Posted on 10/06/2024 6:49:44 PM PDT by simpson96
In the past 50 years, women without children have begun to redefine the traditional narratives of family and fulfillment. In the 1970s, about one in every 10 women would exit their childbearing years without bearing children. In the mid 2000s, that statistic became one in five. In the past 10 years, the childbearing rate of women in their 20s has fallen yet another 15%. The data says it all: More and more women every year are opting out of motherhood.
I am immensely proud to be one of 22 million women aged 20-39 in the U.S. who have not given birth. I have found enormous satisfaction and purpose in my childfree life. In the past year alone, I have gotten the chance to travel the world and have met so many new friends along the way. As a content creator, I have expanded my social media community in ways I never would have thought possible, including gathering an audience of over 800,000 fellow childfree and childfree-curious individuals who I get to share my life and my ideas with. My childfree lifestyle has fulfilled me creatively and financially, and I have been lucky enough to inspire others by showing them what a life without kids can look like. I know myself and I know my limits, and none of this would have been possible for me if I had kids to tend to.
Unfortunately, not everyone feels as positively about the growing rate of childless women in our country. In late July, Donald Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance went viral for resurfaced comments he made in 2021 about “miserable” childless cat ladies, as well as a speech from the same year in which he advocated for childfree people to have fewer voting rights than those with kids. His reasoning? He believes — or, at least, claims to believe — childfree people have no stake in the future (as if the future doesn’t belong to us, too…).
Vance — and people who think like him — should be wary of the voters they call “miserable.”
Vance’s sentiments are an unfortunate but familiar retelling of out-of-date, sexist stereotypes that have prevailed since the 1800s. They’re also straight-up wrong. It’s a common misconception that childfree people are selfish, ungenerous, and indifferent about the future. In my case, this couldn’t be more untrue, actually! I don’t have to have kids of my own to care about younger generations. I want a healthy, thriving economy, society, and planet not just for myself (I mean, I’m only 25 and expect to live many more decades, after all) but also for others who will come after me. Wanting the best for the people we share the world with comes from basic human empathy, a skill I learned on the kindergarten playground. When Vance insinuates he didn’t learn true empathy until he had children, it makes me wonder if he also missed the lessons on “inside voices” and “sharing” that we all learned at a young age.
Vance — and people who think like him — should be wary of the voters they call “miserable.” Many of us “miserables” are also the ones who are super vocal about this upcoming election — and some of us, like myself, actually have influence over a large number of voters. Social media is a powerful force that can sway an election, and without children to occupy my time, I have put plenty of hours into researching and educating my audience on the Trump campaign’s harmful policies. Every single day, I remind my audience through my Free Birth Control series of the importance of protecting our reproductive rights and the power to make choices about our bodies. And I’m not alone; there are countless creators on social media who are using their platforms to ensure our rights are protected, too. So, if Vance is afraid of a future run by childless cat ladies, he’s already living his own worst nightmare.
The overturn of Roe v. Wade has demonstrated that our right to remain childfree is not guaranteed. I, for one, am ready and willing to fight to ensure it is.
Vance’s “childless cat ladies” remark was directed at the Democrat leaders in office. And when asked about the comment recently, Vance says the same thing - thank God - and doesn’t hem and haw about it. (He always answers their questions directly, with conviction and facts and logic).
From the Guardian:
Speaking in 2021, a year shy of election to the US Senate in Ohio and when best known as the author of the bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, Vance told the then Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the US was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.
“It’s just a basic fact – you look at [vice-president] Kamala Harris, [US transportation secretary] Pete Buttigieg, AOC [congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] – the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. And how does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?”
Nothing but a narcissist. She’s doing the world a huge favor by not reproducing.
And yet it never occurs to people like the author of this article that there is a natural and safe way to avoid having a baby.
People like the author include any female who has no children, cat or no cat.
IMHO, what makes a cat lady is a single woman who lives in part of a house owned by dozens of cats. The ones where there are small piles of feces everywhere and it reeks of cat urine.
The ones who then insist on telling others how they should live their lives.
