Redtree Times

“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.”

–Charlotte Whitton, Former Mayor of Ottawa, Canada (1963)

That statement from Charlotte Whitton, from a 1963 profile in Cananda Month magazine, is right on the money.

It is definitely not difficult for capable women to do things twice as well as men, especially the mediocre men who have somehow found their way to the top of so many state governments, not to mention the clods currently running the federal government.

Check out the image at the top for one example. It captures this election in a nutshell.

We just have to do away with the idea that even then they are still half as good.

I think we are on the way to doing just that.

I was truly excited to see the number of women, especially women of color, who won major offices in this election. Gina Hinojosa in Texas, Dr. Amy Acton in Ohio, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, Deb Haaland in New Mexico, and on and on, up and down the ballot.

I have no doubt that each will do twice as well as their predecessors. Probably three or more times as well. All are strong, capable, focused on the job at hand, and already veterans of fighting the uphill battle that is discrimination.

I, for one, am ready to give them their due now and even more so when they inevitably succeed.

Here’s a song that was huge hit for Cyndi Lauper covered here by my current musical obsession, Ren with The Big Push, the band with which he still sometimes tours, in legendary street busking session– the Red Suspender session– from a few years back. There are a number of great videos of covers and originals from this session on the streets of Brighton. I envy those lucky folks who came on this performance. The band and the crowd seem to be having fun. As it should be.