Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCXXV

Are we ready for a female president? Actually, I feel quite confident in saying, "Yes, we are." I think I could ask that question, and the majority of the population of our country, regardless of party affiliation, would agree. Would you feel equally as comfortable with a female doctor as you would a male? Once again, I believe most people would have a positive answer to that question as well. It hasn't always been that way, you know. Just in my lifetime there has been a one eighty shift of opinion in that regard.

I can remember when practically all of the professional positions were held by men, and that included doctors, attorneys, sales people, airline pilots, politicians, etc., but what I don't understand is how we ever got to the frame of mind that women couldn't handle those types of positions as well as men. As late as the early 1970's when I first went to work for a department store chain, even the sales representatives that were calling on us with products such as women's underwear or cosmetics were male. Was it that women didn't apply for those jobs as often; or did the companies feel that men were more knowledgeable about those intimate female products; or maybe that although women may know more about them, they felt that men were just better salesmen? I've also thought about the possibility that it may have been, in part, a confidence issue with the general public. I feel quite certain that even today that when some people step on an airplane and notice that one of the pilots is a woman, there is probably a sense of uneasiness that will come over them. Another area where public confidence may have been an issue is in the medical profession, although I feel those attitudes are rapidly changing. In the past, and even to some extent today, it was okay, and even expected, for a nurse to be female, but people wanted their surgeon to be a man.

What people didn't realize back in those days was that there was a lot of good talent that was going to waste. There's no denying that men and women are different. We have different ways at looking at the same situations...that's just a part of our natural physical makeup, but I've never seen any type of study that indicated that one sex has more brain power than the other. Here's my attitude: If I'm having surgery, I want the best doctor; if I'm flying, I want the best pilot; if I'm looking to buy a new product, I want the person who is most knowledgeable about that product; whether or not that person is male, female, black, white, Hispanic, or Asian is not an issue.

If you're the type of person who still believes that men are superior in the professional world, I can give you a prescription that I think will help you to have a change of heart. All you need is an intelligent daughter who has a lot of potential. That will give you a whole new attitude.

Preston