When President Bush leaves the oval office, there will be countless historians and authors publishing books analyzing the Bush Administration as well as his performance as the executive chief. That is inevitable. But what will be said of First Lady Laura Bush? What will the walls of the Smithsonian say about her? What kind of impact will Laura Bush have made on our country and in women’s rights?

She did not run for office, she is not an elected official, yet her position holds an enormous amount of clout in the White House. A former school teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush is an advocate of literacy and the arts. She is a national hostess and seldom voices her opinion on political matters. However, in the aftermath of September 11, Mrs. Bush showed us a side of her we never saw before. Her sense of calm and compassion helped many families grieve. She personally comforted them and brought resolve to the nation, standing alongside her husband through the tragedy.

Yet, reporters have a hard time “covering” the first lady because the White House goes to great lengths to protect her. Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House Corps has interviewed many presidents and first ladies over her time, but of Mrs. Bush she says she does not know what the first lady is really like. Thomas has said that other first ladies were more vocal in displaying their likes and dislikes, hopes and disappointment. Mrs. Bush is no Hillary.

Hillary Clinton was an active first lady, and she still is. She became the first first lady to run for and win a seat in the Senate. The New York senator has a large international following and is a champion for women’s rights. Though her health care initiative as first lady was less than stellar, she was never silent about her stance on issues. She is pro-abortion, pro-working woman, pro-divorce and anti-traditional family. Yet, her decision to stay with her husband after his infidelity was revealed was criticized by many women’s groups who could not understand Clinton’s contradictions. Nevertheless, these same groups had to respect her choice and be proud of her many accomplishments.

Mrs. Bush has said in interviews that she does not give her husband advice, although her apparent wisdom may be beneficial considering today’s current circumstances. However, I was put in my place last week when I started to criticize Laura Bush.

Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada in 1993, spoke at Northeastern a week ago at Raytheon Amphitheater. I admired her wit, humor, and liberal feminist standpoint and enjoyed speaking with her during the reception. When asked what she thought of Mrs. Bush’s role as a first lady, Prime Minister Campbell advocated her literary campaign and her commitment to the arts. She said it was difficult to compare Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush because their goals and choices were different. Leave Mrs. Bush alone, basically. There are other fish to fry.

If I call myself a feminist, then I must be willing to respect her choice to be whoever she wants. If Mrs. Bush decides to avoid the public eye and focus on smaller non-controversial issues, and if Senator Clinton stands by her man, then who I am to judge?

The word feminist seems to send a lot of chills down everyone’s spine. The “f” word conjures up images of woman as bra burning, men-hating, victims of oppression who blame just about everything for the cause of their pain. If you are a feminist, you tend to keep it hush-hush. Will people think you are a radical who goes to jail every week to fight for the causes you believe in? Or can you be the more silent type who champions women’s rights and equality but disagrees with some policies? What if you are pro-life but you believe women should break the barriers of the “glass ceiling?” What if you’re pro-choice and choose to be a stay at home mom? There is no one real definition to feminism. But one thing is clear, it is not about which choice a woman makes, but it is the fact that she has the power to make one.

On a side note: If you’re still afraid to call yourself a feminist, (a man can be a feminist too, folks), visit the women’s center at 439 Ryder Hall on Mondays during activities period to combat those fears. We may not all agree on the same issues, but we don’t burn bras either. Promise!

– Comments for Afsha Bawany may be sent to [email protected]