Network Schools – Wayne Gerseny to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/03/magazine/thomas-piketty-interview u w B l.html?h I’ll smid=url-share the Is for

NYTimes reporter Maggie Astor’s article, “She’s 16 and Wants to Be President…“, describes the increased engagement of young women in politics… especially the engagement of young women who lean to the left. Why? Because the policies of the POTUS are inimicable to women and the major issues facing their generation– climate change and gun control— are not being tackled by today’s politicians.

I was heartened to read about this trend, for I do believe women tackle problems in a more collaborative way than men and that unity and collaboration— not division and combativeness— will be the key to solving these complicated issues. But I was dismayed to read how advocates for gender equity are framing their arguments, using phrases calling for young women to be “flexing their political power and normalizing political ambition”. Ultimately, in a well functioning democracy, “flexing” is less important than “flexibility” and when flexing is the dominant paradigm we witness a division in government that makes it impossible to achieve the kinds of bipartisan solutions needed to address thorny issues like climate change, gun control, and birth control.