Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices 2008 Panelist
I went to college in the 1970s and I'm a feminist. I have five daughters and I want them to have equal opportunity, equal rights, equal pay and I want them to have control over their bodies and choose when and if they have children. But once you have children, they need to come first. It doesn't mean you can't work, but they need at least one strong parental figure and if they need help, you have to be there.
I bought into the feminist idea that a woman could have it all: career, family, and life. It's a nice idea but it gave everyone extremely high and pretty much unreachable expectations. I think it made a lot of us feel like failures.
The day I came home from the hospital with my first born, I had to sit at my computer on an inflatable doughnut hole pillow and nurse her as I worked. My husband and I worked at a major actuarial consulting firm where everyone put in 10-12 hour days and traveled constantly. For two years, I was basically a single working mom since my husband was only around on weekends. We either had to get a live-in nanny or I had to quit. My husband finally made partner, so I could stay at home and not miss any more of my child's milestones.
Of my female peers at the company, only one ever married. She adopted children in her 40s and her husband stays home with them. It works for them. That situation works for my niece, who is a very successful actuary while her husband stays home with their child.
Babies aren't dolls. They don't belong in business meetings. They would be a big distraction in most corporate settings and I don't think it's fair to the kids to be in those situations. Kids deserve a full time caregiver.
There have been many reports that Sarah Palin's oldest son has had behavior problems. If there is any truth at all to these rumors, the army will give structure and discipline.
Her youngest son has special needs that will require a lot of attention. Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. To me, it sounds like a family who needs some strong parenting and isn't getting it.
Denise Tiller, Midwest Voices 2008 Panelist
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Sonofrogue-equal opportunity pinhead
It's just started, dimwit. The Mother of the Year chose to bring a Down syndrome child into this world. Cool. But then she chose to avoid the responsbiilty that comes with that choice. Down Syndrome kids are at high risk, especially in the first six months of life, particularly from respiratory tract infection. They MUST be watched carefully for several weeks, to see which manifestations of the syndrome present themselves.
Mother of the Year bails out after THREE DAYS, because she's got more important business in Juneau. Nice.
Unbelievable
I have never seen such trasing of a candidate in my lifetime.
I also have never seen such a 180 as has been takien by so-called feminists and left wing advocates.....it used to be that you could have it all and be a political leader and a career woman (as with Nancy Pelosi-five children); but now you had better stay home with the kids
Tell you what folks keep on right trashing the lady and her family, the entire Republican ticket appreciates it.
Was Governor Palin's pregnancy planned?
The selection of Gov. Palin as McCain's VP choice has prompted soul-searching by me. I had thought of myself as fairly evolved as a feminist. However, Sarah Palin's getting pregnant and having a baby while governor and now seeking to be VP despite all of her family responsibilities--has really tested my values. I may sound like a Neaderthal, but I think her obligation now is to her young family.
(It's true that I wouldn't be struggling with this if she were a man. Yet no matter how nurturing her husband may be, he can't be a mother.)
Did she PLAN to get pregnant last year while governor? If so, what was she thinking? What level of judgment does that demonstrate?
Or, if she didn't wish to get pregnant, why wouldn't she have taken charge of her reproductive life and prevented the pregnancy? I'm aghast that someone who may become the vice-president (or even assume the presidency!) might leave pregnancy to chance.
A baby is more than just a detail...
children and Palin
I agree that women deserve equal rights and opportunities. More importantly, children deserve attention. I am offended and amazed that someone like Sarah Palin has the gall to push a national policy of abstinence only education when it failed in her own home. Why should she set national family values?
We know this how?
"Sarah Palin's oldest son had behavior problems and they got him in the army where he will have the necessary structure and discipline that he needs."
I know there are rumors being repeated about this. But have you seen anything that is more than just a rumor at this point? All of these rumors may ultimately prove to be true, but at this point isn't it premature (and unfair) to make such a definitive statement?
I believe if most mothers in this US had a choice, they ...
would be staying home and rearing their children. How many stressed women are out there wondering how they are going to concentrate at work today because they have a sick child they had to leave and on an on the scenarios that are present in young families' lives.
I think sometimes maybe these young people should ask themselves if they should have children if they will be reared by hired help and only receive a miniscule amount of quality of time with their parents or perhaps they should forego the status items in order to provide a stable home environment for their family. It is like the parents provided the gene pool and then they are out of the picture.
I think our families are suffering tremendously today by the choices being made. So many of our blessings and problems are brought to us by our choices.