Following an opinion piece penned by Wall Street Journal writer-editor Joseph Epstein, people from all parts of the globe have taken a stand to support Dr Jill Biden. For the unfamiliar, Epstein’s article called Dr Biden to drop her title as a ‘Dr’ for apparently it “sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.” Coming from an emeritus lecturer at Northwestern University, his article was not only sexist and misogynistic but also symbolic of the ways men question women’s credentials, even in this day and age. Leading to online outrage, a spokesman from the Northwestern University saw it fit to announce that “while we firmly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr Epstein’s opinion.” This was followed by his name abruptly disappearing from Northwestern’s English department website.
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So, what’s the problem anyway? Why wasn’t there a fuss when American Christian minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr went with the title Dr? Let me tell you why. First, he earned the title through a PhD in systematic theology at Boston University. Second, he was a man. And what’s so different in the case of Jill Biden? First, she earned the title through a PhD in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. Second, she is a woman. Neither is her earned title “unpromising” nor do you use media to patronise someone by calling them a “kiddo”. And in case you need a revision, here’s the definition of ‘Doctor’—”A person who is qualified to treat people who are ill. AND also, a person who holds the highest university degree (which in most cases is a PhD).”
And to be fair, if someone in the plane yells “Is someone over here a doctor,” while the pilot slumps, no reasonable passenger will assume that they are asking for Dr Jill Biden. Do you get the difference?
Speaking of global solidarity against the condescending article, women from across the globe took to their social media in support with hashtag #MyTitleIsDr while medical doctorate holders credited the title of Dr Jill Biden “as valid as it gets”. Tweets were made about how difficult it is to get a PhD.
From the likes of seasoned women like Michelle Obama, the world wide web was flooded with support for the First Lady. Here’s what Michelle had to say:
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They say that how you handle a personal attack says a lot about your character. Might we say that Dr Biden’s reaction speaks volumes!
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Photographs: Instagram
