So.....where to begin.....I was working out at the gym - yes, I joined a gym, and I actually GO - and I was watching CNN on one of the tvs while on the treadmill, and saw the whole story of how Sarah Palin is under fire for various parenting choices she's made, and people are upset that she's running even though her teenage daughter is pregnant and her son has Down Syndrome....though I am no a fan of Palin, and am definitely not voting for her, I find it interesting that she - the sole WOMAN now in the running - is the only one whose parenting choices and actions are being scrutinized. Did anyone question Bush's parenting choices about his twins?? What difference does it make if her child has special healthcare needs? And last time I checked, how many OTHER 16 year old girls are having sex? The difference is that Bristol Palin got caught. And how many parents can actually control their children's behavior, let alone sexual behavior? Do I find it gleefully ironic that an abstinence-only sex education, anti-choice politician has a knocked-up daughter? Of course. Do I think that the mom should be held responsible? No. And I think we all need to remember just how YOUNG Bristol is. She's 16 or 17. That is really young to be in the national spotlight, being torn apart and scrutinized. We need to leave her out of the media feeding frenzy. If Sarah Palin were a man, would her parenting skills and choices be called into question? I highly doubt it. It is sad that in the year 2008 I even have to blog about this. It's sad that women still don't earn the same as men, dollar-to-dollar. It's sad that women have to plan their careers with an eye toward childbearing and the "mommy track". We are damned if we do, damned if we don't. If we stay at home to raise children, we're "not REALLY working"; if we go back to work, we're "bad" mothers or "unnatural". If we hire a nanny, we're snobs, if we don't, we're martyrs. Enough is enough already. Let's stop tearing down other women to avoid getting ripped apart ourselves. Why don't we acknowledge that none of our choices are easy - but they're
our choices, and should be respected as such.
Added later, while watching Palin's speech at the RNC:
You know, she is a tough cookie. She really is a good speaker.....and she's proving she's smart and tough and, indeed, making another crack in that glass ceiling. I'm not a fan of hers as of right now, but I have to give her props.
And doesn't she look like Tina Fey, from SNL? I half expect her to call up Amy Poehler on stage and do Weekend Update. Her hair is amazing.
3 comments:
Instead of blogging about a wolf killer and environmentalist's worst nightmare, I'd like to hear how you are doing in your cancer studies and how you are kicking butt with your unequivical knowledge in the field.
MM
BTW-in this world of women looking for heroes, they should realize that it doesn't take a politician to be someone's hero- but the woman who works 9 hours a day and then comes home to help her kids with their homework, or the blogger who makes her mother proud by writing about her trials and tribulations with cancer.
Then, the mother realizes that even though she thinks her daughter is her hero, the mother looks in the mirror and realizes that there must have been something- one thing, she did right in her life to produce such a terrific offspring.
There are plenty of working mothers out there with special needs children. Personally, they are the heroes we should look up to. The working mother who deals with difficulties all day long in a low paying job and then comes back to the house to make it a home by adding a hot dinner and love to her children. No tv cameras, no speechwriters, just a working mother who is someone's hero evey day, every night, and doesn't get a bit of credit. We needs more of those heroines in our stories.
MM
Ouch! I'm thinking about sending some Bactine... that had to sting. Your blog space is just that... "your" space, and don't you forget it, missy. I enjoy reading your views and opinions on whatever subject, whether I agree with the substance or value of the topic or not. Whatever you write, it's all a part of your passionate, caring, multi-faceted nature that I find interesting and worthy of admiration. Thank you for allowing us the privilege to share in your thoughts, day in and day out, full of heroes or trivia. As a feminist and a mother, I know that I've done my job when my daughter says, "Mom, I have a mind and a voice of my own."
A Friend & A Fan
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