The Strong Women of California

The women of our society are not what they seem.  According to TV and other media, strong and independent women are man-haters, desperate or can’t have a real relationship.  They are portrayed as imbalanced workaholics without home lives or if they do have a home life it is dysfunctional and unhappy.  Women are shown to lack an important area of their lives.  Some examples of female characters are C.J. Cregg, Sue Sylvester,  Addison Montgomery, Meredith Grey, Olivia Dunham, etc. These tv characters of past and present shows are show to have successful careers, but not much else.

But this is not the reality when it comes to the political women of California.  Senators Boxers and Feinstein have both been married over 30 years and have children.  Nancy Pelosi has also been married for over 30 years too and has five children.  

There is the sister duo in the House of Representatives.  Loretta (47th congressional district) and Linda Sanchez (39th congressional district).  Loretta is known as a moderate while Linda is more liberal.  They are first pair of sisters to serve in congress concurrently.  They have both married and have been in congress for several years.  They had been active for years in their local communities before heading to congress.  

These women from a seemingly liberal state who are strong enough to defeat political opponents.  They have dealt with the harshness of the press.  They have defeated personal attacks.  These are strong tested women.  These women do amazing things and affect our lives everyday.  These women pass and laws everyday that affect us. Yet they have a career and have stable families too. 

It isn’t only our congressional leaders.  Beth Gaines serves in the California Assembly as a Republican.  She has been married for 25 years and has even home schooled her children (Beth Gaines for Assembly) while her husband Ted serves in the State Senate. 

These women aren’t the cold, self-centered, single career women we are told we have to be to succeed.  

They have families, grandchildren, they go to church, etc. 

These extraordinary people are more like us than the fictional characters the media draws up.  

Maybe its time we get to know them a little better.