I'm sure you've all heard about Hilary Rosen's comments about Ann Romney on Thursday, April 12th. By now it is old news so it may even be hard to find the original story, but her comments clearly showed her disdain for women who choose to stay home to care for their children. I know that she tried to clarify, implying that it was Ann Romney's wealth that kept her from being an "expert on women and the economy" but we all know the truth. Hilary Rosen would have had no problem with Ann Romney being an expert on the economy (and women!) if she was a wealthy "working" woman. (Well, at least if she was a liberal wealthy working woman.) Leftist feminism wants every woman to have a choice, as long as the woman's choice lines up with their ideology.
The entirety of Ms. Rosen's comments grated me, but I was particularly offended by her narrow views on homemaking. How could any woman, wealthy or poor, who takes care of her family's needs on a daily basis not be an "in the trenches" expert on the economy? We balance the check book, fill the gas tank, buy the groceries, taxi children to and fro, and search for coupons. Not to mention that the jobs we do at home is saving our family money on housekeepers, nannies or day cares, cooks, preschools (for some of us), and much more. We stress over our family budget and finances, we struggle to make ends meet. Why should a stay-at-home mom have any less expertise in economic issues than a work-outside-of-home mom? It is wrong to assume that a family chooses to be a one-income family simply because they make a substantial amount of money and can "afford" to. I know many families that are struggling each month financially, but the mother continues to stay home because they believe it is best for their children. We live in an age in which women are able to choose: career, divorce, single socialite, birth control, abortion, part-time work, CEO, MD, and being a mother. For many women being a mother eclipses all these other choices, and these women choose to make the sacrifices needed to raise their kids. I am not trying to demean the endless responsibilities and weight a working mom carries, I am simply frustrated that a prominent political advisor would downplay the worth of 5 million American women.
It saddens me that it has come down to this. Sometimes I wonder what America was like before the sexual revolution and whether women were generally content in their roles. It seems to me that the feminist movement did not want them to be. They did not want anyone to respect the roles of a wife and mother because they believed those positions to be secondary. Women were discouraged from displaying their God-given uniqueness, and pressed to "become like men" in the corporate world and otherwise. Is it any wonder we have a negative view of masculinity in our culture? Is it any wonder courageous men are missing from our households? And how about our decreasing birth rate? We are reaping the fruit of our labor.
I did not intend for this post to be a depressing rant. I also hope I didn't offend hard-working mamas. I am in awe of the many hats that you wear. I don't even begin to comprehend how you do it all, and yet you do. You are amazing and I pray for God's strength and peace upon you as you go forth. I hope you understand that this piece is simply in response to comments made that were offensive and without truth. I felt it was important to address before the freshness of the quotes completely wore off.
Amen!
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