Lay off Hillary’s health

By: Ayana Bowman

Hillary Clinton has been in the public eye since 1992, but you could argue that she has been a prominent figure in society for far longer than that. Throughout her time as a public figure she has collected an overwhelming amount of achievements. Yes, she has not been without controversy, and I cannot say I agree with every position she has taken. However, I believe in growth, and that someone can genuinely change their position on a topic. I can understand a thoughtful discussion on Clinton’s platform, or even a discussion of Clinton’s past positions. What I cannot stand is reading another sexist article masked under a thin veil of conservatism.

“Talking about the candidate’s condition: Towerlight columnist skeptical about Hillary Clinton’s health” is another article in the bastion of articles that subject Clinton to a ridiculous level of scrutiny simply because she is a woman and because she represents the Democratic Party. This column cites as evidence of Clinton’s poor health the supposed fact that she has fallen down five times in the past eight years. I, a 21-year-old woman of excellent health, have too fallen more than five times in the past eight years. A quick survey of the other women I know reveals that they too have fallen down at least five times in the past eight years. The only reason there are no articles citing how many times I have fallen down in the past eight years is because I am not subjected to constant media attention. If there was a Towerlight reporter following me around 24/7, there would be at least one article a week citing my impending death because I tripped in front of the CLA, again.

In the past eight years, I have been sick several times. In fact, during the spring of 2015, I went to Patient First five times. Why? Because I was sick with a cough. Why did I have a cough? Because in the winter people get sick. Do I believe that I am facing death or am in some other way unfit to attend class or continue existing? No. People get sick. They get better. We all continue going about with our day.

My favorite medical issue cited in this piece are those of Clinton’s supposed “seizures.” I am all too familiar with the idea of Clinton’s “seizures.” However, I have seen them used as evidence that the Illuminati exists and replaces prominent politicians and celebrities with clones. When these “seizures” occur, the clone is glitching. So, what you have cited as evidence of more medical issues, has also been cited by tinfoil skeptics of the illuminati. If this sounds wacky to you, then I invite you to watch “The Secret Society of the Illuminati” by Buzzfeed. Fun fact: Beyoncé has also been filmed zoning out and nodding her head in the same manner. Yet, no one is claiming that Beyoncé suffers from poor health.

Your confidence in your own medical ability is interesting, however completely without any medical background. This response is not meant in a partisan manner, in fact, I am challenging you, Mr. Brennan, to stop wasting time analyzing articles to count how many times Clinton has fallen, coughed, or appeared to zone out, and instead write a piece about Clinton’s policy.

As a young woman, articles such as this not only drive me mad, they truly make me sad. I want to believe that we live in a world where men and women are treated equally. Yet, daily I am reminded that this is not true. I would love to turn this letter into a tirade about feminism and the personal scrutiny myself and many other women I know have faced. I would love to rant about how absolutely and utterly violating being cat-called makes a woman feel. I would love to rant about the double standards in the workplace. I would love to discuss the way men and women are socialized as children and how that contributes to the perpetuation of sexism. However, there is simply not enough time in the day to discuss all of those things, plus The Towerlgiht has Deep Fried Feminism to delve into those issues.

Finally, although the author of this piece many not have meant for it to have such a sexist tone, it still contributes to the overwhelming scrutiny women are subjected to on a daily basis. I thoroughly look forward to using his article, as well as the 2008 Washington Post article about Hillary Clinton’s cleavage, as kindling next time I am making a bonfire.

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