I'm always rather nervous about how you talk about women who are active in politics, whether they want to be talked about as women or as politicians.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the challenges and considerations in discussing women in politics, particularly their identity as both women and politicians.
John F. Kennedy's quote highlights the complexity surrounding the discourse on women in politics. It suggests that there is a delicate balance in acknowledging their gender while also recognizing their professional roles as politicians. This highlights the broader issue of gender representation in leadership positions, where the way women are discussed can influence public perception and their acceptance as equals in political spheres.
In practice
During a talk on gender equality, I referenced Kennedy's quote to underscore the need for nuanced conversations about women in leadership.
The great battleground for the defense and expansion of freedom today is the whole southern half of the globe... the lands of the rising peoples. Their revolution is the greatest in human history. They seek an end to injustice, tyranny and exploitation. More than an end, they seek a beginning.
I had always enjoyed the title of Commander-in-Chief until I was informed ... that the only forces that cannot be transferred from Washington without my express permission are the members of the Marine Corps Band. Those are the only forces I have. I want it announced that we propose to hold the White House against all odds at least for some time to come.
I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women - not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.
I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy; Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.
Democracy is an imperfect way of steering between the violence of anarchy and the violence of tyranny, with the least violence you can get away with.
Policy makers who have never served in the military continue to use the military to lead social change in this country.
If Obama's enormous symbolic power draws primarily from being the country's first black president, it also draws from his membership in hip-hop's foundational generation.
It is a fine game to play - the game of politics - and it is well worth waiting for a good hand before really plunging.
Theodore Roosevelt's policy to build a two-ocean navy confirmed that the old-style isolationism of the founders had not survived the modern, increasingly globalized world.
I don't think it's at all weakening of the system if people with the same last name put themselves forward to the electorate, when their experiences, their character, and in my case, gender, may be different.
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