I don't get it either. Can't they hear themselves?
Right on Spunky! You said it far better than I could have!
(by the way, in the first sentence "decision" should be plural, and after your quotation, "short" should be comparative form)
I think that women should be considered equal to men. Mentioning "special needs" of women, as seen in this quotation, only points women out as different. Mentioning that women need such things from the government because they "always care for the children" is reinforcing a stereotype.
You're right, I've never seen men protest as much as women regarding needs in the workplace. Teenage mothers may need these benefits.
The subliminal messages idea is absolutely ridiculous
Thanks Adam for the grammar check. I was trying to type as my daughters were asking to go out for Slurpees! We're back and they are slurping away. (Our AC went out, UGH!) I'll make the corrections. I wish air conditioners were this easy to fix.
Brilliant post, Spunky!! Why does their agenda include my money?! Why do their choices need to be validated by our government? What does independence and freedom have to do with government nannies?
Brilliant post. Like Lori said above, "Can't they hear themselves?"
I can hear them - loud and clear.
Warmly,
Kate
Spunk!
You've won two Blogs of Beauty awards. Congratulations.
Notice that career ALWAYS come before family in her writing. Her words speak for themselves as to what kind her person she is.
One word; worldview. Period.
Brilliant post, Spunky.
As a man, I need to work to provide for my family, to keep my sanity because I don't want to spend too much time with my wife and children, and for the sake of my country because it is only those activities in the financially compensated workforce which have any value to my country. To maximize my effectiveness as a tax generator, I need a few things:
1) I need lots of day care positions which are paid for by someone else. That way I can send my wife out of the home to double our income, and it will actually be financially viable. If we were to pay for looking after our children ourselves, it would not be financially viable. So the government must provide. Incidentally, I'm a highly paid professional and all the money my wife makes will go towards toys for me and vacation getaways.
2) I need the government to look after my children in the evenings. It's too much to expect my wife to do all the work of looking after the children in the evenings, and I'm not willing to help out. You see, getting together with my buddies, golfing and the annual guys golf vacation are important to my mental health and self-actualization. If the government wants me to be fully self-actualized, the government is going to have to do something to help.
3) I need a constitutional amendment (or at least a ruling by activist judges which is theoretically based on the constitution) protecting my right to walk away from financially entangling situations. For example, if I get a girl pregnant, the limits of my responsibility should be to pay for the abortion. If she can't see a good offer when it comes along, why should I be burdened with supporting a child for 18 years. Um, on second thought, I shouldn't be burdened with the cost of the abortion. Let the government pay for that as well.
4) I need the government to spend billions of dollars a year on an advertising campaign which will remove any traces of personal responsibility from my life. Personal responsibility is a burden. It's a stress. And stress isn't good for you. But if I have no sense of personal responsibility in my family or in my community, I'll finally be free to achieve my fullest potential as a human being.
Yup, no doubt at all. I'm a very needy person. But thankfully the government can solve all of these problems for me, and finally I'll be able to stand on my own two feet as a real man.
Haha! Being a person with a sarcastic sense of humor I really got a kick out of the above post. Classic! I needed that first thing this morning!
Shawn Abigail:
Here in Canada, some your ideas wouldn't be entirely too far-fetched for some!
Umm... why does she need a constitutional amendment to protect her right to birth control? The court ruled in the 70s (Griswold vs. Connecticut) that married women had that inherent right. Later decisions affirmed the right for singles as well.
I assume she's complaining about some pharmacies that won't fill such perscriptions, but honestly, isn't there always another pharmacy to go to. Seems like there is one on every streetcorner her. And there are always online pharmacies as well.
Even if I didn't find the rest of her demands ridiculous, I would have a hard time taking her seriously based on the absurdity of demanding a Constitutional amendment for a right already protected.
Oh my! My grammar is appalling this morning. Please ignore my poor spelling a lack of appropriate punctuation.
