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FEMININE
SPHERES OF
INFLUENCE
BY MICHAEL A. MILLER
The virtues of goodness have always been to me
associated with the feminine side of human nature So in an
effort to start 1995 off on an optimistic note I sought a solidifying
of the feminine through interviews with four politically active
women in the North Coast community.
My first interview was w th Kelly Hoffman She is 16 and
a senior at Astoria High School. She recently ran the Elizabeth
Furse campaign for Clatsop County. She possesses the vibrant
beauty of youth and is bright and independent. She is exactly
the fruition our society espouses and contradictorally restrains
I expected an outpouring of hope, optimism and ambition from
such an archetype of potential However, much of what she said
was of a different tone.
I asked Kelly vtfien she thought we would have our first
woman President Her opinion is that it will not be for a very long
time. She feels that most Americans view women in power with
hostility and suspicion. She therefore no longer holds her
childhood dream of being President as a possibility but still
entertains the idea of an ambassadorship or perhaps even the
Vice Presidency She feels women are being treated equally in
our society though she realizes they are paid less than their
male counterparts, are frequent victims of discrimination and
harassment, and crimes against women such as rape still
receive light sentences.
Since Kelly is aware of society's gender discrimination
I asked how she regarded the feminist movement. She surprised
me by saying, "I'm not into that sort of thing." She doesn't care
that she's a girl and she resents any and all limitations and
expectations placed upon her because of her gender. She would
much rather discover the boundaries of herself through her own
experience.
Kelly also chimed the familiar rhetoric of the Democratic
Party. She favored health care and could not understand why
anyone would be against it. She doesn't understand how people
raised on the principle of loving their neighbors as themselves
don't feed, house or care for them vtfien in need Unfortunately,
President Clinton's proposal for health care would essentially
make the poor pay more than the wealthy for coverage and
would allow a small number of huge insurance companies to
monopolize health care, or more accurately health crisis
because it is not prevention oriented. Kelly was unaware of
these aspects of Clinton's health care. Nor do I believe she was
aware that industry would like to pass their insurance costs on to
the American public. After all, it was the auto companies that
effectively started Canada's health care system for exactly that
reason. Along with health care, she was also concerned about
crime and is a proponent of gun control.
Kelly astutely recognized the problem of voting partisan
"It promotes ignorance of political candidates and issues. Too
many people blindly support their party's agenda and candidates
on the assumption that the party is promoting their welfare when
even a small effort to know more would reveal areas of strong
difference." She favors either abolishing all parties or having a
true multiple party system. The two party system heavily
polarizes our society and fosters intolerance toward diversity of
opinion (as Joycelyn Elders has discovered). Along with these
political reforms, Kelly would like to see Congressional terms
lengthened to allow enough time for our representatives to
accomplish something Most importantly, she would like to see
state and local government have more power than they do now.
She does not believe that D C. can micromanage an entire
nation effectively. The people are more easily heard in state
capitols and local town halls than in Washington.
ANTHONY RUSSO
I asked her thoughts on the local drug problem. She felt
she really couldn't answer this question with any assurance
because she has only been exposed to marijuana, alcohol and
cigarettes. She has never used marijuana which she thinks only
makes a person passive and so does not really worry her. She
was most angry at alcohol which she sees as a mindless form of
entertainment that many youth obsessively preoccupy them
selves with. The number of local teenage deaths dde to aicohoi'*.
has had very little impact on teenage drinking and this further
infuriates Kelly. As for cigarettes, she didn't personally know/any
teenagers w4io smoke. It is adequate to say that there are a lot
of them and since nicotine is the most addictive drug, there is
little chance of them quitting this slow but certain death
The most disturbing answers that Kelly gave me were in
regard to my questions concerning the outlook of her generation.
Kelly believes that most of her generation has an Armageddon
complex. 'W e feel like everything is going to collapse and land
on us just when we come to power," which she says is the main
reason most of her generation has an apathetic attitude "Why,"
she asks, "when those in power are destroying our future and we
are powerless to do anything about it should we even care?" But
it is evident that she does care and it is also evident she is right.
The avaricious appetite of western culture threatens to devour
everything, leaving only wastelands for future generations. If we
cannot give our youth a sense of hope, purpose and direction,
who will? Rush Limbaugh?
Kelly and her generation will live out most of their lives
beyond 2000. Her generation may not feel optimistic but history
shows that people will always rise again to advance their society
as long as there are courageous, compassionate and creative
women and men to lead the way. I believe Kelly is such a
person and she will not be alone in her efforts.
My next interview was with Bunny Doar, a woman well
known by our community but with whom I was unfamiliar. She
is cunrently a member of the Women's Political Caucus and a
board member of Clatsop Community College. She campaigned
unsuccessfully for county commissioner last year Bunny
impressed me as a woman who has cultivated an independent
personality through a life of study and social activity to achieve
clarity of thought, a sound understanding of our society and a
solid sense of self
Bunny has a realistic and outspoken understanding of
politics. She believes that politics is the art of the possible but
that people today tend to associate politics with D C. and their
state capitols which fosters an attitude of hopelessness because
they seem so distant and unapproachable. She would remind
people of how many decisions are made by local governments
that directly affect the shape and direction of the community.
"One may appeal a decision of the court but the decisions of the
local school board are final," she says.
Though Bunny has been a Democrat all her life she
does not place blind faith in the party or its platform. She has
her suspicions of Clinton's promotion of removing tariffs and
other trade barriers. Bunny further recognizes the importance of
third parties. 'They often are the forerunners for ideas that are
radical and eventually become mainstream," she says. A stark
example of this is the 8 hour day that once was seen as a fright
ening idea that if implemented would ruin the nation's economy.
The legalization of drugs is a radical idea in our time. Bunny
believes the "get tough on crime" campaigns are misguided. "It
is an increasing expense that the people cannot afford. For the
price of locking up an addict we could give that person a year's
supply of narcotics and pay him a substantial income."
Although legalizing drugs is a large part of the Liber
tarian Party’s platform, Bunny feels this third party is promoting
such broad sweeps of change that few are willing to take their
notions seriously, even the more sound ones. 'The two principle
parties are too entrenched to lose their political fortitude," she
says. "Instead of trying to launch a full scale war with nothing
but idyllic hopes they should focus on a few key issues with a
concentrated effort." She also sees little possibility of a compre
hensive drug policy gaining ground in America 'W e are violently
influenced by the Puritan ethic, right through the witch burnings
to the witch hunts. We have always been a society of very little
tolerance."
The right's call to arms is not diminishing. Bunny
believes many people are afraid of being cast adrift in these
turbulent times. 'The right is championing the return to family
values. That is the patriarchal dictatorial system In Oregon
passage of Measure 16 (the so-called Right to Die initiative) has
these people frothing out the mouth because it allows someone
the right to make up his own mind about his life These people
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