Michelle,whoaaa girl! re but I would like to point out that NONE of the above issues are even close, even minutely close to being as offensive to me as the standard right wing stance on family values......Do you people understand what family values does to working women? Have you ever thought about that? It essentially means that any woman who really wants that top mgmt job or executive position is going to have to decide early on that she wont have a family and thats pretty much it. Because in general the situation is, if you give up everything for your career, and then all the sudden youve got a few million or something, and youre 40 yrs old, (this is common) today you can have a child and feel good about it. Obviously its not the ideal but otoh its certainly not the worst situation is it? But with this "family values" blather, it makes that option pretty much unthinkable.
Now let's take this one thing at a time. First off, it is a biological reality that women are the ones plumbed to bear the children, if life on Earth is to continue. I would think that women might view that as an incredible gift; a high honor. Certainly being 100% necessary for the continuation of the human race is nothing to take lightly.
Next, everyone has to make certain choices in life. It's simply an inevitable function of unchangable realities. You make certain choices, and other things are bound to be affected: a) A woman decides that she by herself will have a fast-track "go for it" career, and now the time and energy for child bearing and rearing is squeezed. Like you said, put off children until you're forty, and there's going to be sacrifices: Your body is not in its physical prime anymore, but you can make it. Who is being critical of waiting until you're forty to have a child? That is a personal decision. So that is a perfectly acceptable option. I do think that children need Dads though, if possible, for the children's benefit. Nevertheless, let me say to you that in no way does this mean that it is morally acceptable to abort a child simply because you may have to slow down the career. A new life with a beating heart within you is much more precious and important than fast-track-millionaire careers. Any argument to the contrary is simply placing money and worldly wealth on a *false* pedestal.
Michelle, some people have money and some people don't. Some people make the seeking of riches their utmost top priority, and they still don't accumulate wealth or even live very well. Others seem to accumulate wealth without seeming to even try very hard. Others put forth just average effort, and have average amount of money.
And we all know what happens to women that instead decide to go on the "mommy track" now dont we? How many women millionaires do you all know on the mommy track huh?
Sorry but I dont think you guys realize how threatening the right wing stance really is.
I guess it depends on if you accept or reject the "team approach" of man and woman, going through life together as a team. Let me tell you how "threatening" the right wing stance has been to my siblings: As I said before, I now have 30 nieces and nephews. Three sisters have born 19 of those. All sisters have husbands. One of my sisters has never worked outside the homeplace, unless you count the time spent managing the books of her husband's small business. She has eight children. Since I do their income tax returns I won't say what they make, but suffice to say that they live quite comfortably in a spacious house on acreage, have three pretty new vehicles, and pay a lot more in taxes than most people make in gross income. They are very grateful for everything with which the Lord has blessed them with, both naturally and spiritually.
Another sister just had her sixth child, and I don't believe she's ever worked outside of the homeplace, except she is extremely ambitious, moreso than, I daresay, you or I: She personally built the kitchen cabinet set for their new house (on five wooded acres, btw). She personally built a masonry and rock chimney that starts in the basement and goes up through the living room (wood stove) and continues up a floor through the master bedroom (fireplace), and then exits the roof. And no, her husband has never done masonry work, and neither had she, prior to that. She is also very artistic, and can paint pictures well. She is also pretty and in shape. She also has a small business of her own doing stenciling in houses; borders and such. She's not trying to become a millionaire doing it, but she enjoys it and is good at it.
She's not the Vice President of Revlon, and neither does she wish she were. She's very happy with the gifts God has given her.
The other sister has never had a career outsider her home either. She last worked at a bakery shop just prior to when she got married. She worked there until shortly before her first child was born. Her husband at the time of her marriage was a self-employed flatwork (concrete) guy with one partner and sometimes one employee, sometimes no employees. Today he and my sister are....well, they're probably what one would have to classify as rich. Not Bill Gates rich, but yes, multi-millionaires. He and she are part owners of a home building business. And since our state is a community property state, they are each half-owner of assets, so therefore this sister is a millionaire surely, *and* she has five beautiful children. Yes, I'd say she's been on the "mommy track". She also is a fluent flute player, and has taught (in her home) for a few years a crafts class for elementary school-age kids. Their home is very beautiful. I don't know how many square feet, but let's just say that there is more than enough to host a 50-person Christmas get-together quite comfortably. So yes, she too is very happy and quite thankful for all the goodness the Lord has blessed her family with.
Me? I'm single, and not even close to rich, or even well off. I'm just an average working joe. And single. So I guess I'm puzzled as to how the right wing is a threat to women. How has the right wing stood in the way of your personal pursuit of worldly wealth, Michelle? At what in particular do you "take offense" at? |
