Well, I've thought about posting in response to articles before, but this is the first time I sincerely am following through with it. We'll see if one more response happens to find it's way here sometime.
I recently found this exchange:
http://www.thedailydolt.com/2013/06/03/megyn-kelly-debates-erick-erickson-gender-roles/
A conversation between Megyn Kelly(fox news) and Erick Erickson (conservative blogger with his own radio show: how?)
I felt sincerely pressed to say something. Those who know where I come from may respect this more than others:
As a woman whom was raised by a single father, with no main
female figure present in my life... As a woman that made her own
way through college, moved her own ass half way around the world, and
found her own damn place in this world.
As a woman that has spent her life
believing that if a person tries their hardest, that person can make
anything happen. And time and time again has proven that to herself.
As a woman that has done everything in her power to make the biggest and
most ever lasting footprint in this world that she can, through the
means that she sees as powerful.
As a woman that became a teacher and a
mentor. As a woman that travels around the world and makes new friends every chance she
gets. As a woman that believes in discussing problems and not hiding
them under a rug. As a woman that is happy in this world as who she is.
As a woman that grew up with close friends in households following this
man's idea of "an ideal family." Families that stayed together only
because "it was good for the kids" Despite abusive and unhappy
environments. Friends that were miserable at home, and wanted nothing
more than to escape. Friends that even to this day have a difficult
time escaping that kind of environment -- but even still, find themselves
fighting against becoming that person(s) that raised them. Friends that
have struggled their whole lives because of the environments they were
placed in.
Personally, I feel like one of the luckiest people to be alive on this
planet to be raised in the unique way that I was. I came from a single father, and I came from creativity. I
became the creativity that was enveloped around me as a child. I
spread my wings to every corner of this Earth that I could reach, and
continue to do so, with a bright smile on my face. Not because society
tells me to do so, but because dammit if I don't love seeing another
person smile back at me.
As a human being that has talked to many older folks in our world, as
well as to many children of folks that are now older in this world -
about lives at home (After all, it's an interesting thing to hear about!). As a person that has learned from the sentiments
of the older -- that it is a pretty common occurrence for women whom spent their lives
as stay at home moms, to have felt as if they were a null part of society
-- unimportant. Where as many of the older human beings I know in
general, man or woman, whom have done their best to live the lives that they personally believed would be interesting, exciting, happy, healthy. Lives that are often incredibly unconventional.
Lives of artists and writers -- my parents. Lives of shopkeepers and
hard workers - my neighborhood. Lives of nomads - the origins of where
we come from, a calling which rung deep in my heart. Lives of people
that weren't afraid to take a stand against the conventional. These are
the happiest people I have known in my life, and while I am not
religious, there may be no stronger way to express than to simply say
that I feel blessed for the life I have been given with my single father
in our crazy little town -- and you can damn bet it was and still is a
crazy little town.
As a woman that isn't afraid to speak about where I come from and call
it my home: I call this man the biggest walking and talking piece of
shit I've ever heard in my life. Family is indeed important, you won't
see me disagree that a child needs a family... a community as well if
you ask me: that old saying: It takes a village to raise a child --
it's truth in my heart. I know from first hand experience, that
the factors of a family come in so many different shapes and sizes. And to try
and limit that to one size fits all, is *exactly* to limit a
human's ability to live a happy, healthy, and successful life.
