Having a female president would empower women, former New York congresswoman and 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro said during a speech in the Ward Circle Building Monday night.
"I, for one, want to see the empowerment of women leaders throughout the world," Ferraro said. "And having a woman in the White House will really make a difference."
Ferraro spoke for two hours about her life-long commitment to advancing the role of women in politics.
Ferraro, who recently came under media scrutiny for her comments about Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, called the media's framing of her words "vindictive" and said the Obama campaign has responded by "spewing hatred."
Ferraro told a reporter from (Torrance, Calif.) The Daily Breeze that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
Josh Goodman, a senior in the School of International Service, started the question-and-answer segment by asking for advice: How could he, a white male, succeed in a society that has historically oppressed white men - a sarcastic reference to her controversial Obama comments. Ferraro repeatedly cut Goodman off, said he was rude for questioning someone of her age and demanded he sit down.
"Did I get more upset than I should have?" Goodman said. "Perhaps, but was my question silly and deserving of ageist derision, as Ms. Ferraro felt? I certainly don't think so."
Lucina Salinas, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said Ferraro acts as a feminist role model, but Salinas said she couldn't get past Ferraro's comments about Obama, even after her explanation.
"I admire her for what she has done, the way she overcame all the obstacles women face and became a successful politician," Salinas said. "But her Obama comments taint my opinion of her."
Laura Buck, a freshman in the School of International Service, said the effects of Ferraro's lifelong battle to give women equal opportunities could be seen every day.
"When Geraldine looks back at her life from when she was a young woman to now, there has been huge progress," Buck said. "But for me growing up, I have a different understanding of where women are politically. I mean, I'm only 18 years old, and there already is a woman who has a real chance at the presidency."
Ferraro also addressed racial tensions in the United States, giving a suggestion to combat its spread - educate children.
"If we're talking about race relations, then the first thing we have to do is go into our classrooms and get our children to love before they hate," Ferraro said. "People need to teach their children not to hate."
The Kennedy Political Union and Women's Initiative sponsored the event.
