Equal Opportunity: Electing a Woman as President of the United States

Equal Opportunity: Electing a Woman as President of the United States

It's been over two hundred years since the United States was formed, and a woman has yet to be leader. American's don't really know why, either. There have been some close calls, though. As recent as 2008, Hilary Clinton was almost named the top democratic nominee, but fell short to Barack Obama. This decade hasn't really seen any awesome male presidents, so why not change it up a little? Change in the White House is imminent, and a woman may be the best fit for the job. Americans should be comfortable with the idea of a woman President: women are as smart and capable as men; many women have now had the necessary administrative experience to do the job; and, in the long run, women may be less likely to resort to violence than men.

It's ludicrous to say a man is smarter than a woman. There is no actual evidence to back this up, and it may be true that women are actually smarter than men. IQ tests have been performed to try and help determine the smarter sex, but the results have never been conclusive (Schorn). Interestingly enough, though, in 2005 for everyone 133,000 women to graduate college, only 100,000 men did (Schorn). Women have the ability to make smart decisions, just as men do. A woman just needs the chance.

With nuclear weapons becoming such a huge part of the world today, violence is the last thing any country wants to be a part of. Men have always been generalized as the more "aggressive" species, and that's not always a good thing, especially for a president. Due to their less-violent nature, very few women end up in prison. There are over two million prisoners in the United States, and only seven percent of them are women (Schorn). This is a very alarming statistic, especially since there are more women in the United States than men. A woman in the white house could prove to be better for the country, due to their less-aggressive ways.

The United States is one of few countries to not have a female at the helm. Everyone in the United States preaches equal rights for women. If this is true, then why has a female not been elected as president? We have seen many successful female leaders in third world or developing countries such as India, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines in the past (Associated Content). Margaret Thatcher was a brilliant prime minister for Great Britain, and was elected three times (Schorn). If women are capable of running much poorer, less-functional countries, then a female should be able to take charge of the United States and succeed.

Citizens of the United States claim to be ready for a female president, and more than willing to elect one. According to a CBS News poll conducted in 2006, 92 percent would vote a woman into the oval office. If this is the case, then why has it not been done yet? Women are just as capable, if not