Orathaic I agree with you as to the notion of pedestals creating these types of issues, hence my saying I agreed with what author of the article was doing. I end up in flame wars with people of all creeds because I am basically someone that believes in equal rights to a radical degree. I fight with feminists and MRAs, Republicans and Democrats, religious folks and atheists on a constant basis. I am very much for the military allowing women into combat roles as that will likely make selective service registration completely gender neutral. I am tired of women getting paid less than men but I also see where it is starting to change. I am also tired of a primary education system that tosses little boys aside that have too much energy and sticks them with a label, and normally meds, that will affect them for the rest of their lives. I don't want my friends, my kids, or anyone else set upon due to anything that is beyond there control, be it gender, race, orientation, or anything else that one has thrust upon them by the randomness of the universe. I know worthless men and wonderful women. I also know the reverse.
My reason for attacking the 77% stat is that I feel it has long been used as a cudgel against those that dissent with feminism. Yes it exists, but it is also starting to change. I am anti patriarchy not out of being a staunch feminist but out of a desire for equal rights in all things. Women are not biologically, physchologically, or in any other way better parents than men. Some women are wonderful at it, some are terrible at it. So yeah I have issues with courts favoring women over men in custody disputes. I am over simplifying? Possibly, but you also seem to be over simplifying what I am saying or missing the point. I am not antifeminist. But I am one of those people that believe equal rights demands equal responsibility. So if things are moving towards equality in pay (look at the stats for black male versus black female unemployment over the last few years and notice that in that racial category women are more likely to get hired than men) then things like parenting load, time off for children, equality in custody disputes, and the like are also on the table. Chivalry, the pay gap, and exclusive male control of most corporations should be dead, so should propping up "historical maternal rights," a gendered draft/selective service law, and gender biased criminal courts.
And to the issue brought up by Krellin about being a stay at home dad, been there, done that, cannot find a gig now even with tons of experience. So once the semester is over I will be taking whatever job I can find as long as still allows me to be a parent. And you know what? It sucks that society does not value what I did but I do and I know my son does. He is bright, strong, determined, and fun as hell to be around. If I drew the short end for being the dad he needed me to be at a key time in his life, so fucking be it. Do I hope that if my son decides to do the same 20 years from now he does not suffer for it, certainly. But I also hope I am raising him well enough to know that if that is the best choice then take the damn consequences and drive on young man.
As to the notion that those that decide to be stay at home parents should start out at the bottom of the payscale my guess would be you say that because you don't want competition from people that might actually be well rounded people. Then again that probably has something to do with your anti-liberal arts degree stance. Well that and the fact that it has the word liberal in it. Seriously dude, look at Sweden for the way laws on parenting should be and how workers of both genders should be treated and while I am fairly certain you will think it is all horseshit it is the wave of the future and thank the flying spaghetti monster for that. And liberal arts degrees serve people very well in the business world, as those degrees teach people to argue, process large amounts of disparate data into a functional synthesis, speed read, and actually type things. I have taught business majors in gen ed classes before, and I have also taught chefs that were aspiring restaurant managers. I will take any of my former students from the culinary academy I taught at over any business student I ever had. And not just as a teacher, I would rather employ them in any business. I can teach business skills to someone that knows how to work and think critically much more rapidly than I can teach someone that knows marketing and hyperbolic business buzzword jargon how to think critically and turn on a dime.
@ theministerofwar I could not agree more. Being a dad is no more challenging than being a mom once the kid is born save for the breast feeding thing. Funny thing is that kids seem to be fine with drinking breast milk or formula out of a bottle if you get them used to it. They might prefer breast milk directly from the breast, but I prefer steak and curly fries but I often end up with jambalaya, pizza, or something else that is not steak and curly fries. I can adjust, and so can they. Men need to be dads when they have kids. It is not as hard as it seems and the rewards are boundless.
@ skittlekicks what is with the cucumber sammiches? Is that a Freudian/penis envy thing?
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Going for all points or playing nice
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