10th Grade Winners for the 1999-2000 School Year
Martha Mitchell
Creative Writing Contest
10th Grade Winners for the 1999-2000 School Year
$200.00 First Place Winner:
Megan Sherrill from Dumas High School
Martha Mitchell's Place in History-
The Nature and Significance of Her Impact on Washington Politics.
Throughout history our society has
experienced many heroes and heroines. Some unseen, some unheard and many just
ignored and unacknowledged. Martha Mitchell, the wife of Attorney General John
Mitchell is among these. Many interesting facts contribute to Martha Mitchell's
prominent place in history and her profound impact on Washington politics.
Prior to Martha Mitchell's contributions women
were often unseen and unheard. This was true despite the fact that we had
gained women suffrage and made many strides in civil rights. Staying in the
background of a male dominated society, women were frequently expected to say nothing and
were not even supposed to know - much less meddle in their husband's affairs.
Therefore, few women made their way to the forefront in the political arena.
Martha Mitchell's tattle tale legacy from
Watergate boosted women's rights. The New Times magazine said, "With a
telephone receiver in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other, she sounded the first
alarm...". Eugene Patterson of the St. Petersburg Times said,
"Because she told the truth indiscreetly... she was considered a kook in
Washington".
Because Martha Mitchell had courage, she stood
up against the accusation made by the Washington Post that her husband had paid the
$250,000 it cost for Watergate to occur. This is when the cat got out of the bag.
Martha made her historical phone call to the Post stating that the president
was really to blame and claimed that her husband was a pawn acting on his behalf. It
is an established fact that Nixon discussed the threat Martha proposed to Washington on
numerous occasions. It was always assumed that if the government took no action in
the accusation, and if the White House ignored her, so would everyone else, since she was
only known as a crazy, loud mouthed politician's wife and not a person of significance.
But Mrs. Mitchell chose to stand on her conviction that the "truth must be
told".
That crazy, loud mouthed
politician's wife set a precedent for today's women. Because of her efforts women
gained a greater stature in society in general and in Washington politics in particular.
Martha persevered against the government despite the fact that she was constantly
ridiculed for her beliefs. As a result, she paved the way for some of our leading
ladies in government such as Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, Madeline Albright, or Janet
Reno. Hillary Clinton is a politician's wife just as Martha was, and today Hillary
is taking a stand by running for the New York Senate. Elizabeth Dole is now taking a
stand just like Martha and going against women not running for President; however, she did
drop from the running for lack of financial support. Madeline Albright took a stand
and is now reigning as Secretary of State. Janet Reno is now an Attorney General and
just like Martha came out from behind the scenes to involve herself and force people to
listen. The numerous phone calls Martha Mitchell made have provided women around the
world with an example of courage and confidence assuring them that their opinion matters
and that they can be heard. Thus, Martha's stand for what she believed was a bold
first step on behalf of all women.
In a single act of honesty Martha Mitchell has
moved an entire country and left an everlasting mark on history. Her significance
can not be measured in an essay or published in a book; it comes every time a woman who
would have once been ignored is heard. Martha's legacy remains in the hearts of all
who knew her, all she touched and in others who only can read of her contributions.
She was a true heroine of our times who shall never be forgotten, and she provided an
exemplary nature and fight that will always be remembered in a spirit of admiration.