Posted on 09/04/2008 8:18:10 AM PDT by goldstategop
And for the last several days, my jaw dropped to note the partisan pandering on both sides of the aisle, first as prominent liberal feminist women suddenly discover that a woman actually should stay home and raise a family, but second--and far more disappointing to me--as conservatives and Republicans suddenly endorse the fictional notions that 1) a woman can do it all and working women are good at raising a family--nix on both; and 2) it's not a problem that a man quit his job and subvert his life to raise the family in submission to the ambitions of his wife.
It's odd--and, frankly, jarring--to hear formerly traditional family values conservatives throw it all former principle out the window to adopt the lingua franca of what was once the exclusive domain of the Gloria Steinems and Betty Friedans of the world, to call "sexist," those who raise the issue of Sarah Palin's ability to mother her family and be a full-time working woman at the same time.
What is, since Friday, now "sexist" to these many conservatives-cum-lemmings, was yesterday "traditional family values."
(Excerpt) Read more at debbieschlussel.com ...
p> "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If you are insinuating Todd (Iron Dog) Palin is neither, you are mistaken.
The Father is the head of the family, the Mother is the heart. Sarah is a wife and mother before she is Gov or VP. She is showing this through her words and actions.
It just shows what happens when what you preach comes back to bite you in the ass.....The ‘feminists” can’t stand having their own theme thrown at them from a *shudder* conservative...
You reap what you sow, liberals...Live with it...
“Mr. Mom” is an anti-male slur. I’m very surprised to see some conservatives embracing the idea that a father is just a sperm-donor and a paycheck, while a mother is the only parent whose involvement with the children matters for their welfare. Isn’t that the radical-feminist, welfare-baby-mama, turkey-baster, lesbian-partner line?
Seriously? What is wrong from a conservative viewpoint that a man stays home with the kids? How is that not being a strong husband and father? I think he looks like a GREAT father. Certainly better than 'father of the year' John Edwards.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
What these LIBs on the DBM are implying is very striking. They are implying that men cannot raise their children. They make it out like when Mom Palin goes to work, NOBODY is around to care for these children. Well, there is somebody around and not a NANNY like in the case of Soledad O’Brien. That somebody is DAD.
This “tradition” has probably only existed since the 1950s, at which time most women ceased working on the family farm or in the family business and adopted the new post-war ideal of the mother at home doing it all. Remember, prior to the 1950s, even mothers who were middle class usually had household help and also did not do chores (uch as laundry and ironing) themselves, but sent these things out or had their household help do them. This change - from the mother being a part of the economic unit, to her basically being responsible only for child-care and housework - ocurred in part as a response to economic changes after WWII (the demise of the family business or farm as an important economic unit) and partly to the rise of mechanization.
One of our problems is that we take a very short-sighted, ahistorical view of these things. Women have always been working members of the family, running businesses, farms, etc. and in fact a woman who was good at these things was praised and honored even back in the middle ages. Our entire society and economic structure has changed since then, of course, and even since the end of WWII, so it’s logical that what women do will also change.
I read something somewhere, about how although the bulk of us ladies are indeed best suited to motherhood, that doesn't negate the talents and destiny of those who are called to do more, such as Margaret Thatcher, Phyllis Schlafly, etc. The problem is when feminists push the lie that *any* woman can match *any* man in *any* field.
I always thought that conservatives were merely reacting to the denigration of traditional female roles by the feminist establishment?
Wow, I guess I'm enlightened a little bit.
We all have jobs to do in the family. I do the job of mother and father as there is no other in the home to do the job of father. A father doesn’t have to be the wage earner to be strong...it’s how he is there for the family as a whole.
If he is willing to be Mr. Mom for the time his wife is answering her call to duty for her country, more power to him! I respect him for being willing to do so, just as I respect Sarah Palin for being willing to answer her call to duty!
I certainly haven't heard anyone saying that "a woman's place is in the home" for a very long time. (except maybe some really fundamentalist christian types)
What I have heard conservatives saying is that children need a mom and a dad. Times have changed. The criticism of Palin is offensive, and I find Schlussel's criticism of my (and other conservatives) defense of Palin to be offensive as well.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I am of the TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES not role reversal. Supermom is a myth. It kind of showed up with Birstol ... . Having said that, I will be voting FOR McPain with more nausea since the Obomination is WORSE. That is the ONLY reason why I must compromise this time around. I am sick and tired of this compromising. It's the LAST time I will do that for the GOP.
I will also be changing to an Independent. I no longer feel comfortable with this redefinition of family and roles. would have preferred that Sarah's kids be grown and responsible adults then I would have less conflict. As it stands now, Sarah is NO role model in this house because of that. For her it should be family first. The priority should be the kids when they are growing up. We don't teach role reversal at home.
Apparently not to Debbie.
This article is quite amazing. Is Debbie saying that a husband is nothing but a paycheck?
If he does not bring in a paycheck he is nothing?
Does not being a loving husband and involved father count for anything in her world?
For part of my childhood my mom worked outside the home while my dad struggled to start a small church. I was raised by my dad during those years and would not have traded that time for anything.
When I have kids my husband has said that he is going to be Mr. Mom. He works out of the home and it is currently not possible for me to do so this makes sense to us.
But apparently in Debbie's world if a man does not spend long hours away from his family then he is useless.
I find it amazing that people like her would denigrate men so.
A strong husband in my view is one that is self assured and self confident enough to still wear the pants yet encourage his wife to be all she can be. Todd Palin is far from the “Mr.Mom” said sneeringly. He is an accomplished strong man.
Kudos to him for being such a man.
I think anyone who wants to turn Todd Palin into Miss Priss is going to look like an idiot.
Good post, I hadn’t thought of that. When my daughter was born I couldn’t help but think of women in the past, pioneers and farmers who had so much more of than just housekeeping and diapering to do (and posting on FR, cough-cough)...it’s humbling.
The feminists' problem is that Sarah is not a liberal, baby killer.
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