Deciding that matters of state are less important than Hillary Clinton’s views on love, the South Korean press corps perpetuated the alive-and-well attitude that women just don’t deserve the same respect as men when it comes to their roles in high government positions.
Clinton has been traveling abroad this past week, and, of course, has faced the requisite press corps’ questioning rituals. But, hold the phone, stop the presses, among the questions asked of the Secretary of State during press coverage in South Korea was a completely-less-than-serious question about her thoughts on the “nature of love.” You’ve got to be kidding! The question came from a “giggly” college student, but drew a tremendous amount of press attention.
In the history of our country, we have had 67 secretaries of state – 3 of whom have been women. Does anyone honestly believe that this type of question would have been asked of the likes of Colin Powell, Warren Christopher, Alexander Haig, George Schultz, or any of the other 60 male secretaries of state? Of course not!
And, Hillary, ever gracious, gave her thoughts on the world-shattering issue of the “nature of love” by discussing her relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton – which, frankly I suspect was the underlying reason for the question in the first place. Nary a day passes without some smart-ass comment, cartoon, or slam about his “sexual proclivities” even though the scandals have long passed.
Clinton joked at the start of her response that “I feel like more of an advice columnist than a Secretary of State today.” Come on people, shame on you, and, if it was a woman reporter who carried the news forward – double shame on you for trivializing the position that Hillary Clinton holds. It’s time to get serious when women hold positions of power.
Photo Credit: CBS News – Political Hotsheet
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The shifting of the issues from a focus on our global economic mess and the deteriorating state of foreign affairs to a flippant and intrusive question about the nature of love is downright demeaning. Clinton is an excellent secretary of state who is knowledgeable, intelligent, and energetic when it comes to foreign relations. To twirl off into the ethereal world of the nature of love has nothing to do with foreign affairs, but it sure has everything to do with the double standard applied to women in positions of authority.
BERRY STREET BEACON 