Vote against Obama would hurt women

Jean Alberti (Fence Post, May 11) is upset with women who are voting for Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race for the presidential nomination. American history supports her when she writes, "Like the world for tens of thousands of years, since Eve was created from Adam's rib, women still are second."

Black men got the right to vote in 1870 with the 15th Amendment, 50 years before women got the right to vote in America with the 19th Amendment. It is very likely that an African-American man will be president of the United States before a woman. However, Jean should be blaming the Book of Genesis for a woman's second class citizenship before she blames either Obama or women who voted for him in the primaries.

The Democrats began this process with seven candidates, all of whom would be far superior presidents to the current occupant of the White House. As the five white men dropped out of the race, we Democrats were blessed with two excellent candidates to choose between. Since neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton have any control over their respective age, race or gender, Democrats must vote based on criteria other than those factors. To vote for a candidate solely on an accident of birth diminishes your vote. Character, judgment, likability, electability, ability to unite the country, ability to bring real change and other factors should be weighed before casting a vote.

The media would love it if we all voted by our categories; older white women, educated white men, Hispanic, black, etc. We would play right into their hands if we slice and dice ourselves.

As voters in November, we have to determine which candidate we believe can best begin to solve the problems our country faces. If Jean and other Clinton supporters withhold their vote for Obama in November to either punish him or his women supporters because of his gender, they will be aiding Sen. McCain, who has a proven anti-feminist record. President McCain would not hesitate to put an anti-choice justice on the Supreme Court.

Yes, America's past has been hard on women, but a vote against Obama will make the future of American women, your daughters and granddaughters, much harder.

Diane Niesman

Wheaton