Newsflash: Working within the system may actually work
We have started this decade off like no other in U.S. history. With the inauguration of 44th president Barack Obama, a black man is leading America for the first time in history. With the rise of a minority to a position such as president, Obama really does give hope for anyone other than a wealthy white male. Obama’s opposing democratic candidate Hilary Clinton has also been an inspiration to women, being so successful in a male dominated government. The last few years have been all about change and hope for American citizens. One such as Betty Friedan might be excited about the future of minorities including women. Some feminists on the other hand might not be so optimistic, and for good reason.Perhaps Hillary Clinton was a part of 2nd wave feminism. After all she started her career in the late 1960s being the first student to give the commencement speech at Wellesley College. Following with Yale Law School she then became an important political figure in Arkansas. Going from First Lady of Arkansas to presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton surely has made her mark on politics as a female. What she has accomplished as a person is amazing, but has she dismantled the master’s house with the master’s tools?In Betty Friedan’s chapter she limits her audience to middle class white women. Hillary Clinton certainly fits the mold. She worked in a patriarchal society and became successful within that system. Now she along with a black president is at the top of the U.S. Government. It can only be expected that female and black citizens start to see a more equal system. The first law to help that cause was signed by Obama over a year ago, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.In 1998 Lilly Ledbetter tried suing Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for pay discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Her case was thrown out because of a small rule saying employers cannot sue after 180 days. Ledbetter had worked at a plant in Alabama for 19 years and was one of four area managers. Just before she retired she received an anonymous letter informing her of the other three male managers. Each one was making a considerable amount more than her. Ten years later the act was finally introduced and subsequently signed into law.Recent 2008 statistics show that women are only making about 77 percent of what men make. It gets worse for black women at 68 percent and even worse for Hispanic women at 58 percent. What really makes these numbers look bad is that they all went down from the previous year. Now a year later, I am very anxious to see if all that work within the system will pay off. Ledbetter worked within the system and didn’t even receive money from the government or Goodyear, just the new bill in her name. She is currently still working within the system rallying for new bills such as the Paycheck Fairness Act that would further strengthen equal pay rights.Now obviously I am fully aware of how long it takes for a president to instill his policies upon his people. There are still many promises to be kept and people to make happy. Still, in a decade full of “firsts”, for the first time ever women might actually make just as much as men. System or no system, with two people who are not white males at the top of the government there is no telling what changes we will see.http://www.ajc.com/opinion/women-still-seek-paycheck-292576.html