15 Episodes of The West Wing We Need Now More Than Ever
3.08 The Women of Qumar
The West Wing may not have always gotten it right – or rather, even addressed – women’s issues, but when they did so in the eighth episode of season 3, they did it big and they did it right. Two of the shows strongest females – of which there were a handful – include C.J. Cregg, White House Press Secretary, and Amy Gardner, a lobbyist for women’s rights. When C.J. learns of an arms deal that Bartlet has made with Qumar, she’s agitated and visibly upset the entire episode, voicing her opposition to an arms deal with a country that shows, among other issues, no respect for women and mistreats them. At the request of the First Lady, Josh meets with a powerful women’s caucus over the language in a U.N. treaty agreement, and along the way, speaks with ex-girlfriend and women’s rights lobbyist Amy Gardner on the issue.
It’s a message of understanding, of standing up for respect to women, whether it be here in the United States or in the fictional country of Qumar. We need women like C.J., Amy, Dr. Abby Bartlet and more to stand up for women’s rights.
We need our president’s not to “grab us by the pussies” and cut off our access to healthcare.
We need respect, and equal rights. We deserve that much.
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What do you think, readers? What episodes of The West Wing gave you a better understanding of politics than school ever did? Let us know in the comments!