childbearing hipster

Such A Girl

Today when I heard Nancy Pelosi get sworn in as the first female speaker of the house, I cried. *Sniff*! A woman Speaker! Finally!

I wonder how it will feel when a woman gets sworn in as President?

If it's Molly, I wonder how the White House Chef will feel about serving nothing but white food at state dinners?

The Telemarketer

Hello?

Hi! I'm Kate from (Organization I'm Not About To Publicize). Can I have a few minutes of your time to talk about entertainment.

Sure. (I like entertainment).

Great! (Organization Who Doesn't Deserve To Have Its Name Given) is committed to encouraging and promoting the creation,production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment. Don't you feel that entertainment today is not family friendly?

Um, no. I think there's a lot of great stuff out there. We have Direct TV, so that helps.

But don't you feel that the content and message of family programming is unacceptable? We find that it's becoming harder and harder to identify a movie that can be enjoyed by
the entire family.

Mmmm...No. I mean, I know what the MPAA ratings indicate. And I read reviews. And I'm familiar with the general quality of product that different studios produce. And I'm comfortable changing the channel, or turning off the television, or leaving the theater.

We find that parents think it's time for positive family values to impact those in Hollywood instead of Hollywood impacting family values.

Oh. Yeah. Um. Do you know how capitalism works? Supply and demand and all that? Focus groups? They're pretty much making what people want to see.

But don't you find that there just isn't enough quality programming for your family?

No, but my kids pretty much want to watch the same Pixar movie over and over again, so they're kind of making it easy on Hollywood. And we have Tivo, so...

Okay! Well, I won't waste any more of your time!

Yeah. Good luck with...that.

By the way, if you're wondering what constitutes family-friendly programming, I'm sure you won't be surprised to know it includes Thank You God for Bananas, Bubbles, and Busy Bodies, as well as Apocalypse and the End Of Times, which sounds like a total family hoot, doesn't it?

Love Your Body

Warning, this isn't work safe (damn The Man). But it's a lovely, safe place for women to say: This is my body while I made a baby, and what happened afterward.

The Shape Of A Mother

The Mommy Wars get an army!

It's mom-blog fodder at it's finest, the tale of the Mommy Wars. A new book every week it seems, a new take on the subject. Stay at home. Go to work. Who's right, who's wrong, who's life is fulfilled, whose kids are screwed.

My opinion is that the mommy wars are a creation designed to keep us picking at each other so we don't have time to get down to the real problem, which is that our society doesn't actually support the family it so vehemently insists is the foundation on which America's built. We are so deluged with ways that we're different and ways that we're in danger, and so busy arguing about it that the government merrily trips along not having to do a damn thing about making this country a safe and healthy place for ALL families, whatever the configuration and whatever economic choices we've decided are best for us. You know, just trust women not to be able to get along, those kittycats that we are. *eyeroll*

But, finally, someone's figured this out. And via the Moveon.org mailing list, this showed up in my inbox today:

Subject: Join me in becoming a MomsRising member

I hope you'll join me and others in one of the most exciting grassroots movements on the Internet today: MomsRising.

MomsRising gives people a voice in the motherhood and family issues that are shaping our lives.  This is particularly important because frankly American mothers and families are in trouble. A full quarter of families with children under six live in poverty, at least 9 million children don't have any health care, and far too many parents can't afford to stay home with sick children.

MomsRising is working to promote common sense family-friendly policies. You can sign online petitions and pledges that will be shared with political, community, and business leaders, as well as receive email alerts on timely issues, and read The Motherhood Manifesto book all for free.

MomsRising is building a vibrant online community and has great personal stories posted, as well as hot issues and timely actions for change. There are also current event discussion topics to spark group or personal conversations--and information about how start small groups, as well as how to get more involved working toward solutions.

By working together we can ignite a major movement that brings common sense, necessary change to the lives of mothers and families.

I hope you'll join us today at:

momsrising.org

I'm in. I'm looking forward to reading The Motherhood Manifesto. And I think I need a teeshirt, too.

The issues that families face transcend party politics. They transcend the choice to work or not work, they transcend what type of childcare you choose. They affect every single one of us. Time to do something about it, time to stop listening to lip service from politicians who know that up to now, there's nothing we can do about their half-hearted bone-throwing.

Plus, teeshirts!

Thanks, Betty.

Because of you, my choice to be a stay at home wife and mother was just that--a choice, not the dictate of society.

Because of you, and those who came before you, who fought alongside you, and who followed you, I grew up knowing the luxury of being appalled any time anyone ever gave the impression that women were anything less than equal citizens.

Because of you, my daughters have the world at their feet.

Rest In Peace, Betty Friedan. And thank you.

Protection?

I still can't decide what I think about the fetal protection bill.

But I'm pretty sure I'm very, very afraid of it.

I can't be the only woman who became even *more* protective of her reproductive rights after becoming a mother. And I can't be the only woman who became even *more* certain that no woman should bear a child who doesn't really, really want to.

And as much as I'd want justice for myself and for Squishy Baby if someone were to harm us...I just can't help but think that this bill sets a terrifying precedent. And I can't help but think I'd rather just continue on without this kind of safety net, because it seems all too ready to become a chain-link fence.

One step closer...

to the world I want my children to grow up in--the kind where they can love whomever they please.

Forty-eight steps to go.