Women, Wages & War

Asked about the “war on women,” [Barack Obama] politely declined the opportunity to declare himself and the Democratic Party to be on the side of the women: “Women are going to make up their own mind in this election about who is advancing the issues that they care most deeply about.”

He went on:

there are millions of strong women around the country who are going to make their own determination about a whole range of issues. It’s not going to be narrowly focused just on contraception. It’s not going to be driven by one statement by one radio announcer. It is going to be driven by their view of what’s most likely to make sure they can help support their families, make their mortgage payments; who’s got a plan to ensure that middle-class families are secure over the long term; what’s most likely to result in their kids being able to get the education they need to compete. ... So I’m not somebody who believes that women are going to be single-issue voters.

Notice how quickly he moved to non-gender-specific issues like mortgages and education. He’s just not comfortable with the notion that women might vote based on their interests as women. He’d rather talk to them about mortgages and “a whole range of issues” than reassure them about their reproductive autonomy.

  WIIIAI

What I noticed was that in going to the issue of mortgages he blithely slipped through “help support their families” as though it is just as natural as the day is long that women have to work outside the home to bring in enough income to support a family.

All these “single issue” topics may not be so single. With this latest hot topic of women's right to contraceptives and all the muddy waters around it, including the Tea Party mentality that supports presidential candidates who most loudly rail against women in modern society forsaking the commandments of God, I don't see anyone relating the cost of war to the incidence of women in the work force. Surely it's there? I realize this position would be as fraught with confusing statistics and ideals as any, but I wonder if there aren't data to support the theory that family women are forced into the marketplace to support the country's “defense” industry during its costly wars.

It wasn't always this way. In our past, women have had the ability to choose whether to stay at home and raise their children or go to work to earn a wage. Young people may not know that. Politicians would like us to forget it.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.