Dear Daughter: Vote for the Issues, Not the Candidate

I want to begin by saying that my intention with this letter is not to lecture you or start an argument. Writing allows me to express myself my thoughts more clearly than texting or phone calls, especially on such an important topic. You know how passionately I have worked as an activist for women rights over the years. Remember when I took you with me to the United Nations to promote gender equality and empower women? My commitment to these causes has only grown stronger as I continue to educate myself and collaborate with women’s organizations to achieve our goals.

I understand your frustration and disillusionment with the 2024 presidential candidates. However, this is precisely why we need to focus on the issues that matter most. I want you to understand what my life was like as a young woman in the ‘70s and why women fought so hard to bring about monumental societal changes in the ’60s and ’70s.

I vividly remember my first airplane ride at 10 years old when my family moved us from Israel to Montreal, Canada. There was so much excitement about living in a new country. Stopping in Amsterdam and flying on one of the first Boeing 747 with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was thrilling. I even remember the flight attendant gave me a 747-wing pin when we boarded the plane. That trip and every flight after ignited my interest in aviation.

When I turned 18, I approached the Royal Canadian Air Force in Montreal to pursue a career as a pilot, only to be met with laughter and dismissal. The lieutenant in charge of recruitment quickly told me, “The pilot training course is ‘For Men Only.’ The closest I can get you to a plane is cleaning it.” I was shocked by that type of gender separation and the smirk on his face when he made the insulting comment.

My mom couldn’t afford to send me to any of the expensive flight schools and this was the best way for me to acquire the necessary skills to become an airline pilot free of charge.

It was 1974. Career options for women in the Canadian military were limited to finance, administration, or supply. None of those positions appealed to me. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) had its first women fighter pilots, Dee Brasseur and Jane Foster, who faced significant harassment and assault during their careers but paved the way for future generations.

Dee Brasseur spoke openly about the issue of harassment and sexual assault in the forces, stating that she had been raped, assaulted and harassed during her career. She broke her silence in an interview with Maclean’s magazine in 1998 yet chose not to pursue any criminal action because she felt there was nothing to be gained at the time.

Female pilots today are indebted to women like Brasseur and Foster who pushed through boundaries, challenged historical imbalances and stereotypes, fought for the military to undergo a significant culture change, and made it the standard today. Representation allows women to look ahead and believe in themselves, and in the reality and attainability of their goals. Representation, at its core, inspires.

I never became an airline pilot but continued to work on getting my private license and found fulfillment in a career in travel and tourism. Those choices allowed me to balance my professional life while nurturing a stable home for our family, unlike women pilots who were forced to miss out on precious time with their children to maintain their jobs, skills, and yearly training requirements.

I grew up in a world where gender was a barrier to opportunity. Women over 50 can attest to the struggles we faced to make things equal for boys and girls. We fought so hard against the old boys’ club that excluded women from countless professions and opportunities. I dreamt of a world where my son could be a stay-at-home dad, an artist, or a family and consumer sciences teacher without having his masculinity questioned, and where girls could be strong, boys could be vulnerable, and everybody assessed based on their competence, not their gender.

A second Trump term would be catastrophic for every woman and girl in this country. His administration would continue to undermine women’s health, employment, economic security, and human rights overall.

I’m writing this just few days after a second assassination attempt on Trump, so I find myself hesitating to say what I still truly believe, which is that, if elected, he intends to fulfill his promise to end our democratic processes and everything women worked so hard for. The Project 2025 agenda outlines his terrifying second term threats in detail.

Voting against Trump is a vote for your life and freedom, for integrity, respect, and accountability. It’s a vote to preserve your bright future and the values your dad and I worked hard to instill. It’s a vote for safety. It’s a vote born out of love because when you were born, I made a silent vow to protect you, to be aware, involved, and active in your life, and to help you accomplish your purpose and your passion.

Vote for the issues, not the candidate. It’s hard for me to think of a single person who violates more of what we taught you and believe in than Donald Trump.

When you consider the candidates, ask yourself if they are someone you can trust to make decisions that affect your life and body. Will they appoint Supreme Court Justices whose opinions impact women everywhere?

For your sake my dear daughter, Donald Trump cannot be president. It’s too risky. There is too much at stake. A vote for him is a vote against every woman and girl who has been a victim of sexual violence or harassment. It tells women and girls that not only will we put up with a sexist, womanizing, racist, corrupt, self-serving, authoritarian, and convicted felon, but we’ll elect them to run our country. Women and girls have a right to feel safe and protected and to speak up if they have been violated or harmed in any way.

Please vote for someone whose words and actions matter. Vote for someone who believes in equal opportunities for women beyond traditional roles. Vote for someone who stands firm in declaring that human rights are women’s rights once and for all.

Your Loving Mom