Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Motherhood Is A Political Act

Sometimes as I read another's writing I will come across a sentence or a statement that hangs on, that lingers as if to acknowledge the bare truth of it. This happened as I read the latest blog post from Dana Loesch at her blog Mamalogues. See it here:

www.mamalogues.com

A little background first. Dana Loesch is a radio talk show host in St. Louis. Her show, The Dana Show, can be found at: http://www.971talk.com She offers a quick moving, lively and informative show.

I became familiar with Dana while writing as a contributor for a website, The Mother of all Conservatives , last year. She was a founding member of the site. Dana has been seen on FOX News channel on shows like Greta Van Sustern's and is a leader in the tea party movement. Dana is a conservative but does not consider herself a member of either political party.

As happens when a person opens up publicly with personal political opinions, the critics get a little crazy with the vitriol. Sometimes a remark from a dissenting reader can turn personal, ugly and hateful. It goes with the territory if one is a political blogger. We've all read accounts of nationally known personalities coping with death threats.

We are taught as young people to avoid the subjects of politics and religion in social settings. It is not polite conversation, toes may be stepped on. I say, "c'est la vie". There comes a point in a person's life where personal opinions and convictions rise up and overtake a hesitance to be spoken out loud.

"Motherhood is a political act", is the line from Dana's blog post that produced a head nodding moment for me. By becoming a parent, a mother, we produce the next generation that will lead our country. We educate and shape the opinions of the next generation. It is essential we step up and embrace the challenge of that responsibility. Do not be meek. Be bold and be active.

The Tea Party movement has enraged the far left ideologues in our country. Ordinary citizens have come together to give voice to opposition of the current leadership in Washington, D.C. and the direction they are taking our country. The groundswell of discontent came to a head as the President and the Democratic majority in Congress made health care insurance reform the top priority. The legislation has been written behind closed doors and Republican input has been limited, at best. The Democrats see this as the fruition of forty years of demanding a national health care program. The problems developed as regular folks across the country - more than 85% according to polls - said, hey, wait a minute. I like my health insurance program.

Regular folks are rightfully concerned about the overreach the current administration has shown in taking over industries - whether it is the auto industry, financial institutions, or the attempt to overhaul the energy sector - and have stood up. Enough is enough. Our federal deficit has tripled in one year from the deficit bemoaned by then candidate Barack Obama as he pledged to lead as a fiscally responsible president. No one imagined his idea of 'change' would be to triple our debt to all time historic levels. Our nation cannot sustain such policies.

Both sides of the political aisle must continue to be bold. Speak up and let elected officials know what is expected of them. They work for us. The founding fathers would embrace tea party activists. They, after all, were the originals.

The political effects of decisions made by lawmakers are felt in every aspect of our lives. It is incomprehensible to me that so many Americans have no inclination to read or learn about the political process and policy making. It is well past time for everyone to do his or her civic duty.

Mothers are at the core of the family. What better teacher, our children's first teachers. I say to moms everywhere, do not be hesitant to share your politics with friends and neighbors. Most likely, you will find that those in your own inner circle share a lot of the same views.

Lead by example. There is work enough for all.

No comments: