I was disgusted to read Kelly Schlicht's sexist and elitist opinion column, 'County Board candidate practices dirty campaigning,' regarding Ashok Kumar's campaign. Schlicht claims that women who believe in Ashok's campaign are mindless drones who simply have a crush on him.
Her claim that women cannot think for themselves is not new'it is called sexism. Sexism comes from a society where women are told what they should look like, what they should say and what they should do with their lives from day one. It comes from our educational system telling women that they are not good at math and science translating to an under representation of women in the math and sciences. It comes from a society that lacks representation of women in leadership positions, in educational fields as well as politics.
What makes Schlicht's column even worse is that she only mentions the women who support him. Are we to assume then, that men support Ashok because men are intelligent and articulate his politics, while women support him because he is cute? This is sexism and should not be tolerated.
I know many women who support Ashok because they agree with him on a variety of issues and think extensively about them, not because he is some sort of a 'celebrity.' Perhaps Schlicht thinks she is the only woman who has ideas of her own and the only woman who can wield those ideas in a multitude of fashions.
If her article was criticizing Ashok's campaign on political grounds, rather than by offending the intelligence of women on this campus, I would be more apt to respect her. As it is, however, this campus (and all women) can do without her sexist rant.
