Re: Obama, Women's Issues & Planet Earth!

I'm glad that you brought up the issue of women and Obama. In my experience, it appears to me that black women attribute much oppression to their race instead of to their gender. I recently heard an NPR radio program in which a black woman stated that racism was a far greater issue for black women to deal with than sexism, and she supported this notion by stating that when she walks into a room, people will take note of the color of her skin before they will notice that she has breasts! When I was undertaking my doctoral studies, I took a course in The Psychology of Women.

This course was a tremendous eye-opener for me regarding the manner in which women are viewed in society, and how this has a profound impact on women's psyches. This course was also a major contributing factor to why I elected to write my doctoral dissertation on images of God, and their effects on women. There was one rather vocal black woman in this course with me, and I remember clearly that she believed many of her experiences of being oppressed in a variety of ways stemmed from racism. While I certainly recognize the destructive effects of racism, I also understand that sexism is also a powerfully negative energy of which we contend with in virtually all societies, and which also impacts everybody!

So, as a white woman, why would I support a black male candidate and express the need for healing racism, instead of supporting the white female candidate? Well, one reason is that I'm simply not a big fan of Hillary's. However, there is a much deeper and more profound reason. Black women are a very powerful force to contend with! Take one look at Oprah Winfrey and the influence that she has on the American people! I said previously that the U.S. has actually already had a black and female President that no one elected into office, and that would be Oprah Winfrey! Whether you like her or not, there is no debating that she has an enormous amount of power and influence on all the American people! And black women of America have been the glue and the backbone that has largely held black families and the black community together.

It appears to me that black women are far more supportive of issues regarding race than issues regarding women. Given that many black women identify themselves by their race first, and then by their gender, this is perfectly understandable. However, there are many, many issues that black women face that are not a function of their race alone. And in order for all of us to stop the war between the genders and begin healing sexism, all women need to come together and raise their consciousness regarding their personal and collective power. As long as black women attribute all the discrimination against them as a function of racism, they will not recognize that many of their experiences are also a function of sexism.

Women endure unspeakable acts against them, and their rights are perhaps the last to be protected. Throughout history, women have been oppressed in every way possible, including the most heinous acts of torture and brutality. And it is the deep and massively penetrating impact of sexism that is also largely responsible for the manner in which we are treating this planet! Just as women are so often taken for granted for their bearing of offspring, for their nurturing, and for their providing support and healing; so, too, is this reflected in the manner in which we are treating this Mother Earth that we live upon!

So, the way that I see it, a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for the next U.S. President, and also a vote for the healing of racism, sexism, and the quality of life on our planet!
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