Dear Hillary Clinton

Dear Hillary Clinton,


Let's talk about you. Not the man who you competed against in this election. For there has been far too much attention directed at him. We seem to have forgotten that despite your loss, you still have had a tremendous effect on this nation.

Thank you for your dedication to this country, for your commitment to serving the needs of families, and for your diplomacy as Secretary of State. With a media culture that thrives off of scandal and negative rhetoric, we often forget the good you have done for this nation. Sure, you've had your missteps. In over 40 years of public service you are bound to. But that doesn't diminish your resounding successes.

After all was said and done, people wanted to place the blame somewhere. Sometimes, fingers were pointed at you. Other times, people wanted to hold the DNC, the FBI, the Electoral College, the far-left Bernie-bros, or the media accountable for the outcome of this election. But the only thing we can blame is our ignorance. We failed to realize how deeply entrenched racism, sexism, and (perhaps most importantly) disenfranchisement, are in much of the country's mindsets. I was living in my liberal bubble, and so were you.

Though I fully supported you throughout the election, I must admit I had a problem with the whole "email scandal" (if we could even call it that). No- I wasn't one of the "lock her up!" folks, coming at you with torches and pitchforks. I did my research, and I made my judgements. Indeed, the media promoted a false narrative that was at once poorly timed, and perhaps unethical. However, much of the country was understandably troubled by this issue. You were so assured that you were in the right (you were), that you failed to ever fully explain the situation to a nation that had so many doubts.

You fought with confidence, fending off tough questions with poise and grace. And for that, I greatly admire you. But for others, your poker-face gave them more reason to be hateful. Criticisms came flying at you left and right, accusing you of being emotionless and cold.

For us women, this is an entirely familiar story. Politics has been dominated by men for so long that any woman who wants to throw her hat in the ring must play by their rules. It's a man's world, and women are simply living in it. Women must take charge, without being too bossy; be serious on the issues, but also smile enough. We carry the weight of these conflicting expectations no matter what position of power we choose to go after- lest we be dissuaded by those same unattainable standards, ultimately giving up in this seemingly futile battle. As my mother always says, women have to work at least twice as hard to go half as far as men do.

At the end of the day, we have to to realize that the reason that in over 200 years of our existence as a country we have never had a female president is not because women don't want to be in positions of power. It is because the political world was largely created by men, and continues to systematically work against women, discouraging them from participating in politics. After all, we do account for more than half of the American population.

Despite my nihilism, though, I say enough. This election, and your role in it, has taught me that we need more women in politics. And we need more minorities in politics, too. We need more diverse voices to be heard in order to cater to the needs of everyone. That's not to say that one has to be a woman or a minority to work in the best interests of oppressed groups; but it sure doesn't help that our presidents have had largely similar backgrounds over the last two centuries.

Hillary, it was a hard-fought battle. But know that you never failed us. Your loss only further exposed the great strides that women still have to take in order to have their voices heard. That women continue to be defined by their husbands. That women are still subject to criticism for their looks, despite their actions. That even one of the most iconic, powerful figures (man or woman) in American politics can't escape the micro-aggressions that come with the package of being a woman.

With your immense passion and dedication for this country, I know that this certainly won't be your last stand. You will emerge again as one of our country's greatest leaders, no matter what role you take. You won't give up on us, so we won't give up on you.

With utmost respect,

Leda