Once these businesses begin, they are difficult to remove, particularly when the likes of well-read Ann Landers and Dear Abby are condoning, recommending, Planned Parenthood, and sex education in schools.
Nothing they said has improved our country. Families have fallen apart and children raised in solid, two-parent, homes are not the norm any longer.
Old Ann and Abby, communist Bella Abzug (the hat), and Gloria Steinum, then Patricia Ireland (NOW), got women believing they could be chief executives of corporations if they'd stash their kids in nursery schools and get a job. Men weren't reliable, trustworthy, so women shouldn't depend on a husband to care for his family.
So what happened?
Women left the home in droves - dreams of more money - of larger homes (higher property taxes), nicer furniture on credit cards, a larger, more expensive wardrobe. Also, another worker in the family meant 2 cars were necessary - more car insurance, gasoline.
After a hard day's work at a dreary desk, Mom is too tired to cook dinner, much less attend a PTA meeting, or be a homeroom mother to her child's classroom, be a Cub Scout Den Mother, etc. Buy fast food or easy-to-prepare microwave meals and plop it on the table, disregarding that the kids are undisciplined and have the manners of slobs.
Such a woman is trapped! There are only so many big-money executive positions in any company.
Children need good examples of behavior set by adults. Laws are enacted for a reason - to protect all of society. If they disagree with a law, then teach the children how to change those laws working through legal avenues of the government. For our public schools certainly aren't doing it.
You nailed it, lakey, but most people still have "faith" in Betty Friedan, don't they? And I'm pretty sure there are no "homeroom mothers" any more, but there may be in some of the "better" suburban schools, if they exist.