I Am Blaming You.
Last week I wrote about Momthink.org, an innovative new way to digest political topics through short video bursts. Then, moms and others connect online to discuss topics of interest to families. Today, I’m going to continue down the same path, but we’re going to chronologically think about why it’s imperative that you act. To do this, we have to consider: How did we get here?
I blame you. The collective You, that is. All of us.
Mother’s Day dawned last Sunday and the tradition of venturing to the local garden center was followed with all the Little Teichs in tow. After choosing our plants we were all waiting patiently in the long line when an embarrassing tirade broke out. Ahead in line was a mother wrangling an approximately three-year-old little child. The little girl had decided that she needed one of those fun and fanciful delights they try to cross-sell at the checkout. Loudly she cried: “I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it.” The mom, exasperated, tried: “you don’t need that.” Louder, “I WANT IT, WHAT IS IT? I WANT IT, WHAT IS IT?”
I’m sure you can guess… despite NOT EVEN KNOWING what the item was for, how it would work, the child wanted it… and of course, in the end, took home the $19.99 miniature wheelbarrow too small to do anything of value and is probably now busted in some landfill.
Reminds me of health care reform. Many… don’t even know what it is. But, it sounds nice, it doesn’t matter what it really it, it will shut everybody up. Let’s do it!
Parenting is NOT an action of coexisting with children.
Parenting is a function. Each and every minute is an opportunity to teach your children about want, need, responsibility, caring for others.
Giving is not loving. Loving is training them for the world they must navigate. You cannot make the world fit them — it will never revolve around them. The lesson that mother taught: you can have anything you want and you don’t even have to know whether it’s good for you or not.
I do not care how tired we are. I’m asking moms to talk it through with our children.
Moms like when we are named the voting block to capture. Moms like it when we are told that we direct household income. Moms like that our hands rock the cradle. But, let’s face it, we’re doing little to nothing about what is going on in America. And until WE do… all this power we wield is but treading water.
You really do have the power to put forward ideas that work. Do you do it? Do you even evaluate the political section of your newspaper?
Here’s some of the headlines about what moms are doing:
Botox Mom
You’re thinking: these are the worst examples of moms, it isn’t the MAJORITY of us. And you are right. The majority of us are packing lunches, running carpools, reading books, hugging when feelings are hurt. But don’t you want good to be our headline? Of course, you argue, nothing that is “regular” or “normal” is headline worthy… that will never happen.
What if in caring for your children, you stopped talking about the failures of education and joined with other moms to innovate a strategy to enhance performance in your school and it became a good model for other schools?
What if you began to discuss health care and you learned about delivery and insurance problems and you innovated a way to lower cost and cover your children and maybe even those less fortunate who can’t afford care?
THAT would make headlines. THAT would impress your children. Most important, that would be parenting well. I’m living my life so that when I go to my grave, I gave my child a chance at any dream they commit to. They have work in it too. But only WE can deliver the environment in which to prosper.
How can choosing the safest SUV outweigh whether your childs work product would become entirely dictated by the GOVERNMENT?
It can happen. If you don’t care, the government will step in to fix the problems you laden them with. We have the representatives WE elected… we tell them to fix our problems and then tune out. No wonder they go to Washington and start trying to do it themselves… you’re not in the picture to help yourself or them.
They already have taken over. The Individual Mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordability Act is a sweeping reform, dictated from the legislative branch FORCING you to purchase a product. A product, no less, that the government itself will design by virtue that they must approve of it. Less competition — centralized control — citizens rights removed. This is all headed through the judicial branch now. Cato has the best comprehensive, easy-to-understand paper out there. Find it here.
Government will continue to do this until you accept responsibility, come up with choices and engage.
Harsh? You need to hear it. Please share it.
Momthink has a video I highlighted last week. Their companion site has a funny, yet practical way to view these issues. It’s short, it gets you thinking. Make time:
Disclosure: Molly is a paid partner of MomThink, both of whom have displayed a commitment to the principles of free-market individualism. You can friend MomThink on Facebook, follow on Twitter and find numerous resources for this topic and others at their parent website, Intellectual Takeout.
This video is from the Know-Y.org collection. Their site is here.
Next week:
Needs vs. Wants: Food, Water, Shelter and End of Life Counseling
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Official CPAC Blogger
Nice piece, Molly. As an active father, I liked your comment about parenting as an omnipresent opportunity for learning. I frequently stop along roads so my son and I can practice numbers and sounding out words.
He calls me his “best friend,” but this best friend ain’t afraid to discipline!
That is quite a compliment. I consider you one of the finest writers I read. Thanks for your support.
I discovered you just today thanks to a feminist website complaining about you! Lol. Anyway, glad I did-bookmarking you now
Hi. I don’t know you. I discovered your blog through the Circleofmoms voting contest for the best political mom blog. I just though you should know that The Feminist Breeder, your biggest competition for the number one spot, has suggested on your Facebook page that you got ahead of her briefly by running a “dirty campaign.” I’ve browsed your site, albeit quickly, and I see no evidence that you’re running a dirty campaign in order to win this silly award. Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/thefeministbreeder?sk=wall.
For the record, I am a leftist and a feminist, probably not the type to read your blog. But TFB regularly lies to her readers, and she deletes people who challenge her. She gives a bad name to feminists. PLEASE call her out on this, or at least, actually DO campaign for this award. TFB is not even a political blogger. You are. That means that you, not she, should be in the lead. Please, rally your readers.
Oops. I meant to say that she suggested on HER Facebook page that you were running a dirty campaign.
I am unable to check on what my competition is saying because I do not follow her and her twitter is private. I have said some comments that question the name of the person you mention. I certainly didn’t mean to be hateful and I’ve not used foul language. I enjoy the competition, I intend to continue to get my followers voting. But yes, I think it would be great if these little controversies were behind us. Thanks for filling me in.