John Kerry: First White, Male Secretary of State in 16 Years

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2013-01-25

If confirmed as expected, John Kerry will be the first white male U.S. Secretary of State in about 16 years. So what, if anything, does that mean?

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For the first time in almost a decade, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were using the term, "mister," to address a prospective Secretary of State.

And at least online, it's been causing buzz.

Jezebel.com - a website aimed at women - recently posted a piece asking satirically, “Is America Ready for a White, Male Secretary of State?”

After all, the last time a white male had the job was 1997. The Secretary of State was Warren Christopher.

The jokes mean something, says Professor Robert Thompson speaking via Skype. "These types of jokes, these kinds of questions, are an indication of a lot of little things but one of them is where we would like to be compared to where we are now," he stated.

If confirmed as expected, John Kerry will be the first white male U.S. Secretary of State in about 16 years. So what, if anything, does that mean?

For the first time in almost a decade, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were using the term, "mister," to address a prospective Secretary of State.

And at least online, it's been causing buzz.

Jezebel.com - a website aimed at women - recently posted a piece asking satirically, “Is America Ready for a White, Male Secretary of State?”

After all, the last time a white male had the job was 1997. The Secretary of State was Warren Christopher.

The jokes mean something, says Professor Robert Thompson speaking via Skype. "These types of jokes, these kinds of questions, are an indication of a lot of little things but one of them is where we would like to be compared to where we are now," he stated.

Source: Voice of America

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