The Editor, Sir:

Both Clinton and Obama are viable and visible threats to the notion of white male supremacy as the acceptable norm for American leadership. Repeatedly we hear and read that Hillary Clinton is the first woman to run for president and that Barack Obama is the most electable black candidate ever.

If we are still engaging in discussions along the lines of race and gender, the travails of those gone before us may have been in vain. On the other hand, the fact that a woman and a man of colour are able to enter the presidential race and stand a legitimate chance of winning is manifestation of former civil rights and other leaders' dreams. Certainly, the future looks bright and encouraging for generations ahead.

Courageous footsteps

Following in the courageous footsteps of our foreparents, I am visualising the outcome of an election that is in accordance with the main pillar of the American constitution where "all men [humans] are created equal". I envision a campaign where candidates are referred to by their names, accompanied by their beliefs and commitments, rather than one where they are subjected to overt discrimination which only serves to rob them of their true power.

Whether gender or race determines the next president of the United States is to a large extent irrelevant, and only serves to distract voters from pressing issues that a new leader ultimately faces. One such immediate example is the fact that the United States is currently at war, a war that is being fought by American citizens from diverse backgrounds in preservation of the ultimate American ideal: democracy.

I am, etc.,

NADINE McNEIL

nadine.mcneil@gmail.com

UNICEF Indonesia

Jakarta

Via Go-Jamaica