Posted on 02/09/2005 5:14:37 PM PST by Happygal
One of Ireland's best known conservative journalists Kevin Myers is currently under 'fire' - quite literally - for his most recent Irishmans Diary for the Irish Times.
In Kevin's most recent column he used - as he is wont to do at times - quite strong language to criticise the current number of young women in Ireland, who are becoming pregnant to receive welfare cheques.
Kevin's outraged the liberals of Ireland by referring to these women as 'MOB's' - an acronym for Mothers Of Bastards.
Unfortunately I cannot link to the Irish Times site from here - it's a subscription site. But I have found the article excerpted. Kevin is being vilified for saying this:
"Even as things stand, we are bribing the unmotivated, the confused, the backward, the lazy into making the worst career decision of their young lives, and becoming professional unmarried mothers, living off the State until the grave takes over. Our welfare system is creating benefits-addicted, fatherless families who will be raised in a culture of personal and economic apathy - and from such warped timber, true masts are seldom hewn."
...and he also said this:
"And how many girls, and we're talking largely about teenagers here, conciously embark upon a career of mothering bastards because it seems a good way of getting money and accomodation from the State? Ah. You don't like the term bastard? No, I didn't think you would. In the welfare-land of Euphemisia, what is the correct term for the offspring of unmarried mothers?
He continues, using the acronym "MoB":
"And how do MoB's cope when their male bastards (in the literal sense) become metaphorical bastards in adolescence? How does a woman assert her will over a sour, aggressive, uncommunicative boy? Well she usually doesn't - a study of the parental backgrounds of gang members in London and New York - where they are ahead of us on these matters - will tell you. Mob members usually stressed out Mobs for mothers and absent FoBs for dads."
There are demands on all of the radio stations today for Myers to be fired from the Irish Times. And I'm sure the Times might gladly do it, because they are so leftist. In fact Myers (and a Monday column by Mark Steyn) are the only conservative influences in the paper.
While I think the 'bastard' term was a bit strong - I'm with Kevin 100% on what he's saying.
Ping
Admin...I'm not sure if this thread it okay, because I can't link directly to the article, and the quotes I've used from Myers piece were sourced from other comment pieces.
I thought it was worth discussing here, because this is a 'hot topic' in Ireland today.
And it's interesting how conservative opinions on unmarried motherhood, are being now vilified in Catholic Ireland.
Anyway, please remove if I've made a posting faux pas. :-)
It's a good analogy alright. One of the best I've read in a while! :-)
All of these factors incline the child to grow up as a high school drop out (very likely), or get into drugs (likely), or into crime (less likely but common). Yet being borne illegitimate creates a greater likelihood of all these factors than any other.
Sometimes the truth is very harsh. But it is precisely in those instances that it's most important that the truth be told.
Congressman Billybob
Click for latest, "Was Howard Dean behind a Daring Art Theft?"
Well, yeah.
Funny how those outraged by the truth and the use of the word 'bastard' in it's dictionary sense - are more vile in their criticism.
Ahhh, the double-standards the lie in liberal-ville!
:^)
Pinging you guys to this for your thoughts, if any! :-)
How far we have all fallen.
Common sense and morals have been replaced with realtivism and statism.
Kinda harsh, but a child is best served growing up with a mother AND father...MUD
I hear that in Dublin, there are now 5th generation of families on the dole. Single families breed single families and the cycle continues. Add the influx of pregnant women from Africa and you'd think we're a Simon community nation.
I'm just glad that at least someone has the balls to speak up for what a silent majority feel.
I quite like Kevin Myers. Haven't read him since the Irish Times became a subscription site but as I recall he made a lot of sense. He is simply stating the obvious here and the outrage is that he would be attacked and vilified for it.
Well, all I know is, if the Irish Times fire Kevin it will be just another good reason NOT to purchase the Irish Times.
Myers has been posted on here quite a few times.
Next time I come across him here, I'll ping you.
Nice meetin' ye, btw! :-)
I'm staying away from this thread. It's obvious that the ideal is a two parent household but life doesn't work out that way. Bastard is a disgusting word.There are no bastard children just bastard parents.
To be honest, I don't believe Myers was being critical of the children...
...but he was criticising the career-welfare moms, who deliberately go out and get pregnant for a welfare cheque, and childrens allowance. An unemployed single mother with one child can get about €1,000 a month (that's about $1,250) in Ireland. It's a problem.
BTW, they also get free health care, and rental allowance.
Are you joking me - €1,000 a month! Things have really changed since the days when I got 25 quid a week for nearly killing meself working on a farm! Had a friend who was on the dole for a while and got about the same - but that was in the 80s when the economy was banjaxed.
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