Questions for Michelle

January 22, 2009

Joe says I’m beautiful. But I’ve never thought of myself as pretty. A girl who is not, in the traditional sense, pretty, has to work eight times harder to have value in this society. I have spent my life in the fact that girls who are “pretty” by society’s standards, get more privileges, and to get those privileges, all they have to do is just --be pretty. A girl who isn’t pretty by society’s standards doesn’t get noticed, no matter how smart or talented she is.

What brought this all to mind is, the Inauguration. Yesterday was a historic day in our nation; we inaugurated our 44th president, and the first black president, Barack Obama. The only thing the news and blogs mention about the First Lady, Michelle Obama, is what she’s wearing. What designer. What color. What style. That is what gets a woman noticed. That is what gives a woman value in our society, what she wears.

No mention is made at all about what kind of person she is, how smart or talented she is, or what she can actually CONTRIBUTE to our nation. There is talk about her being the next Jackie O. I don’t doubt Michelle Obama is an intelligent, educated lady. I also don’t doubt that she’ll have her own agendas and programs to better our country. But you know what? She probably wouldn’t have the visibility to accomplish what she is capable of, without her husband being president. Women are still identifying themselves in terms of men.

What did Women’s Lib do for us? Women burned their bras and their steno pads. And yet, here in the 21st century, more women are in clerical, administrative assistant jobs than are in “professional” jobs. In the sixties we denounced our femininity, yet here and now, many women dress to draw attention to their bodies. Not saying that anything is wrong with that – If you got it, flaunt it! But not all of us “got it.”

Here are some questions for Michelle (I don’t care what she’s wearing):

*Why did you choose Harvard Law and why is your chosen profession important to you?

*What causes are important to you and how would you make the world a better place?

*What advice would you give to mothers of young children, or to the young women of today?

*What sort of role model do you wish to portray to the young women of today?

*What kind of wife are you? What do you believe a wife’s role is? How would you encourage women to be better wives?

*What were your parents like? What was your upbringing like? What values did you learn from her parents?

*What are your views on the world your daughters are growing up in?

*In your opinion, what values are important to be a “young lady” in today’s society?

*What involvements or interests do you have in the arts? (music, theatre, museums, art, etc)

*Do your daughters have chores? Are they expected to make their beds, do dishes, take out the trash, vaccuum the livingroom floor? Are they learning to cook, iron, do laundry, keep and decorate a home, handle money wisely, shop for groceries, plan meals?

Answers to these questions would tell volumes more about what the First Lady can offer our country, than how she chooses her wardrobe.