SLUniverse Forums

Merovigan

My first draft of this post was not nearly as well-composed as I hope this one is. There was cursing, there were insults, and the screen filled with capital letters. Please know that if you discuss this issue with me in person, I will once again revert to the aforementioned excesses. However, I hope this post will be far less emotional while clearly articulating my opposition not only to Sarah Polin’s Vice Presidency but also to the notion that any parent of a newborn is unfit for the highest offices of elected life.

I, as a parent of a three year old, am offended by Sarah Polin’s career choices. It is one thing for a parent of a young child to work in a demanding private-sector job. Many individuals make this choice and are capable of balancing a work-life with their personal life while producing well-adjusted children. Private, and even most public, sector jobs provide numerous benefits including the Federal Medical Leave Act, sick/vacation days and flexible work-weeks. These tools are given to parents in order to facilitate the creation of a well-adjusted, well-rounded, healthy child and a happy home in which that child can live.

However, the highest offices in our country are not private sector jobs, nor are they cushy do-nothing federal jobs with casual Fridays and “call in sick” Mondays. These jobs, specifically President and Vice President, are the most demanding positions our country has to offer. There are no vacation days, no days off, no “I’m not feeling up to it” or “maybe tomorrow” moments. There are no negotiations you can easily afford to lose, no decisions that won’t have dramatic repercussions across the country and across the world. These offices are the pinnacle our country has to offer and they must be filled with people who have only this position on their mind.

How can we expect a mother of a two-year old to fill this position? How can we elevate her to this position in good conscious, knowing full well that we would be depriving a small child of its mother? How can a vote be cast for this woman knowing there will come a time when her child needs, not wants, not “would really like” but NEEDS to hear her mother’s voice on the phone? How can we, as a country accept that this child may go a week or more without its mother’s hug?

This is cruel, unnecessary, and insulting. It is cruel because it deprives an innocent child of its most basic need – two parents doting on it. It is unnecessary because there is an infinite wealth of talent to draw upon in this country, capable of doing this job. And it is insulting because it places public office above the job we, as parents, must place before all others – the protection of our children.
Clearly women should be in positions of power. Clearly equality is of vital importance. But also clearly, this is not an issue of gender but of priorities. I do not trust anyone who would look upon the face of their two-year old child and say “I have a higher calling.” If that is not an immoral decision, then I don’t know what is.

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Richie Waves

You seen how much of Shrubbys term was spent on holidays?

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Eboni Khan

She is married, she has a partner to help her. She isn't single or divorced, I thought those were your two great parenting evils.

Are you as upset that Obama's children are being raised by their grandmother?

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Richie Waves

1 User Disagreed:
Merovigan


40% of the time spent at one of his retreats..

Merovigan

Which is not the same thing as being on vacation. There is a significant difference between your vacation days and the President's vacation days.

Merovigan

Yes, I am consistent, however there are significant differences when you look at the needs of two children, both above the age of reason (6) and five children, one of whom is not only special-needs but also below the age of potty-training.

Right, look at the consistency there - "helping" implies that one parent is sufficient which I (clearly) do not believe to be the case. She has a role, he has a role - her being Vice President (since it is a position that requires all of her faculties, to the exclusion of other priorities) would require her to neglect her role.

See how my evils are consistent?

Arilynn

So women with small children - at what age does this concern end? - should not have big private sector jobs. By the same thinking, they also should not be surgeons, CEOs of major corporations, soldiers or have any other job that may require long hours or extended periods away from family.
So I assume you believe the same for men. Who should fill this jobs then?

Then why do you speak only of mothers and not fathers? All the US presidents and VPs thus far have been men and many have been fathers. Do you feel the same about the men in these positions with children? If not, it is a question of gender.

She is not going to drop her kids into Afghanistan, to be raised by the taliban. Their protection is not at issue. They also have their father and, I assume, will have at least one nanny. I grew up with a nanny who I love like an aunt - I actually thought she was my aunt until I was 11 or 12. I was safe, and I knew who my parents were and that they loved me. There was nothing immoral about it, and I didn't turn out entirely twisted.

Beau Perkins

Mero this is a stupid argument that will just sway woman to vote for her.

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Eboni Khan

Plus don't 2 year olds sleep most of the time?

Tranquility

I am not the one to be livid about such a choice, but I can see where you are coming from. In general, her family status does make her less than ideal for such a job. What about her pregnant teen daughter? What about the father of the teen's child?

I am sure, should McCain get elected, that everything will work out fine. The toddler will have its father and probably the toddler's big sis and new niece/nephew to play with. But it's not an ideal time for the Palin family to have such a huge life change. It is not exactly fair for these little kids to be put in the spotlight.

However, it seems like McCain's chances of getting elected aren't all that great.

Tranquility

Exactly, the terrible two's come at age three, right?

Beau Perkins

Mero, I think it funny that you are so stuck in the stone age that you do not feel a father is capable of doing the raising of the children while the mom has a job the makes her travel a bit.

This is 2008 dude. Men everywhere are raising kids. Truth is next year when my wife starts her new job running a huge early development child service, I am most likely going to stop working and work from home on my new project.

I am an not ashamed. My kids will not suffer.

Midi Reifsnider

Tony Blair's wife had a baby while he was PM, I don't recall anyone saying he ought to step down to give the child a fair chance.

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Richie Waves

Why do people even take this argument seriously? its a fucking plant so the Right wing can scream sexism..

Merovigan

The age of concern decreases with the age of the child, to more or less disappear at the age of 18. 2, with a special need? Do I really have to futher justify the increased needs of this child for both its parents? Don’t make me…it hurts to stoop that low.

The people who should fill these jobs are the childless or the people with children above a certain age. Clearly, in my opinion, 2 years old and special needs combined with potentially being the President of the country are two extremes producing an unacceptable standard. Yes, I’d even go so far as to say that 6 and 7 are too young, however; at least they aren’t special needs children and are capable of understanding the world around them to some degree.
You read what you want to read when you accuse me of speaking only of mothers. I was careful to use parent throughout and only use mother when speaking of this specific issue. This is the first VP I’ve ever heard of having a two year old, let alone a special needs two year old. If there are/were others, please copy and paste my anger there as well.

But she’s also not going to be there to kiss boo-boos, nor chase away the monsters. These basic activities are the role of a parent in a small child’s life and while I don’t want to insult the way in which you were raised I do also believe it to be inappropriate and disrespectful. If you’re not going to cuddle and dote over your child then don’t have it – if you have one, your responsibility to it is of paramount importance. Your responsibility certainly diminishes over time, but Palin’s youngest is probably not even capable of walking on its own yet, let alone reason or understand why mommy isn’t there to read her/him a bedtime story.

Merovigan

I woulda, if I cared about Tony Blair or the UK.

Merovigan

Is she going to be Vice President of the country?

Are you really comparing "I run a daycare" to "I run the country"

Ok, I get it in a lawl, omg the country is a lot like a daycare, but at the end of the day, the differences between the responsibilities is so huge even you must be able to admit them.

Lourdes Denimore

Perhaps I am missing the point here. But every day there are single mothers with small children who are working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. I don't see you making big posts talking about how terrible that is, and how these children are being deprived and what a terrible example it is.

This woman has a husband and older children and the means to hire a nanny. I could care less who raises her kids.

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Midi Reifsnider

Well, you made me laugh

*makes mental note that Mero is only interested in the welfare of American children*

Beau Perkins

Mero, somewhere in that giant egg head you have to have some brains.