After a few days to think it over, I become so opinioned about Sarah Palin for VP that I had to get up at 2 a.m. and re-write my op-ed for next week. In case it doesn't make it in the paper, here is my two cents.
Sarah Palin should not be running for vice president.
She should be taking care of her young family and helping them develop into the citizens she will be claiming she wants every child to become.
You can’t pay anyone to love, or nurture, your kids as much as you do. And no one will help them become the citizens and competent adults our future needs unless their mother cares enough about them to be a mother, not a vice president.
You can call me anti-feminist, old-fashioned or even stupid; this is my soul-felt opinion. If your soul-felt opinion differs, my editor would love a letter to that effect.
Last week, when the camera panned over Palin’s family, in the stands I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, standing there all alone, a daughter holding the four-month-old baby.
Palin, as I am sure you all know by now, gave birth to a little boy in April. He has Down’s syndrome. She and her husband have an 18-year-old son going into the military later this month. And they have three daughters in between. She is not at the stage of her life to be running a grueling national campaign, much less working as vice president of our nation.
Oh, the Republicans will go on about her commitment to pro-life, her hometown roots, her being a ‘working mother’ like so many millions of others. “What an example she is to our daughters,” they will say. “Women can be anything!”
Her greatest work, at this time in her life, needs to be her family. And her lasting example to the families of America would be to withdraw from the race and say her family comes first.
But once again, we will be told that ‘women can do or be anything’ and that ‘women can have it all.’
I can’t agree.
Everything has a season and when Sarah Palin agreed to give birth to that little boy, and his siblings, she made a commitment to nurture and love them in this season. It will be physically, emotionally and spiritually impossible to care for her family and help run our country.
We cannot afford to have our families compromised for the ‘good of the nation’ or the ‘glory of the working mother.’ Our families, our nation and our world need to get over the quest for power and focus on the mostly invisible work of building of strong character and dedication within our families.
The greatest commitment the Republican Party could show to the family is to find another choice for VP.
9 comments:
What!? I didn't know she had a four-month old, let alone with DS. I didn't think about whether or not she had young children at home. I'm kinda slow. I couldn't pinpoint why I thought that was a bad choice. Maybe that was it. But remember, "Women can have/do it all." I just consider "all" to be staying home with babies. :) That poor, confused woman.
I didn't realize she had small children either. What a great example (sarcasm)
I was also going to write something on my blog...because I was/am upset about the choice as well. I also think McCain is a bully going with such a person with so little experience. I am all about freeing the women but I think now that what ever a woman does it will never be enough. Now women will need to 1. be skinny after having a baby 2. work full full full time 3. Have a family 4. Be totally devoted to her job.
I found when I was working full time I had to make a choice and work usually won out before my family.
My thoughts are still free the women...but from what???
I know how she is going to do it. Hopefully she is planning to be a VP like the constitution intended. To be the president of the senate with no vote and to replace the Pres. if necessary. I could probably do all of that on the weekends or after Matthew gets home from work!!!
Here's another little tidbit...
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=4150163
Ann, this is Jennie, Heather and Jason's friend... I have to disagree with you. Yes I think she needs to be spending time with her family, and being a full time mom but at the same time think of what a example she will/is to those children. I didnt think it was fair for her to play "my son will be a soldier" card when they announced her candidacy, but at the same time, to me, she screams AMERICA. She symbolizes what 90% of what this country is.. hard working blue collar workers. She comes from a working family, she herself worked very hard, along with her husband. She was not raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. Yes, she has a little baby with needs and I am sure she will take care of that baby in or out of the white house. She is exactly what this country needs in my oppinion. We need more women out there who are willing to be hero's to other young girls. To show other young girls that they can be wahtever they put their minds to. I am not a true fan of McCain, but I really do like Palin. But I would rather have McCain and Palin in the white house over Obama. To be honest, it scares me to think of him running this country.. just my 2 cents!
One more thing, I dont think it is right, nor do I support her daughter's situation, but again, so many mothers out there will relate to her. So many moms have young teen moms. Regardless if the daughter chooses to get married and keep the child with her... so many other mom's want to see her positive attitude about her daughter situation. I have 2 sisters who were teen moms, and I know my mom was devistated when my sisters told her their were pregnant. My mom didnt bannish them from the public eye, and hide them from people she knew... she loved them and supported them in anything they needed to do. And Sarah Palin is doing the same thing. Hooray for a woman who isnt HIDING this from everyone else.. hooray for a woman who is proud of her kids and loves them too much to NOT run as VP. She is amazing, and I know she will be a huge asset to this country. We need a woman like her cleaning up everyone elses messes!
I have to respectfully disagree with your argument.
First, while the principle of a mother being at home with her family is good and true and vitally important, we have to be aware that there are exceptions to this "rule." We need to trust that people are making inspired decisions about their life and their family. They may or may not be inspired, but that is between them and God. Our job is to love and support them in what they decide. No good has ever come from looking down on people who don't fit into a certain mold, even a true and good mold like family roles. We try to be open-minded realizing that in some families the mom works (for whatever reason) or the dad stays home with the kids or for whatever reason, couples remain childless. We simply CANNOT apply the same principles (even true principles) to everyone universally.
Second, families are continually sacrificed for the good of the country. The fathers' duty to protect, provide for and preside over his family is EQUALLY important to the mothers' duty to love and nurture, but fathers are not exempt from military service when the need arises. Putting the mothers' role (vital as it may be) so far above the fathers' role, although very very commonly done in society is just another form of belittling manhood.
Tertiary, these children are not being left all alone. They have a father who will be caring for them, as well as their mother.
Also, being a vice-president is not, all-told, much harder or time consuming than countless other jobs that a woman might have. And if she feels in her life circumstance that it is appropriate for her to be working outside of the home, she might as well be in a high-profile, high-prestige, high-power job. And imagine the kind of benefits her children her children will have--it can be assured that her precious down syndrome son will get better treatment as the son of the vice-president of the United States then he would if his mother were the mayor of a small town in Alaska, or any other job for that matter. Her other children will also be given similar educations, cultural and other opportunities.
Whether or not Palin's character and experience qualify her for the job is a question for another day, but to say that she is not an appropriate choice just because she is a mother is unfair and to some degree offensive.
I just thought of something else--
By the way she went about right away changing things in Alaska, it seems reasonable to assume that she is largely in this to change things for the better--for her children. Sometimes voting isn't enough. She apparently felt she needed to do as the often-quoted Ghandi Adage advises--to BE the change you want to see in the world.
And once she felt this call into politics, what would the appropriate response have been? To say "let the world go to hell in a hand basket, I'm raising my babies"? To stop having babies? No--to use your God-given talents, skills, passions, etc to better the world in the way that you feel moved upon (and again, it is not for us to judge her life decisions, but to trust her in them).
Also, the job of vice-president is decidedly less demanding than the job of first lady, but if her husband were running for office, there would be no question about it not being appropriate because of the young children. But as first lady, NEITHER of the parents are available for the children. And yet, you don't hear people criticizing the Obamas for not putting the needs of their children first.
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