Two posts in a day, how 'bout that! Yesterday's New York Times had a great article on the problem of female shortage in the sciences. The article mentions that "President Obama might be able to change things significantly for young women in science — and young men — by signing an executive order that would provide added family leave and parental benefits to the recipients of federal grants, a huge pool of people that includes many research scientists." Wow! As a young woman who anticipates (well, hopes) to be seeking tenure and raising kids at the same time, I think that would be fabulous. This article states our plight quite well:
...expecting a young woman to sacrifice her reproductive fitness for the sake of career advancement is simply too much, and yet the structure of academic research, in which one must spend one’s 20s and early 30s as a poorly compensated and minimally empowered graduate student and postdoctoral fellow, and the remainder of one’s 30s and into the low 40s working madly to earn tenure, can demand exactly that.
Yes, these are the things that keep me up at night.
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Yes, change happens, and while this is overdue...better late than never!
The Holy Bible that Obama placed his hand upon while being sworn in yesterday was used by two other men long ago, neither of which could have ever imagined what it would be used for yesterday (swearing in an African American president).
Well, maybe Lincoln imagined (hoped is more like it) for it, but the Chief Justice who swore him in certainly didn't, equating blacks to a status not above animals.
Kind of paralells the relationship between Obama and Robertson - I wonder if the flub on the oath is indicative of the tension between the two, Obama having voted against Robertson's nomination. Who knows.
I think we're going to see many progressively fair policies under Obama's administration. But Obama has his work cut out for him getting this country's economy breathing again.
I'm so happy for this change, Sandra, so that you can realize *all* of your dreams!
Happy trails,
Connie :)
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