Yet, she persisted. Warren set an example other women will follow.
This month we celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8th. I was pleased that our son called to wish me well. And I read a great article that day in the online New York Times edition entitled, “This International Women’s Day, Read Ten Empowering Stories from Around the Globe.”
The article described women who are taking action in their lives to fight for gender equality and justice. Homeless single mothers in Oakland founded “Homes 4 Housing.” A young woman in Mexico became a professional boxer and encouraged younger women to join the sport. These are just two examples of women who should inspire us.
I was also inspired by the women running for President of the United States this time around.
Last summer as the race was heating up, I ran into a woman at a Gig Harbor grocery store whom I’d met during the 2016 presidential campaign. In 2016, she was an avid Bernie Sanders supporter. This time she was torn between Bernie and Elizabeth Warren, the senator from Massachusetts, and said that she felt Elizabeth was better than Bernie at reaching people and explaining her progressive policies. Warren was compassionate and committed to raising people up, doing selfies and meeting young girls backstage to “pinkie swear” to follow their dreams.
Goodbye to all that
Now the Democrats are saying goodbye to Warren, who ended her campaign March 5th. She was the last competitive woman running for president. Warren was flying high in the fall until during a debate she wasn’t able to immediately give a precise answer when questioned about Medicare for All. She took another hit when folks believed Bernie over her in the he said/she said donnybrook about Bernie supposedly telling her that a woman couldn’t beat Trump. This controversy served to amplify that question, and the definitive answer folks gave was a resounding no, as evidenced by Warren’s lackluster showing in the primaries. I find that baffling after watching her single-handedly eviscerate Michael Bloomberg in the February 19th debate.
Elizabeth isn’t alone. She joins all of the other women who have ended their campaigns, including Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar. Had any of those women achieved the nomination I would have supported them.
When Warren dropped out. I felt like dropping out too, forgetting about politics, paying no attention to or supporting any politician. It reminded me of how I felt when Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the democratic primaries back in 2008. But I got over it, and actively campaigned for him.
Madame Curie paved the way
During this busy period of debates, caucuses and primaries, I’ve been reading the book “Madame Curie, a biography,” by author Eve Curie, Marie’s daughter. Born in Poland in 1867, Marie Curie became one of the most celebrated scientists of the twentieth century, winning two Nobel prizes, one in chemistry, the other in physics. Yet, she too was treated as less than the males in her field. It wasn’t until much later in her life that she was recognized for the real genius that she was.
One period of her life that I found fascinating was her relentless effort to help the wounded during World War I. Often on her own, endangering her life, she drove a converted van with x-ray machinery to the front, where doctors were able to save lives by using x-rays to precisely locate and remove shrapnel and bullets. For that compassionate work alone, she deserved respect.
Marie Curie persisted, as every woman should, whether her field of endeavor is in science, politics, writing, athletics, academia or any pursuit. I hope those little girls who pinkie-swore with Elizabeth will not only persist but succeed.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 12:00 AM.