We still have far to go to reach gender equality

Hillary Clinton likes to say that American voters have made 18 million cracks in the highest-remaining glass ceiling with their votes during the Democratic primaries.
However, recent reports in the national media have us wondering how much progress has actually been made.
Questions have been raised by several national media outlets — including the New York Times and Washington Post — about whether John McCain's running mate on the Republican ticket, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, could handle her duties as vice president while caring for young children.
No doubt, the most important duty of a vice president is the ability to serve as president in case of an emergency. However, these questions about children and family roles are not raised of male candidates for high office, which is where the injustice lies.
The campaigns of both McCain and Democrat Barack Obama have said that families — especially children — should be off limits during this presidential race, and we couldn't agree more. Many women are very successful and have full-time careers while raising children.
We have strong female leadership here in southeast Kansas, from the Pittsburg mayor's office and state legislature all the way up to our Congressional seat in Washington and the governor's mansion. These leaders have no doubt been praised and criticized just like their male counterparts, but their genders and family roles are not made an issue.
We expect the same civility and equality from our national politics as we have come to expect locally and state-wide.

Jacob W. Brower, for The Morning Sun