My son is not a criminal.
Hell, he's barely ever been in trouble. He doesn't keep his room as clean as he could, and he gets lazy in school sometimes (or perhaps bored), and sometimes he gives attitude, but I don't think those things rise to the level of actually being criminal.
I can't believe that we single mothers are now in the crosshairs. I chose not to have an abortion, but now that's not good enough either?
Shit, it gets even worse, because I took birth control pills for years too. So I'm a slut single mother raising a criminal. Man, didn't realize what a bad person I really was ...
My son will be 19 this year. He is a "Hurricane Andrew" baby. He wasn't planned, but I don't believe in accidents. I thought about abortion for about 45 seconds but that was not the right CHOICE for me. I became a single mother on May 31, 1993.
I didn't give birth to, nor did I raise, a criminal. I raised a boy to a man doing the best I could. I'm not perfect, and neither is he. But he's an awesome kid - er, man, and I wouldn't change anything.
And I would have done no less and NO MORE had I been married. Being married doesn't make you a better parent. It doesn't make you love your kids more. It doesn't make you a better citizen.
For almost any woman, anywhere, there is nothing she would not do for her children. Married. Single. Divorced. Widowed. Gay. Straight. Black. White. Democrat. Republican.
We would go to the ends of the earth to give our children the best possible life we can. We would sacrifice our own lives in defense of theirs.
We do whatever is necessary, under whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, to be good mothers. We want to do the best by our children, not saddle them with baggage or guilt or shame. Just raise them with love and respect and compassion, and hopefully teach them everything they need to know to be good people, productive members of society and, perhaps, good parents. And Democrats ;-) (but they will be what they will be, and we love them regardless).
You know what MIGHT create criminals? A society that doesn't serve and protect its own.
That cuts vital services, education, teachers' salaries, early education programs, free or reduced meal plans.
A society that has for-profit health care, letting people die because they can't afford treatment, or go into bankruptcy in order to fight through a catastrophic event.
And it doesn't help when that society ...
- calls women who want to preserve their inalienable right to make their own medical decisions sluts and prostitutes.
- celebrates those who only seek to tear down rather than build up.
- that denies rights to some citizens that are reserved for others.
- that wants to criminalize single motherhood.
- that ostracizes people based on their gender, religious beliefs (or lack thereof), sexuality, nationality, race, color ...
- that has a Supreme Court that considers a corporation a person and gives IT more rights and liberties than it does actual human beings.
- that allows Wall Street criminals to walk free while arresting those in peaceful, lawful protest.
- that pays its citizens differently simply based on one's gender, or race.
- that doesn't hold those in positions of power accountable.
- that lays off its police force, firefighters, teachers, while giving bailouts and subsidies and tax breaks to industries making record profits.
- that has two sets of laws - one for those who can buy justice, and those who can't afford it.
- that allows an economic collapse and then doesn't hold any of those responsible accountable.
- that seeks to cut off every possible avenue of help and hope for those less fortunate, born to situations over which they have NO control, and them blame them for their lot in life.
- that seeks to undercut or outright destroy every imaginable vehicle (social service or otherwise) someone might use to better themselves and their lives.
- and calls those that do use social services lazy, drug addicts, do nothings.
- that attaches more value to money than people.
- That considers the protection of capitalism more important than the protection of people.
- that spends more money rebuilding other countries than investing and rebuilding its own.
- that lies to justify war.
- that pretends that anyone can get anywhere if they really try hard enough, as if we all start from the same starting point, with the same access to education and the same advantages.
- that has no compassion for its less fortunate, less advantaged, less connected, less privileged.
- that believes those that have matter more than those that do not.
And that calls my son a criminal because he was born to a single mother.
My son is not a criminal.
I am an extremely proud single mother. I am realllllly pissed off. And I am not alone.
Hell hath no fury ...
Thu Mar 08, 2012 at 4:52 AM PT: Community Spotlight? Thank you ... and thank you for your comments.