Are We Really Ready for a Yankee Woman President?

With Labor Day around the corner in this very special year for us all,  a woman may be about to become president of the major world player in the game of power, according to U.S. News and World Report.
“Grammy, if Hillary Clinton is president, can we visit her house?”  6-year-old, precocious Sara looked at the elegant furniture and art in An Invitation to the White House, the glossy photo book about Hillary Clinton on my coffee table.  “It is a really big house. Does she live there now?”
“No, but she may move back in soon.  And yes, I will do everything in my power to make sure we visit the White House if Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman president of the United States. I promise.”    
“Grammy, do you want her to be president?  “How DO kids intuit the exact question to ask?
“Sara, I really want her to be president. When I was growing up, women did not earn as much as men doing the same job. I was not allowed to even think of going to medical school; that was only for boys.
“In college, many of my closest friends wanted to graduate from college with their “Mrs.” degree and never planned to work after they married. My father thought my best “career” was to marry a man who could support me while I stayed home and took care of babies. “
“But Grammy, you work. Your job is to help make people happier, right?” 
“Sara, I have always been stubborn. Do you know what that means?”
“Sure. Sometimes Mommy says I am stubborn.”
I smiled. My winsome granddaughter was right on target, as she so often is.  “Well, Sara, sometimes you just have to be stubborn to make good things happen in our world.  And I bet Hillary Clinton has had to be pretty stubborn to get this far because some people in our country might not want her to be president.”
“Like who, Grammy?  Why not? That is weird.  She is really strong!”
I loved where this conversation was going.  I loved that Sara could not know how impossible it would have been for a woman to be considered for president half a century ago.
I loved that our country will just have to deal with this reality very soon if we are very lucky. “Sara, remember when we visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall last year?”
As a Philadelphian near Society Hill, the world of American History is literally in my backyard, and Sara and sister Ava know it well.
“Sara, sooo many people around the world think it odd if a woman is president. Did you know that the Constitution that was signed right here at Independence Hall (it was the  Pennsylvania State House) says that the president is supposed to be the commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States? And some people believe that women were built to have babies but are not strong enough to go to war and serve our country fighting for our freedom. So they would never put a woman commander in chief. Does that make sense?”
“No, Grammy, I am really strong and so is Ava. And you are a strong Grammy! You swim, and you bike and you do training!”
I just love Sara, not much gets past her.  I decided not to push the history lesson too far, and we transitioned to GoGhurt and play with the dollhouse.
But the brief talk got me thinking. Simply stated, some folks think that women are not good at helping us work internationally and could not handle our business deals with other countries.
The president of the United States meets with leaders all over the world. Many countries still keep women inferior to men.
So if a woman leads us and the other world leaders do not value women as leaders, our own United States could be in trouble by electing a leader that others do not respect, simply because she is a woman.
Even worse, in our own country, we don’t elect as many women as our leaders as men. This entire area is worth of focused attention in an ongoing manner.
However, the overall progress of gender equality here in the land of the free and the brave is hopeful, very hopeful. When I was Sara’s age, hardly anybody would have voted for a woman president. Period.
But recently, research informs us that in 2016 most people said that they didn’t care whether a woman or man becomes president, and nearly 10 percent said they want to vote for a woman. 
So we ARE ready to have a woman president.  And, esteemed readers, best of all, people who know tell us that women can be equally effective as leaders. 
So, we Yankees are ready and able. A woman president would help demonstrate to the rest of the planet, that women can lead.  Having our first woman president will help other nations get rid of their outdated philosophy of leadership, not only for today but for future generations. Now I ask you….just what could be better than that? 
To Consider: Do you see gender inequality around you? How do you feel about it? What can we do about it? 
To Explore:
•    http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/united-states
•     http://www.apa.org/research/action/boss.aspx. American Psychological Association, 2006. When the Boss is a Woman.