Comments on the Passing of Geraldine Ferraro

Recently we lost a woman of great importance and influence.  Geraldine Ferraro was much more than just the first woman to run for Vice President.  She inspired countless women in countless ways.  Whether it was her fight against cancer, her political career, or her time spent on the U.N. Commission of Human Rights; Geraldine fought for her beliefs with a fervor everyone can learn from.  While I am old enough to remember but a shade of her run for the office of Vice President, I certainly remember the unique energy brought to the campaign simply because a woman was in the running.  I am lucky enough to live in a time where a woman’s ability to run a company or a nation is no longer as remarkable.  Just recently we saw a woman finance her own political campaign as the former owner of a EBay.  The fact that it was a woman was not the headline and I find this comforting.  Geraldine was not just a teacher, lawyer, politician, activist, assistant district attorney or broadcaster; she was a symbol of a country moving forward in its enlightenment. 

            Some people will find the painful progress of equality an issue which shows a weakness in our society.  I whole-heartily disagree.  The constant search for equality is what makes our country great.  While we should not seek to favor one portion of our citizens over another, the fact that our country constantly produces individuals who strive to bring the opportunity found in true liberty to all persons only serves to advance our country beyond the constraints of yesterday’s biases.  America will only reach this goal when we stop seeing people as men or women, black or white, gay or straight , Christian or atheist or any of the other categories we now use to segregate citizens from each other.  We ought to celebrate those who challenge injustice.  We ought to emulate those who fight for the ultimate American value of individual liberty.  We ought to honor the memory of those who have paved the road to shared prosperity.  We ought to remember Geraldine Ferraro as such a person in our nation’s history.