very formalistic. It’s meetings with other officials.”
“It is striking how much time Clinton dedicates to women’s events on her trips, even ones that receive little public attention.” Because she doesn’t do it for the publicity, she does it because it is the RIGHT thing to do!! That is another big, huge, difference between Hillary Clinton and other politicians. She does a LOT of things about which people don’t know (as in, not publicized in the media) because she actually, genuinely cares about people.
And that is why she will always be my hero - because she cares, because she SHOWS she cares, and because she brings action to her words. I think we could use a whole lot more of that from our elected officials, don’t you?
If you wish to see where Secretary Clinton went, and what she did, click on this link: Secretary of State Clinton’s Africa Travels - Interactive Map
(Release: November 13)
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I want Hillary! What a woman!
Great article Amy. Thanks.
I had an immediate comment on skimming the article–will come back to read it more closely later. A few years ago when I still received a history magazine, I remember reading a commentary from a military person whose main contention was that until we push women’s issues, we will not get peace. I wish I could remember the article or the name of the person who wrote it. It seemed so logical to me at the time, I thought everyone would agree. How can pushing was is right be against our best interests?
Fox News has a poll asking whether or not you think Hillary is being marginalized.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/08/19/hillary-marginalized/
Without a doubt, Terry, the comments on that poll as to whether or not HRC is being marginalized were nothing short of revolting. The blatant ignorance of that group was overwhelming.
What an excellent article and post. Thank-you. I completely agree with your last paragraph about how she acts in complete accordance with her words.
It’s what she has that B0 lacks: integrity.
I really can’t think of any gift that would mean much to Bill Clinton on his birthday today. After all, he’s got Hillary, and there’s no-one of better caliber than she.
Sigh…
Notice the women in Africa understand Hillary has had restrictions placed on her but NOW couldn’t get the clue.
““She might not be having the same restrictions as we have, but she has had restrictions — and she’s moving on. That’s a symbol to us,” said Tara Fela-Durotoye, a businesswoman in Abuja, Nigeria.”
And thanks for sharing the article RRRA and CG it is nice to know there are 50,000 houses, among other successes, as a result of her efforts.
Interesting that Sen. Barbara Boxer was named *Head* of the first Senate subcommittee on global women’s issues. What? The woman who has such sympathy for all the horrible plights of women in third world countries, but who remained stunningly ‘uncommitted’ and mute when a brilliant woman colleague of hers in the Senate of our country ran a tough campaign for POTUS and endured horrific disrespect, sexism and misogyny.
This is the best they can do from the President’s council on women’s issues? Who are they kidding? I’m telling you, women in general just don’t get sexism and disrespect. They prefer partisanship. How can we ever hope to win this battle when we have women working against women and feel somehow superior for it????
don’t you know, Fran, women’s rights just aren’t cooool. Hillary fights for them anyway, while women like Boxer take their thirty pieces of silver and stab their sisters in the back.
Nicely put…I used to have respect for Boxer, too. No more. Gosh, I hope she loses her seat (never thought I’d say that - I have made contributions to her campaign before. Hope she’s not counting on getting THAT money again…).
Well put.
It preserves Boxer’s seat at the table, she thinks, to act this way. She was a disgrace during the primary with her deafening silence.
I know many who can’t wait to vote her out.
And, if that wasn’t bad enough, after the disasterous 2008 presidential campaign, Boxer was asked if she thought sexism played any role in the 2008 election cycle and had she herself ever experienced sexism. Astonishingly, her answer was, “No” to both questions.
I would imagine that Hillary and Sarah would beg to differ. Barbara Boxer deserves to be defeated by Carly Fiorina.
Integrity,Inteligence,Strength,Courage,
Leadership…………………….Should have been our president, I don’t think healthcare would be mismanaged like it is now. She sticks to her principles,whether its women’s issues,fisa,healthcare and all those other issues that have been abandoned.
She is a smart one our Hillary! I believe she realizes, that the only way to get womens rights to be the law of the land here, is to ensure it becomes the norm everywhere. It sadly is a historical lesson we seem not to have learned very well. Slavery was outlawed in England in 1774, and in all British colonies in 1833. It took another 32 years before it happened here with the ratification of the 13th Amendment.
The first woman to be elected to lead a nation, was in 1960 in Sri Lanka…yet it has taken until just this year to finally have a woman in the Government of Monaco. Thankfully there are no nations left that have had no women in government, Monaco was the last!
I would like to hear Hillary Clinton speak out against the FGM that is going on right here in the USA…including Minneapolis:
http://www.limitstogrowth.org/
In the U.S. immigrant community, an estimated 160,000 girls and women have been subjected to some form of female circumcision or are at risk of it, according to a recent report from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. Because the practice is shrouded in secrecy and against the law, there is little documentation of its occurrence in this country. Twin Cities researchers say they have heard second- and third-hand accounts of women taking their daughters to Africa, Europe or Toronto, where there is a large Somali population, for circumcision.
