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Lacking integrity

I keep reading that the 2016 presidential election will be determined by college-educated whites, especially women. I am a white female, and I have attained the educational level of Ph.D. There is the not-so-subtle suggestion that formal education produces discernment that one would not possess otherwise; and there is the not-so-subtle assumption that an educated woman will, therefore, vote for a female candidate with a lengthy resume of governmental service.

However, education is not synonymous with wisdom and integrity.

As a young woman, I worked in the Washington, D.C., home and office of a famous U.S. senator — a controversial but highly regarded public servant. I first taught women’s history at Lock Haven University and then the University of Akron and Linden Hall (oldest girls’ boarding school in the U.S.).

My maternal grandmother had to leave school at the age of 10 to raise her infant half-brother, who had been abandoned by his mother. Under his sister’s care, my great-uncle achieved educational success and a career in government, specifically national security. Although my grandmother mispronounced various words, she understood their meaning. During the Depression, she held the position of postmistress in a small Pennsylvania town. Then during World War II, my grandparents relocated to Akron, Ohio, for a better economic future. While my grandfather made tires at Goodyear, my grandmother worked as a landlady. With little schooling, but richness in wisdom and integrity, my grandparents achieved financial security under my grandmother’s leadership. Their story is the heart and soul of the American dream that made America good.

For many years, I taught women’s history in high schools and colleges. I repeatedly portrayed the difficult climb from public prohibition and insignificance to attainment of great heights of public leadership. Yes, it is time for America to elect a woman president. However, Mrs. Clinton does not take responsibility for her national security failures (“What difference does it make?”) or her violation of the law in multiple instances (“You mean you wipe it with a cloth?”). She has so much power and influence that even the FBI and Department of Justice are not willing to indict her. If she were not above the law, her security clearances would have been revoked, which would immediately disqualify her as a presidential candidate. The United States needs a strong leader — one capable of being a catalyst for change while protecting and preserving the Constitution — rather than one who puts personal ambition above the hallmarks of our country.

I cannot vote for a candidate who lacks integrity in governmental service. Although I am an educated woman, more importantly, I strive to be a wise one.

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