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While I'm still basking in the joys of Election Night, reality has set in and already I'm reminded that we the people (especially we the women) can't just vote and then forget about it. We need to keep our ears and eyes open, and our mouths too.
I've heard the chatter that Barack Obama is considering Larry Summers for Secretary of the Treasury. If he does this, if Obama appoints Larry Summers, what was promised to be an inclusive Cabinet will look a lot like the same 'ole Old Boys Club.
In case you may not recall who Larry Summers is, he is the former Harvard president who was forced to resign following his sexist remarks about women not being innately as talented as men in maths and sciences. His remarks were met by millions of dollars in donations being pulled, and a drop in female interest in attending Harvard.
My niece, for one, who can go to any university she should choose, and who also wants to study math and science, wouldn't consider Harvard over, say MIT, thanks to the remarks of Larry Summers. She even said that in visiting both universities, "MIT felt way more female-friendly than Harvard by far." For a brilliant young woman holding the #1 spot in all of her classes, a girl who accepts her countless awards in a tee-shirt reading "This Is What A Feminist Looks Like," a man like Larry Summers just seems like an ignorant, sexist loser.
Larry Summers may be a brilliant Economist, but he seems an idiot of a man, and a man women would find it hard to respect given his lack of respect for us (or for our nieces and daughters). Picking him for this post would send a message to women that Barack Obama cared about us when he was running for President and needed the votes of Hillary supporters, but not so much now that he got our votes and won the job.
I've visited Obama's transition website and have added my two-cents about this possible appointment to his "Share Your Vision" page. I encourage all women (and intelligent men) to do the same!
