Motherhood America

I stand for Motherhood,
America,
And a hot lunch for orphans
Take off your hat, sir
While your country's flag is passing
Do you see him
On the hill at Gettysburg
'Neath that great triumphal arch?
If you see him as he's trampling through the grapes of wrath
Stand up and march, march, march! (“Motherhood March”, Jerry Herman)

On, Wednesday, April 12, a bit of tit for tat was expressed via a CNN political television show and Twitter, between Hilary Rosen, a nationally recognized democrat political strategist, and Ann Romney, the wife of Mitt Romney. The exchange focused on motherhood and a definition of who and what is a mother.

Seems Ms Rosen stated correctly that Ann Romney raised five boys, and never worked a day outside of the home. Seems Ms Rosen’s delivery however sounded as if just raising 5 boys was not really considered work. Seems Mrs. Romney at the behest of those men and women running the sound bytes for the Romney campaign alerted her followers she was upset and emotionally distraught that anyone would assume raising kids was not work. Seems Mrs. Romney at the urging of the PR boys and girls for the Romney campaign, decided that there was a war on women, and this time the war was against non-working mother-women.

Seems once again a discussion on the lives of women has been twisted and mangled into nothing more then name calling, with each side rather calling names then discussing the real issue at hand.

We all know that any stay at home parent raising one to a dozen kids is as difficult a job as any. For any parent who has stayed at home raising kids this job is filled with emotion, stress, joy, difficulty, and pleasure. It is more of a 24 hour/7 day a week job. When Hilary Rosen stated all Ann Romney did was stay at home raising her sons, Ms. Rosen should have added the following: Ann Romney was lucky enough to have had not to seek employment... was lucky enough to be wealthy enough that raising her sons included paid help...was lucky enough to not have to make that dreadful decision of how much time do I give to outside work and my stay at home duties.

Ann Romney was correct in stating raising kids as a stay at home mom is tough work and should have added the following: but I was lucky enough not have had to worry a teeny, weeny bit about the finances in making this decision...that because of the lack of financial worries being a stay at home mom was an easier choice to have made...that being wealthy enough to have all kinds of assistance and aid from paid staff eased the burden a bit.

Then both women should have started the discussion of the real issues which plague women who stay at home who don’t have a choice, who must jiggle work and home issues, how having financial stability help make the raising of any kids easier.

And instead of creating a derisive issue between, both women could come together to find a consensus for something so relevant.

I stand for motherhood,
America,
And a hot lunch for orphans
Take off your hat, sir
There's a tear-stained eagle passing
Do you see him
On the field at Waterloo
'Neath that great triumphal arch? (“Motherhood March”, Jerry Herman)

Not to let any water under the bridge escape, the Catholic Church had to chime in that Mrs. Romney a heterosexual female gave birth to her 5 sons, the way God intended via heterosexual intercourse. Ms. Rosen, a Lesbian, only adopted her two sons, something in the eyes of the Catholic Church which is considered a sin. Then the Republican National Committee came to the rescue of Ms Rosen, and said adoption by loving people should not be shunned. Then after realizing that many of the religious bigoted voters who vote Republican don’t like Gays or Lesbians as parents, the same Republican National Committee, amended their defense of Ms Rosen buy adding adoption is okay, but not if Gays or Lesbians do it.

And once again the war of words has escalated. And once again, the welfare of the single mom, heterosexual or homosexual is being ignored.Those women who want to just raise a family, be financially able to raise that family, would just like to have her kids receive a fair share of the American dream are not the talking points waiting for resolve. Once again the bull shit used to exploit the voter is being discussed while the attempt to solve the real problem is ignored.

I stand for Motherhood America, but with the politics of America in 2012, one would have no idea what any of that means.