Lara, you're forgiven. If you read a few comments above, I had a few bloopers in grammar in the post.
As far as the Constitutional Ammendment that mystified me too. I couldn't figure out what she was actually worried about.
WOW! - brilliant post and awesome replies as well (kudos to Shawn for being so entertaining).. this blog "rocks" (as my kids would say)..
You think I can get the government to clean my house? I mean if they are going to be in here all the time they may as well pick up a little....
While they are at it, they can do the shopping too... that way we'll at least be eating according to government guidelines...
sheesh....
Spunky - I am with you girl! I wrote about this a while back in this post.
Shawn, you beat me to the punch. I have a post I was working on in a very similar way.
Great work Spunk!
"give back to my country" my comment is "Oh barf!" You don't "give back" you just TAKE..... I chose to be a parent thru adoption. I HAVE to work. I do not expect any of the "entitlements" she mentions. Yes, it's hard not being home with my kids, but its WAY better than them staying in a former Soviet orphanage! Yes, endless time off would be a God-send, but that's not it. I CHOOSE to be their PARENT. No one made me. I honesly don't understand why I can "deduct" my kids from my taxes. It's NICE, but makes no sense. Pumping? In my office the ladies out up a sign and do their pumping in the comfort of their office. One more random thought: try buying a house the size your parents bought. That alone will probably make it "possible" for you to "work" at home. Ditto buying a KIA Rio to drive. How about cracking open that cookbook Aunt Edna gave you for a wedding present? Bet that would save a ton, too!!!!!!! I have not given up hope of earning enough FROM HOME to be at home with my kids someday. Nor should anyone else who truly MUST work!!! [This is not meant to sound nasty. It's just the way I write!!! 
]
Re: birth control. I think she's worried about the morning after pill and the birth control pills that many people protest because they are also abortive. She wants to make sure that those things stay as "birth control" and that pharmacists are not allowed to get out of distributing pills on a conscience clause.
Congratulations on the awards Spunky !
I loved your (I'm assuming 
) tongue-in-cheek response Shawn! I have often wondered myself why the feminist women feel they should have a "choice" whether to keep their baby or not but if they decide to keep it, then the men better buck up and "take care of their responsibilities"!
How can they not see how ridiculous this all is?
I think her reference to a Constitutional Amendment was in regards to the possible over-turning of Roe v. Wade. If there were a Constitutional Amendment on birth control, worded just right, abortion would become untouchable, I bet that's where she's coming from.
I agree, that's a good theory too Magda! The fact that she worded it "birth control" instead of contraception makes it pretty likely she was subtly talking about abortion in some form, or in every form (pills, surgical, etc.).
I enjoyed that one, too, Shawn. Hilarious and spot-on.
Good gracious, I suppose we should buy her kids' clothes and snack packs too?
It seems to me that the government is already somewhat slanted towards dual income families.
I love it. Good work, Spunky.
Congrats on the awards!
"Why is it that women who claim they are independent, depend on the government for so much of their independence? I just don't get it."
The state makes a good husband. You get all the financial benefits of a provider without having to wash his clothes or fix him a meal.
As far as the Constitutional Ammendment, I thought she was talking about an ammendment to protect abortion.
I was wondering if she was referring to abortion as well.
Pft. Regardless of whether or not abortion should be a right, it should never be considered "birth control." How pathetic is our society if we start considering using contraceptives too much work and decide abortion is the easier alternative!
As I read through the post, your comments, and then the original article including the AFL-CIO survey for working women, I am struck by how self-assured (smug?) you all are thinking this will never pertain to you. You're a stay-at-home mom now, but life changes on a dime. Whether it is you or your husband out there working, some collective help from gov't laws may prove beneficial to your situation. How did minimum wage, the 40-hr work week, overtime, come about? Quite frankly, I find it refreshing that someone wants to hear what is on the hearts and minds of women. And did you notice that kids aren't in the work force anymore...hmmm, how did that come about???
