Being a woman that is 1. pursuing a professional career that requires long hours and 2. hoping to make her way into the political arena herself, this double standard is something I've been concerned with for some time now. While I want to have a family and attend all of my children's events, I also want to have a career...I mean I'm in debt up to my ears, so I want to be able to use this incredibly expensive education. However, with the world today the mother takes the blame when her children turn out bad or they fall short of societal standards. While it seemed this standard was getting better in this country, I now see that it is, in fact, not changing. Apparently, if you're a woman and you want to have a career, say run for President or Vice President, your children have to be grown, such as Hilary Clinton, because as we're seeing society is not ready for a working mother of 5.
Now, while I understand that Governor Palin has some issues that are inevitably going to come out in the media, that doesn't mean that I think they should. It is no ones business what is going on, for instance, with her 17 year old daughter. I'm sure it is hard enough being pregnant at 17 without having the whole country staring at you. I mean really!
Also, (and while I've tried really hard to stay partisan on here, I clearly failed...sorry) the media needs to get real! What happened to reporting the news and only the news! Since when to newspapers and magazines fell the need to spin the headlines to get us to favor one party over another. We have election finance so that each candidate can only spend so much money on T.V. ads for instance, however with the liberal media pushing O'bama - picture to left for instance - he gets free press...how convenient!
Alright, I'm going to stop, but really back to the original point. Woman can have a real career and raise a family. They can juggle two or more things at once and do them all well. If we're going to make women explain themselves and their actions and their plans for balancing career and family, we should make men do the same. The last time I checked, children needed a father figure in their lives as well, so they should be held to the same standard.
Now that I've probably alienate most people that read this (and if I did, I'm sorry) I'm done.
3 comments:
Unbelievable. I'm so glad you see things through my eyes, however. I hadn't seen those magazines, but knew this debate would be right around the corner. Good Lord.
I agree! Seriously I hate Double Standards! A woman can have a job and a family and be just fine!
i completely agree with you! we have been discussing this in my WMST class this week. It's an online discussion with our class, but someone brought up the question of whether or not it would be dangerous to vote for McCain/Palin because she's a mother etc. I replied with almost the exact thing you said. Do we ask men candidates how they are going to juggle their families? of course not. so I singled out Obama and said the same thing. Have we asked him how much time he'll be spending with his young children and his wife?? Ughh.. I'm with ya here!
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