I’m an undecided voter. Although the end is near, and many other undecideds have started to commit, I am just not there. And that’s probably been a good thing, due to my position on this paper. However, what I have yet to understand is the way so many, whether it be the media or regular people, treat Sarah Palin just because she’s a female.Since the time McCain chose her, she has been under the attack. I’m not referring to normal political attack. By all means if she has done something wrong in that arena go ahead, bomb away. I’m referring to attacking her looks. It’s just ridiculous that in this day and age no matter how successful a woman gets, she gets reduced down to what she looks like. Even if Hillary Clinton is brought into this discussion, even she was attacked for how she looked, but usually for the opposite reason, which is still wrong.

During this campaign there have been photos of her in a bikini. (How fake the photos are I don’t know, but I’m sure plenty if not all of them were fake.) Why hasn’t the same been done of Barak Obama? Many, I’m sure, find him attractive, and he is pretty fit. So why not post him in Speedos?

I’m sure that’s because many would see that as inappropriate or disrespectful. I’m not sure why this doesn’t hold true for Palin.

I guess our society isn’t ready to see a woman with so much power. So, instead, we degrade her by making her out to be nothing more than a beauty queen. However, I have news for you. Women are not just for looks anymore, and honestly women haven’t ever been. We are so much more than trophy wives or fancy armpieces. We are reformers.

Here is a little bit of history for you. Long before women could vote, long before they had a voice, they changed this country. Many women, some in the middle and upper classes, were the ones to fight against slavery. Those women were instrumental in ending slavery and pushing for the right for black men to vote. Seems typical of women, spending so much time fighting for others, but denying themselves. I’m not saying that it was wrong for them to fight for abolishing slavery, it absolute wasn’t. I am saying that women commonly put others ahead of themselves. Whether it be children, lovers or friends, they seem to be always putting someone else first.

Fast forward to today. We could have had the opportunity to have the first woman ever to run for president. But that didn’t happen, maybe because we aren’t ready. So, we sneak her in as a running mate, possible vice president. But that can’t be either, can it? No, we don’t care about her credentials. We don’t care about her track record. No, what matters is what she looks like. “She is just a cheerleader,” some say. Or others just place those photos I talked about before up on the Internet. Still others look at those photos or paint “sexy” photos on the wall of their establishment. (Someone did this at a bar.)

And we women don’t help. We can be our own worst enemies sometimes. Instead of taking a stand that demands respect of all women, whether we agree with them politically or not, we get catty. My fellow women, let me tell you a secret: This is what men want us to do! Think about it, united we stand, divided we fall. Which way do you think they want us?

For centuries men have had the wherewithal to know that if they stand together, they can have power. This is why it’s catastrophic when women are catty. Don’t you see, when we are busy fighting, we stay divided. However, when women have come together to demand changes, changes were made.

This isn’t about party lines. I don’t care about Republican or Democrat, I’m talking about women respecting women and demanding the same from men. I’m not even saying to vote for McCain, just because of Palin (but please vote for someone). She will not be the last female to run for Vice President, nor was Hillary Clinton the last female to run for President, at least let’s hope not.

I’m saying that women need to stand together and demand that those women who do run are allowed to run with the same respect and dignity that men have been allowed to run with.

Of course in politics there is mud slinging. Let them sling mud, but let’s not ask the girls to mud wrestle.

There may be a million reasons not to like Palin, or even Clinton (Hillary) for that matter. Let’s just hate them for being politicians (that’s reason enough), not because of their looks, or worse yet, because they’re women. Although there have been improvements, there is still enough we have to overcome, without making it worse for ourselves.

They say history repeats itself. If there is any truth in that statement, then I guess it isn’t our time. Black men were allowed to vote before women had that right. I just hope it won’t take the same hundred years after the first black president for a woman to make it into the White House.