Sisters in arms

Shannon Garrett is my hero.

As Great Lakes Regional Director for The White House Project, she walks every day onto the political battlefield and invites combatants to a neutral table, where they can learn to work out their differences in new ways.

Who does that in this country? Very, very few people are working to make us all less divisive and more productive in the political arena. That's why I've taken TWHP's mission as my model. I don't care who you are or what your opinion might be, your voice is welcome in Michigan Women's Forum.

Which brings me to Shannon, who has left me with a very difficult thought to consider.

She's asking all of us to help create a supportive environment for women in leadership. That doesn't mean agreeing with everything every woman says or voting for someone just because she's a woman.

It means not passing along jokes about women candidates or making fun of them.

It means discussing a woman's political ideas and agenda, rather than the way she dresses or to whom she is married.

It means speaking up in conversations where women candidates are ridiculed or demeaned, standing up and saying that kind of talk hurts all women and discourages women from running for office or stepping into other leadership roles.

No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, I'm sure you've seethed inside while a woman who represents your values and political beliefs is savaged in the media, insulted by pundits and colleagues alike. You've probably wondered why people care so much about her wardrobe or how much she weighs or her hairstyle, rather than what she has to say.

And you've probably pointed a finger at her political opponents or the media, blaming them for their shallow and thoughtless behavior.

The truth is, we are all the culprits in creating the kind of culture that does not sustain women leaders, even as public opinion clearly supports women's leadership.

And only we have the power to change that culture. 

--JH-G