I follow a Twitter account called @WomenSayingSry, written by one of my 21-year-old daughter’s witty friends, in which women *apologize* for things they shouldn’t. The author lists her location as “hopefully not in your way!” Here are a few of her tweets: “She’s doing her job”, “She’s asking her subordinate at work to do something”, “She just has another question because she thinks she might be confused”, “She’s moderating the Republican debate” and “She kept her jacket on inside because she’s cold.”
As a woman running in her first campaign for office against a crowded field of 17 men (8 of them incumbents) and 4 other women (only one is an incumbent), I have had to resist my (unfortunately!) natural urge to apologize on many occasions. At last week’s candidate forum sponsored by the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, the YWCA and Transition House, three of the male incumbents expressed their entitlement to keep their seats so stridently (they were shouting) and with such undisguised hostility that I and others felt it verged on bullying.
So, in the spirit of @WomenSayingSry here are a few things I am not apologizing for:
- She speaks truth to power.
- She thinks there should be term limits and that new perspectives and ideas are needed to reenergize the Council.
- She thinks it is possible for reasonable minds to differ on policies to address complex issues like income inequality and housing affordability — and that such discourse is healthy, not “uncollegial.”
- She thinks councillors shouldn’t accept campaign donations from real estate special interests because it creates the appearance of influence when those same interests have business before the council.
- She thinks investing the time and money to engage the broader community in a citywide growth plan is preferable and more equitable than letting market forces determine how our city grows.
- She thinks that overbuilding in the luxury housing segment will not cause average rents to fall and may even accelerate displacement.
- She does not feel safe cycling in traffic and would prefer protected bike lanes.
- She was on the staff of a charter public school.
- She rang your doorbell to introduce herself as a new candidate, and she woke you up from a nap/made your dog(s) bark/interrupted your lunch.
- She cannot remember the names of everyone she has met over the past five months of campaigning!
Here is one thing I will apologize for in advance:
- She is planning to send her supporters three emails, reminding them to vote in the November 3rd Cambridge City Council election. (One will go out on Monday evening, one early Tuesday morning when the polls open at 7 am, and one a couple of hours before they close at 8 pm.) She is just doing her job as a candidate!
My suggestions for how to vote on 11/3/15
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