Missing your point on the children not being in the workforce. I'm told by those establishments that typically employ children that they can't find enough teens who will take minimum wage jobs.
I'm not self assured, I have faith in my family that God has provided for me to help me when in need. It may not be in a country estate but God gave us families to take care of one another, not the state.
We have a word when somebody takes money from one person and gives it to another. It's called stealing. Yet when the government does it we call it compassion. Changing the word doesn't change the action.
Why do I want to pay the government $100 to give away $75 and keep $25 for themselves for expenses. Take the middle man out and let me give my money where I determine not where the state determines is appropriate.
Great post Spunky! And congratulations on the awards. You're one of my favorite reads.
Why is it that women who claim they are independent, depend on the government for so much of their independence?
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:: applause ::
I suspect the bit about a consitutional right to birth control refers to "The Morning After Pill". Of course, you really have to hand it to the marketing departments of the pharaceutical companies. We've got this great pill, but what are we going to call it in our marketing? The Home Abortion Kit? No, perhaps "The Morning After Pill" would be more profitable.
In Canada Pharmacies are required to stock "The Morning After Pill" as an essential medicine for women. I forget whether it is the government or the College of Pharmacists that came up with this one.
Here's the point...the reason children (not teens) are not in the labor force is because laws were passed. My point--could the government actually be an agent of good (compassion) for the collective citizenry of the US in this case?
When you refer to your family taking care of you vs the state, does that mean you don't use the 911 system?
Does that mean you don't use public libraries? Does that mean you don't use anything provided for by the state?
My point here is: does everything this country legislates have to benefit you personally before you endorse it? It feels rigid and selfish...
I have a friend who has worked full time, gone to part time, quite all together, went back part time and is now full time again all within the last four years! My husband would NEVER be allowed to do this at this same compnay... because he is a dad! It drives me nuts to think about all the money the compnay has spent moving, retraining, doing paper work just because you can't decide if you are staying home or not. I am not trying to be a fussy-bussy, but you are RIGHT! It's not everyone else's job to make sure you can work and take care of your family!
When I go somewhere with my four kids, I don't expect people to open the door, help me when I drop something etc etc... just because "I" have four kids! When they do, I am so excited! LOL BUT this IS "MY" JOB!!
There is a difference between a local municipality determining through the levying of local taxes for a specific purpose like 911. But it should be up to those local municipalities. The further we move from local control and central planning of the smallest of issues the worse for our democracy. We currently see federal government, and many state governments taking money and then tell us what "services" they will provide for us with the money. That's not a government of the people, by the people, for the people.
It's not that a program has to benefit me personally. But the first question we must ask is, is this the purpose of our government. They were never intended to be providers of our everything.
An excellent article you should read to help you understand this is by Davy Crockett called "It's not yours to give."
http://www.house.gov/paul/nytg.htm
I'll rest at your statement, "Is this the purpose of our government?" and see you at the polls where it gets decided. (unless you are going to wage a little civil unrest--then I'll see you on the evening news.)
I've been on the news once before. It was a lot of fun.
As far as the polls, I don't hold much hope for my position actually. People have gotten kind of used to a state "sugar daddy". It's become more like see you at the trough than at the polls for most people.
You talk about the "State" as though they are a working organization that brings home the bacon....literally. Yeah sometimes I think even the "State" forgets where its money comes from. I personally pay $3.00 every month for a 911 service charge on my phone bill. Oops, make that $9.00 a month (we have 3 phones). So in way my family would be taking care of me by making up some of the State.
Gosh, I wish the government would protect my right to get eight hours sleeep a night! And how about a monthly massage to destress from the terrible life of being a woman?
spunky, you're terrific! Funny thing - I wrote about working moms today - Working parents sell kids short - at http://www.mommylife.net/
archive..._parents_1.html. Now, tonight at midnight I'm making a few visits and find you've been coming at the same topic from a different angle.
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