Nobody has any business having that many children in the developed world any more.

Much less ‘putting them first,’ which sounds like an excuse for ‘putting everyone else last.’

Secondly, I’m for Obama. He is a strong, intelligent, and an experienced person who has a calm level headed and, imo, has the ability to solve problems and of our two candidates is the one who is ready, prepared, and qualified to lead our country.

Thirdly, I’m all for equality. Not just between the sexes, but every other aspect as well: religion, sexual preference, etc. etc.

Fourth, I’m in the United States so I’m speaking from that POV.

All of that being said, this quote from the article:

The mother-of-four told the Labour conference it was time to “step back” from politics and put her family first.

This annoys me. I’ve heard several times that Palin is a “working mother.”

So what? Why isn’t Obama being called a “working father?” Why is there so much big to do that Mr. Palin will be “home with the kids?” This isn’t news. This isn’t a big deal. Fathers have been working “outside the home” for centuries while mothers have stayed home to take care of the kids.

It is ONLY news and a big deal if you take it from the POV that this is still “unconventional.” I suppose it is, but if people would just have a matter of fact attitude about how Palin, Ruth Kelly, et al are simply working women then maybe we might start see some equality.

IMO, women CAN have it all. But they can “have it all” like men have “had it all” for centuries. And this begins by stopping this nonsense of calling women “working mothers” And putting them on such high pedastals as they seem to be doing with Kelly by saying she wants to “put family first” by staying home to take care of the kids.

IMO, this is just another way of saying, “barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”

Another thing and this just occurred to me. This is a HUGE insult to men. As if they aren’t capable of staying home to take care of their own children. Sure they are. They’re (supposed) adults, aren’t they?

Obviously there is more to this article. But I tend to look at language and how we say things because it is very important. Language is very important in how we describe our world. And language is also very much manipulated to get communicate not just our thoughts, but our opinions and views on various subject matters. Words we choose, how they are arrange, and the context under which they are said is so extremely important.

Obama is a “working father.” McCain is a “working father.” Palin is a working woman with a stay at home father for a husband.