A 1994 Minnesota law bans female circumcision except for medical reasons. It sprung up after a young immigrant girl was taken to a Twin Cities hospital with severe bleeding after being circumcised, according to information from the office of Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul, the law’s author.
“People aren’t going to talk about female genital mutilation here, where it’s illegal,” says Yohannes, who researched the practice as part of her college studies. “That’s one of the reasons it’s going to be hard to enforce the law, because people will do it undercover. The main issue is not that it prevents sexual pleasure, but that kids are hurt and can die from it. So the best thing to do is to educate people about the dangers.”
Clash of cultures
The most common form of female circumcision is clitorectomy, removal of all or part of the clitoris, a procedure that usually leaves a woman unable to achieve orgasm. In a more invasive procedure, all or part of the inner labia also is removed.
Much more radical is infibulation, which includes sewing the outer labia together, leaving a single, small opening — often the size of a straw — through which urine and menstrual blood must pass. The practice leads to bladder and kidney infections, causes pain during menstruation and sexual intercourse and heightens pain during childbirth.
Infibulation is done on nine out of 10 women in Somalia, from where about 12,000 people have recently immigrated to the Twin Cities.
This stuff outrages me. There aren’t even words.
Ditto, Lorac. And I find it almost as sickening that some people spout BS about its being a ‘cultural issue’ that should be respected as such. Women’s rights are human rights, and this is human rights abuse. I wonder if anyone would be claiming the ‘cultural’ defence if it was young boys having their penises removed?
Perhaps we need to humiliate these bastages into stopping this BS! Start informing people the true reason behind it is that they are not “large” enough or skilled enough as a man to please a woman. So they encourage this to prevent these women from realizing just how less than a man they are…
RRRAmy, there is also a new New York Times Magazine, the issue is titled,
“Why Women’s Rights Are the Cause of Our Time,” — global women’s rights…
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html
There are many articles including one with Hillary,
A New Gender Agenda INTERVIEW [with Hillary Clinton] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23clinton-t.html?ref=magazine&pagewanted=print
The Women’s Crusade
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html#
and more
Dang, CG - I can’t keep up with you!
Thank you for the links. I assure you, they are much appreciated!
She really is remarkable - and these are the things she has been able to accomplish WITH restrictions imposed on her. The mind boggles at what she COULD accomplish, doesn’t it?
Great comments, everyone!
And thanks!
CG, I have had a chance now to go look, and read some. Again, thank you.
What irritates the bejesus out of me, though, is that during the Primary, when Obama was making dismissive comments abt Clinton going to these countries and basically just having little tea parties, where was the NY Times??? No one corrected him in the MSM. They allowed, and PRINTED without correction (or not much) his INCREDIBLY sexist depictions of her work. Here she has done SO much for women in Africa and around the world, and they helped to frame it as nothing more than “tea parties.”
And what the hell has HE done? Nothing. He cannot even be bothered to support the school that bears his name, for cryin’ out loud.
So, great that they are finally getting around to acknowledging this issue, and the work Clinton has done for DECADES in this area. “Better late than never” is still up for debate, IMHO…
Well Amy, it’s convenient for the Times to acknowledge it now — when it’s too late to do anything about the primary.
RRRAmy, it really irritates me too. To this day I can hear Olbermann, Matthews, Cafferty, and other Obama campaign media surrogates belittle Hillary’s experience and equivocate… This was no accidental malevolence. Anyway that’s why I was angry when I read on the news feed on the right that Hillary leaned on Obama’s heritage and celebrity in Africa, as if, when in fact the Clintons have spent so much time in Africa, even before Obama was Illinois’ senator. I’ve had it up to here with the media, but I do like to point to an article on Hillary when it is fair, even if it is a little critical, rather than all the junk that deliberately poisons the air.
RRR Amy—Thanks so much for the great post about that fantastic woman, Hill.
And p.s…..keep an eye on that Hurricane (Bill) Hope it totally misses the East coast.
Stay safe!
Well, now that I’ve had time to go back and actually read this post, I need to say thanks! And thanks for the links, CG.
Now should we all appoint a time and synchronize our watches and go out in the streets and start shouting:
Thanks so much RRRAmy!
Hillary - a leader and a public servant. The rarest of the rare breeds. She impresses me every time!
Hillary is fantastic.
It’s so much easier to remain true to your principles when you have some.
Barbara Boxer lost my vote when she failed to commit to Hillary even though her State did.
my congresswoman (stephanie herseth -SD) voted for Obama even after south dakota went for hillary by 10 points. are the words treasonous whore too strong?
“…are the words treasonous whore too strong?”
NO!
Forbes list of 100 Most Powerful Women has
Nancy Pelosi at 35,
Hillary Clinton at 36,
Michelle Obama at 40,
Oprah at 41,
Queen Elizabeth at 42,
Angela Merkel at 1, and
Sheila Bair at 2.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/11/power-women-09_The-100-Most-Powerful-Women_Rank.html
hmm
I agree CG - hmmm!
