Courage Against Conflicting Odds: Barbara Boxer
Being a woman in office is particularly hard regarding the fact that 80 percent of the House of Representatives are male, and female congresswomen make up a small 19.4 percent. The low percentage of females in elected positions makes it easier for the respect that they are given to be degrading. Barbara Boxer had no fear when entering the campaign for House of Representatives and in 1982, despite her opponent being a male figure, she won the election only by 52 percent of the vote. As she ran for reelection the next four times, she was undeniably assigned California’s representative with never dropping below 67 percent of the vote. When she had the opportunity to run for the U.S Senate, she conquered the campaign against all men during her first term and again for reelection for a second term. When asked about the difference in running against a man and a woman she stated, “You know women are equal to men. This is what I've been fighting for my whole life. I'm glad the Republicans have finally given women a chance. It's terrific” (King, “Interview with Senator Barbara Boxer”). As she claims that fighting for equality is important to her, the attributes to women’s rights that she introduced prove her statement to be correct. She has fought for the equality in gender, respect, and she has made progress in a problem that she cannot fix alone, one that the country has to fix together. Her determination to be a powerful woman in office was shown when her focus was directed to one of the hardest hitting topics to debate in politics: women’s rights and abortions. Boxer was courageous enough to publicly speak out on a viewpoint that is extremely controversial and has many areas of ridicule. …show more content…
Following Roe vs. Wade and the legalization of abortions, there have been many opinions and oppositions trying to refute the bill and to obtain ways to ban abortion through the states. Boxer stated that "If my opponent's views prevailed, women and doctors would be criminals, they would go to jail. Women would die, like they did before Roe v. Wade” (On the Issues, “Barbara Boxer on Abortion”) when discussing the restrictions held on abortions laws. Boxer felt so strongly that the Roe vs. Wade bill needed revisions and protection that she authored a bill known as the Freedom of Choice Act in 2004. Her bill contained the same proposition set forth from Roe vs. Wade but elaborated in trying to save the bill from interpretation by the states. One of the bills findings state “Even though the Roe v. Wade decision has stood for more than 34 years, there are increasing threats to reproductive health and freedom emerging from all branches and levels of government. In 2006, South Dakota became the first State in more than 15 years to enact a ban on abortion in nearly all circumstances. Supporters of this ban have admitted it is an attempt to directly challenge Roe in the courts. Other States are considering similar bans” (GovTrack, “S.1173 (110th): Freedom of Choice Act”). Boxer heavily disagreed that the states should be able to restrict and ban the process by women’s rights of abortion. Her adamant opinion on pro-choice was further stated when listing in the
Being a woman in office is particularly hard regarding the fact that 80 percent of the House of Representatives are male, and female congresswomen make up a small 19.4 percent. The low percentage of females in elected positions makes it easier for the respect that they are given to be degrading. Barbara Boxer had no fear when entering the campaign for House of Representatives and in 1982, despite her opponent being a male figure, she won the election only by 52 percent of the vote. As she ran for reelection the next four times, she was undeniably assigned California’s representative with never dropping below 67 percent of the vote. When she had the opportunity to run for the U.S Senate, she conquered the campaign against all men during her first term and again for reelection for a second term. When asked about the difference in running against a man and a woman she stated, “You know women are equal to men. This is what I've been fighting for my whole life. I'm glad the Republicans have finally given women a chance. It's terrific” (King, “Interview with Senator Barbara Boxer”). As she claims that fighting for equality is important to her, the attributes to women’s rights that she introduced prove her statement to be correct. She has fought for the equality in gender, respect, and she has made progress in a problem that she cannot fix alone, one that the country has to fix together. Her determination to be a powerful woman in office was shown when her focus was directed to one of the hardest hitting topics to debate in politics: women’s rights and abortions. Boxer was courageous enough to publicly speak out on a viewpoint that is extremely controversial and has many areas of ridicule. …show more content…
Following Roe vs. Wade and the legalization of abortions, there have been many opinions and oppositions trying to refute the bill and to obtain ways to ban abortion through the states. Boxer stated that "If my opponent's views prevailed, women and doctors would be criminals, they would go to jail. Women would die, like they did before Roe v. Wade” (On the Issues, “Barbara Boxer on Abortion”) when discussing the restrictions held on abortions laws. Boxer felt so strongly that the Roe vs. Wade bill needed revisions and protection that she authored a bill known as the Freedom of Choice Act in 2004. Her bill contained the same proposition set forth from Roe vs. Wade but elaborated in trying to save the bill from interpretation by the states. One of the bills findings state “Even though the Roe v. Wade decision has stood for more than 34 years, there are increasing threats to reproductive health and freedom emerging from all branches and levels of government. In 2006, South Dakota became the first State in more than 15 years to enact a ban on abortion in nearly all circumstances. Supporters of this ban have admitted it is an attempt to directly challenge Roe in the courts. Other States are considering similar bans” (GovTrack, “S.1173 (110th): Freedom of Choice Act”). Boxer heavily disagreed that the states should be able to restrict and ban the process by women’s rights of abortion. Her adamant opinion on pro-choice was further stated when listing in the