Sunday, September 07, 2008

Goodbye to Ladies Against Feminism

Ladies Against Feminism, I'm disappointed in you. So disappointed. Among all the Sarah-Palin-should-stay-at-home-and-raise-her-kids posts you've posted, has anybody thought to talk about how a Palin-McCain administration would, you know, be GOOD for the unborn babies, and maybe GOOD for other moms who want to stay at home by making that decision more financially viable, and maybe GOOD for families who want to decide where to send their own kids to school?

That is, McCain is pro-life and pro-cutting taxes and pro-school vouchers, but Sarah Palin is what he needs to get elected. You'd think you'd be happy that she's there getting everybody energized.

And much more importantly, what about that Christian idea of throwing the first stone? What, the idea is that we're NOT supposed to throw the first stone? You ladies could have fooled me. As far as I can tell, Sarah Palin is not beating her kids or turning them into slaves or selling her daughters off as young brides to 40 year old polygamist fellows. These are the sorts of things a Christian expects to see condemned, but a loving mom who tries to raise her family well and balances a job too, and maybe feels called by God to serve her country? Condemn the trend of mothers who abandon their families to their careers, sure, and there definitely are mothers who abandon their children to their career, but please don't presume that you can judge the individual circumstances of someone if they're not being immoral but just doing something you wouldn't do yourself. My cousin, for instance, delivered both her babies in the hospital (by her own choice, not necessity), bottle feeds, plastic diapers, feeds Gerber baby food, and works while her aunt watches the kids, which are all things I would not do with my children, but her children are so well behaved and obviously so well loved, groomed and polite and smiling all the time, that I have to say that even though she makes all the decisions I wouldn't, she is an EXCELLENT mother. Just, you know, to drive the point home that you might know everything about raising families, but you still probably don't.

I'm sad, I really am, to stop reading LAF. I've enjoyed the articles on homemaking and the attitude that one finds contentment and joy in living with love the life one is given, and not in trampling everything underfoot to make one's dreams come true. And a whacked-out article once in a while, I could handle that. Even when the first anti-Palin articles started coming out, I thought, "well, I don't agree, but it's a decent discussion, and whatever." But as more articles come out, they become more and more strident, and there have been no articles even suggesting that she could be doing God's will, or that God's will could possibly ever be different from what these writers expect. I don't know if she IS doing God's will, but the refusal to believe that she could be is worrisome to me. As more articles come out on the subject, I see gigantic pride. I see commentators saying "I'm doing it right, and I know she's doing it wrong," because she's not doing exactly what they want every woman to do. And that is why I will not read the site anymore - because instead of love, they're spreading condemnation and judgment.

My dear friend Sarah made an excellent point in the comments on the post below, which merits repeating: "I don't believe that women belong on the battlefield, and yet I'm sure that God knew exactly what He was about with St. Joan of Arc."

So here's to our own Joan of Arc. (I hope I'm not being sacrilegious by suggesting that.)

And finally, an opinion on Sarah Palin's motherhood from Faith and Family, which will replace Ladies Against Feminism in my sidebar.

6 comments:

Diana Boston said...

The woman thinks it's ok to get in a plane and shoot wolves, who are, correct me if I'm wrong, God's creatures. She offers a bounty of $150.00 dollars for the front legs of each wolf killed, including pups.

Now you tell me how pro-life that is?

When you disrespect animals that way you show that you don't care about this Earth, life, and the sanctity of it.

Mary Catherine said...

PUHlease. Pro-life = pro-the saving of baby humans. Humans! It has nothing to do with the saving of baby wolves, seals, elk, caribou, lions, rabbits, or monkeys. It's about humans. You can be pro-life and also pro-saving all the other baby animals on the planet, or not; the point is, the two are separate issues, both morally and politically. One might as well say, no one can be pro-life who believes that any war is ever justified, because people die in wars. Or, no one can be pro-life and drive an SUV, because animals die when tankers dump oil in the sea. OR, no one can be pro-life and ever use plastic bags, because plastic waste in the ocean kills millions of animals.

The fact is, one can be pro-life and environmentalist, or one can be pro-life and not environmentalist. Or, you know, one can be pro-life and liberal, or pro-life and conservative, or pro-life and libertarian, or pro-life and anarchist.

Don't confuse the issues and say they're the same, just because you believe in both of them. That's great that you believe in both of them, but they're still different animals. (ha, pun.)


BUT, about her hunting habit:
a) She lives in Alaska. Where there are wolves. Wolves are predators. I live in Oklahoma, where there are raccoons and skunks and possums, all of which are predators. I'm a soft-hearted sort of girl and don't like killing things that don't need to be killed, but if I see a raccoon on my property, I can be pretty certain that sooner or later it's going to find my chickens. I'm going to kill it before it finds them. It's simple.
Wolves are a little different because in some situations they have been known to prey on humans. If I'm willing to kill any raccoon I see on my land just because it might kill one of my chickens, how much more would I be willing to kill a wolf I see because it might kill a kid. There are wild pigs around where I live. Wild pigs are SCARY. I'm not going to wait to see if one wanders onto my land - I'm going to be grateful to anybody who will go into the woods and kill them. Bonus points if the pigs get brought back so we can eat them.

Overhunting the wolves and driving them to extinction? Not ok. But hunting wolves at all? Totally understandable. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that not all kinds of wolves are endangered.

This is a clash of worldviews, and I expect you to be enraged at my hard-heartedness against the creatures of God's world. But, I've told you why I think what I do.

b) Theologically, though, since you bring up the fact that animals are God's creatures, I'm going to bring up the fact that after the Flood, God gave Noah the animals of the earth to eat. That means it's ok for us to kill them. We're still stewards of the earth, and torturing animals or driving them to extinction are not ever morally acceptable, but killing them for food or protection, when there are enough of them that you're not upsetting the ecosystem is fine.

cedar chest quilts said...

MC, I'd encourage you to read about another disabled young man who has grown up with his DAD being the main caregiver. Patrick Henry Hughes is the 1st to give God & his Dad credit for his abilities, love of music and what he does (focus not on what he cant' do). I learned about his on Extreme Makeovers and cried watching the video of his Dad lovingly watching him playing the piano at just 2 yrs old. And his Dad pushes him in his College marching band routines. PH has a loving mother, but it is his Dad that has worked nights for years--so he could be a SAHD. here is Patrick Henry's websit--I am looking forward to his book http://www.patrickhenryhughes.com/index.html Angie (Mac's mom)

Mary Catherine said...

Awesome! I think it's best for moms to be with their kids, but as I've said before and will say again and again, the most important thing is the love and attention. If what works for the family is for the dad to be there all the time instead of the mom, then that's what works. I'm not really a "whatever floats your boat" type of person, and I think things that are inherently evil (abortion) are always evil and never justifiable, but it does annoy me to no end when people think that because one way is BEST, then everything else that's just not as good is BAD. Maybe something that's not absolutely the best is still the best for a particular family.

X said...

BTW- Off topic, but I'm checking out that Urban Sustainability site, and it is packed with ideas! This woman needs to write a book. Thanks so much!

X said...

hey, nudge nudge, i need to find out what youre up to lately! i hope youre still going to keep writing.