One cannot ignore the fact that the two remaining candidates for presidency have Brenau students engaged in politics more than ever before. Honestly, it’s hard to decide if that’s a good or a bad thing, both parties having multiple controversies surrounding them. The most recent controversy is about Hillary Clinton’s unexpected absence from the campaign trail due to pneumonia. Clinton was diagnosed on September 9th, just two days before she was caught on tape losing her balance at a 9/11 memorial ceremony. She suddenly left the event, leaving many supporters and opponents baffled. It was later announced that her health was not in its best condition and that her doctor required her to take a few days off. What seemed to emerge immediately after that was, of course, speculation about her sickness and how it reflects upon her own capabilities.
Protesters came from all over to voice their opinions about Hillary Clinton’s untrustworthy nature. Why should they believe that she is too sick to be present at the ceremony? Then a more concerning question emerged: Is Clinton even fit enough to fulfill her duties as President of the United States, in regards to both her health and her capabilities?
Some critics argue that pneumonia, a disease that could cause fever, make breathing difficult, and cloud one’s thought process, may not have been a serious reason for her to leave the event. This argument was often accompanied by the underlying assumption that women are more prone to get sick and are “weaker” than men when it comes to healing from illness (even though women are actually less likely to get pneumonia than men). Rejecting the concept of female weakness, Clinton quickly returned back to her campaign trail in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro despite her doctor’s orders, stating that she felt very lucky to be able to take sick days because “millions of Americans can’t”.
This incident doesn’t prove that a woman cannot handle the challenges that come with being president. However, it does demonstrate that the vast majority of people are ignorant to the fact that the candidates are human. Clinton chose to put her health on the back burner to return to her campaign and prove that she could be just as tough as any man and fit enough to be President of the United States.