http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ecomes-first-four-star-woman-in-navy-history/ I'm actually really happy about this even as a man! Shows that the world is advancing and thinks like racism and sexism are starting to disappear quickly.
This former sailor is proud to congratulate her. When you get to a point where you have equal rights under the law, and minorities becoming Fortune 500 CEOs, high ranking govt officials, and even being elected President, it's safe to say that things like racism and sexism are no longer a factor in an individual's success or failure. There will always be some form of prejudices either way as long as people are different - such is life. But we've long had laws and rules in place that eliminate these things where they count. Regardless, you cannot force any and all individuals to think and feel certain ways, no matter what.
I wouldn't agree that sexism and racism are no longer factors. They certainly still are big issues which need to be addressed, and just because we have laws and rules in place doesn't mean that they're enforced as well as they should be.
Nothing is guaranteed, and life won't ever be fair. You've got people coming here from other countries with no money, unable to speak the language, etc who succeed. You've got Herman Cain, Oprah, Obama, et al - the list is endless who made it to the top. I know plenty of women and minorities who are very successful. They didn't get there by playing the sexism card or by dressing and acting like a thug.
I'm not saying that they did. I'm just saying that sexism and racism does still exist, and is still an issue that has to be dealt with, although we are getting more tolerant as the years go by. Heck, you're-presumably-an American, so think of it like this. Fifty/sixty years ago, you couldn't be in an interracial relationship if you wanted to be safe. Now 87% of people find it fine. That's literally almost an entire turn around in only half a century.
How wonderful this is for Admiral Howard, and a very deserving honor. Maybe as more and more things like this happen, people will start to realize that, like you said, racism and sexism are so much better than in the past. Well, at least racism... I think sexism probably has a more difficult path until it's where it should be.
What specific issues, and how do you think they should be dealt with? IMO, the way to make things like race and gender not a factor in work, business, govt, etc is to not make them a factor. Hire the best and most qualified without making race or gender an issue either way. Personally, I'd hate to think that I got a job or got special treatment on the job just because I was a minority. I'd want to be taken seriously based upon my abilities, accomplishments, etc.
Hiring the most qualified would certainly cut out a lot of this, for sure! I agree about the special treatment... my daughter even knew it when she was much too young for me to think she was paying attention to world events. We had heard some news report about someone who'd been given a position through affirmative action although others had been much more qualified. She (in her brilliant little girl logic) wondered why someone would get a job just because of their skin color or whether they're a "boy or girl" if another worker would do the job better. Uh... how *does* one explain that to a child? In their world, "the person who can best do the job gets the job" is all that matters. Oh, if we could all be like children!
That's actually how we're trying to do things. However, since people are...well, they're people, they still think in racist terms you know?
That is very encouraging, especially to other women who have wanted to attain a rank similar to hers, she has now opened the door to many more doors for women, good job.