Thursday, September 04, 2008

Where are the tears for the Obama children?

If I read one more blog commenter going on and on about how he/she weeps for the Palin children, I'm going to be awfully tempted to begin spamming the internet with the following reply:
Have you also been weeping for the Obama children? They have been dragged into the public spotlight. They have had to deal with an absentee father and a mother on the campaign trail. There are no hundreds of heartwarming pictures showing the parents working with their daughters at their sides and in their arms --- because the Obama family does not live this way. These little girls have had to hear that babies are a "punishment" and will no doubt some day wonder if their parents regarded them as punishments as well.

Where were your posts about weeping for them? And, since you haven't been weeping for them, what am I to assume?
  1. You don't concern yourself with the children of those who are democrats.
  2. You don't concern yourself with the children of those of other races than your own.
  3. You don't concern yourself with the children of men who are running for office.
  4. You don't concern yourself with the children of those you don't particularly like.
  5. It's really not about the children. It's about a woman doing something you don't think women should do.

This post, along with my entire blog, is copyrighted. Please read and honor the copyright notice at the bottom of the sidebar. Thank you.

3 comments:

  1. You know, I am really hoping you are being sarcastic here.

    Make no mistake, I completely agree that all the ethernet weeping for the Palin children is over the top. And sexist. And completely wrong.

    BUT.

    You, I, no one knows how the Obama family lives. Last time I checked, 6 and 9 year olds are a bit big to be worn in slings, though I could probably recommend a mei tai that would hold them if Sen. or Mrs. Obama really wanted. I don't think it is a real comparison that the Obamas don't keep their school aged girls as close as Gov. Palin keeps her infant son.

    I also don't think that an out of context, awkwardly phrased sentence will scar the Obama children. In context, Sen. Obama was clearly speaking of the societal wish to punish young women (though not young men) for being sexually active.

    It is one thing to fight fire with fire. It is quite another to fuel the flames...

    ReplyDelete
  2. OK, I was being somewhat sarcastic. And I am certainly not expecting older children to be carried in slings. But we have plenty of pictures of Piper working/playing at her working mother's side, while I can't forget the time that, at one of Obama's appearances, his daughters were shown by satellite hook-up and one asked plaintively, "Where are you, Daddy?"

    One choice is not necessarily better than the other; I just find it hypocritical to attack a woman who has demonstrated a great dedication to having her young children at her side, while giving a free ride to a father who has admittedly only been home 10 days out of the past year --- and has not demonstrated a high degree of family togetherness. It seems contradictory to week for one set of children and ignore the other set.

    Not trying to fuel any fires here, just trying to point out the hypocrisy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Typo alert!! "t seems contradictory to week for one set of children and ignore the other set." "Week" should equal "weep"!

    ReplyDelete