Being first lady

by shamanic

First Lady Laura Bush sat down with Fox News for an interview yesterday, and in reading the transcript, I was struck by her compelling stories about meeting with groups of breast cancer survivors and women living with the disease in the Middle East. In case you're not clicky, she describes the pink-lined scarves and shawls that are, according to her, emblematic of breast cancer awareness campaigns in Saudi Arabia

I kept thinking, "More of that please," and wishing that Laura Bush, perhaps the most popular member of the current administration, had it in her to really crusade for issues. She could make such a difference, push private monies to public organizations just by speaking out, and really do good work that would save lives.

And maybe I'm being unfair. I don't follow her activities day to day, but I also get the keen sense that she sees her role as inherently low profile and doesn't wish to engage the broader public in any kind of discussion. In short, she's simply a functionary of her husband's administration who has sadly squandered one of the most potent soapboxes in the world because at the heart of it, she's uncomfortable making a difference on her own.