Another feminist fool. Tons of her on the interwebs dispensing bad advice.
“And when you are 60? 70?. Your cats will eat you if you die all alone.”
If she leaves the toilet lid up the cats will survive until someone comes to investigate the smell.
“I have tee shirts older than you, and smarter too.”
Me too. “New York Yankees 1978 World Champions”
I’m an old broad who never married and never had children (or an abortion). I wish every day I had a husband and some kids but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. What Vance said was silly but I was not offended in the least. I support him 100%. BTW, I use to have cats but for the last 17 years I’ve had rescue pups.
I read (heard?) a story about some cat lady that tried to get a cat down out of her attic. The lady got stuck head first in the narrow vertical passageway where the plumbing between the two bathrooms ran.
Her mail piled up and after some weeks the neighbors complained of the smell. The police broke in and found dozens of dead/starved cats. They searched high and low for the woman but couldn’t find her. Even a quick search of the attic.
I forget how she was ultimately found.
Childless not by choice dog mom.
( and whatever other critter needs my help)
Spontaneous miscarriages 6-8 weeks in.
At least two, possibly 3.
It’s an issue in my family.
I would have loved to have kids but crappy biology wins.
Either I “ mother” animals or go mad because I NEED to mother something.
I’ll live and die alone with no one to care.
Sucks but it is what it is.
I think this witch protesteth too much.
Hey Abigail.
Not even with his johnson...
Reverse the genders and that would have been me up to my 38th birthday.
At some point, long before that age, you probably just lost interest in the "dating game" and/or "checked out." Maybe your career took precedence. Maybe you were too engrossed in community service, volunteering for the church, or helping out at the local animal shelter. Perhaps you found fulfillment in that.
Men can sense when a woman isn't "emotionally available" and will then usually not bother to pursue, even when the woman is physically attractive and has a nice personality.
I guess that it didn't really dawn on you what you had (more or less willingly) foregone until after your child-bearing years. But at least you aren't bitter or blaming anyone else for your situation. You can still lead a purposeful life and at least provide support to nephews and nieces. Further, if your health is still holding out, you could still look about in your retirement community or nursing facility and find a good man with whom to form an emotional bond.
Regards,
Well, she’s a Darwin award winner.
But this trend affects more than just her. She says she wants a “healthy, thriving economy [and] society,” but that’s not going to happen if people like her cause our fertility rate to continue to plummet — large-scale population decline would be a disaster.
Childless not by choice is tough, and I’m so sorry that you were unable to have them. But what you do have are the two “beings” that love unconditionally; God and dogs. I’m not sure that us humans are deserving of either. And don’t worry, God will not abandon you.
Bless you for that dear one.
Most of the time I can quietly deal with such comments but sometimes “cat lady or dog lady” is a gut punch.
I often sit and wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice that I dropped dead in my house…and what will my dogs do for water.
Grim thoughts I try to put aside.
If I drop dead unnoticed I’d hope no one judged my dogs for eating me.
Better that than they die starving.
I’ll be dead and not notice anyway.
Ironically I have a sister who cares nothing for me.
All this time after the house fire, she’s not even contacted me, let alone offered help or even “gee. sorry”
And she’s mom’s favorite angel, despite me being the one who is here tending to her every day since dad died 13 years ago.
Don’t imagine that doesn’t hurt.
I’ve been widowed for 17 months.
My narcissistic husband crushed me to the point that I truly believed I was
“ lucky” he even put up with me.
Haven’t t been touched in decades.
If a person touches me I flinch.
If my friend hugs me I freeze up and barely tolerate it.
I’m actually terrified of the thought of a man in my life.
Who would want me?
I’m too broken now.
Sadly I need a man to help me do the helpful, strong and brave things men do.
Now more than ever.
I have no self esteem left.
Sometimes I feel like I’m not real at all.
Well, she is other-wise.
“... wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice that I dropped dead in my house…and what will my dogs do for water.”
That’s why we have large food and water “hoppers” for our cats. You never know what can happen, even during a short drive to the store.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.