We all voted for change we can believe in.
If we don’t get it, we’ll get some more change in 2010
That’s what Howard Dean said regarding health care…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081901773.html
How sorry is Howard that he helped rig the primary?
After all he did to get this neophyte elected, I keep hoping that Howard Dean is so outraged for being passed over by 0zero that he will write that tell-all book.
In spite of what we all know to be the most fraudulent presidential campaign ever, it is disgusting to continually hear republican pundits and the likes of FoxNews anchors STILL preface their negative comments with either, “0bama ran the most brilliant campaign in history” or “0bama is a brilliant speaker”. How can they be that clueless about this very ordinary man?
We all voted for change we can believe in.
If we don’t get it, we’ll get some more change in 2010
That’s what Howard Dean said regarding health care…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081901773.html
How sorry is Howard that he helped rig the primary?
P.S. - Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
So sorry to hear you had a tough Tuesday. We love you! You make such a great contribution with all your articles, and it is much appreciated.
Oh, thank you so much, Margaret. I really appreciate that. I will try and write abt it this weekend…
You are very kind - thank you!
I couldn’t find a place to post this…so out of desperation…am posting it here. I only saw this report a few days ago when TheRealObama website came back online.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13827
She is served by twenty-six attendants, including a hair dresser and make-up artist.
The annual cost to taxpayers for such unprecedented attention is approximately $1,750,000 without taking into account the expense of the lavish benefit packages afforded to every attendant.
Little did American voters realize the call for “change” would result in the establishment of an Obama oligarchy.
The discovery of the additional attendants was made by D’Angelo Gore of factcheck.org and by calls to Katie McCormick Lelyyeld, Michelle Obama’s press secretary.
Mr. Gore launched his investigation of the First Lady’s staff in the wake of an article that appeared on thelastcrusade.org and Canada Free Press on July 7.
The article, which became a chain letter viewed by millions of Americans, reported that Michelle Obama requires more than twenty attendants - - more than any First Lady in U.S. History. It provided the following list of White House staff members assigned to the First Lady:
1. $172,2000 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $102,000 - Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina, David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $65,000 - Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $60,000 - Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. $45,000 - Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $36,000 - Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $36,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
Readers throughout the country expressed outrage that Mrs. Obama would hire an unprecedented number of staffers in the midst of the Great Recession.
NOTE: HILLARY CLINTON HAD A STAFF OF 13…1/2 OF MO’s!
“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the
oppressed.” –Steve Biko
HOLY CRAP, Barb! You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!!!! This is just outrageous. I mean, I think we knew it was coming - when all of the talk of Michelle getting paid to First Lady started, we knew we were going to be bankrolling her in a big way, but this is just shocking.
I am sure they frame it as “putting Americans to work.” Sheesh.
Correction, the site that carried article on MO’s large staff was:
http://www.theobamafile.com/ObamaLatest.htm
Just so you know, Truthorfiction.com has a clarification on this: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/michelle-obama-staff.htm
Rev Amy, hope things get better. As always, appreciate your posts but hope things are better for your family.
Thanks so much, Eddie. I’m not intentionally trying to be vague - just hard to write abt yet. Thanks for the support. It warms my heart.
RRRAmy, can you do me a big favor? I wrote to SunPC about this from a previous time but now I see a repeat of the situation above and maybe if you wouldn’t mind checking into I would appreciate it.
The comment at Comment by CG | 2009-08-20 07:50:59 is not mine, someone has copied my previous comment, added “P.S. - Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!” and included a URI with my user name.
Can you check what email address has been used with this message. It is annoying that this person has assumed my identity (twice now), copies my message and then adds “P.S. - Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!”. Why doesn’t the person just use his/her own user name with URI link to spam and add an original message of his/her own rather than pose as me. Thanks, sorry if it is too much a bother.
Hope all is well, I’ll tune in this weekend with a compassionate heart.
Which Advisor was supposed to suggest inviting the two women to the white house for tea, instead of the beer party that was held.
Time to get another advisor.
Hillary continues to do what she said she would so. It’s too bad she has to do it for an idiot like Obama
Rev: How I wish I could pull aside columnists Ellen Goodman & Maureen Dowd and help them see that Hillary’s “channeling” response to the press conference questioner was not related to her husband’s successful N. Korea mission. That’s such a narrow understanding. A petty one. One similar to what dumb 7th-grade girls make when bickering over boyfriend jealousy. (Incidentally, I’m mom of a smart 7th-grade girl.) A more informed and mature understanding of Hillary’s response would be to acknowledge the painful truth that it’s because patriarchal cultures (USA included) value women based on how they are related to men that she rightfully took humbrage. It didn’t have to do with her high-profile marriage, as dumb Dowd, has some neurotic need for it to be. Go Hillary!
There is a new article at People.com
What I Saw in Goma
By Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20299698,00.html