The editorial slant of The Signal is so obvious and pervasive, I would normally refrain from engaging in any pointless exchange with the editorial staff. However, I do feel the need to comment on David Hegg’s commentary on motherhood. His comments on women who have abortions and “evil” mothers came across as straw men. What is striking is the cultural tone deafness of his list of what motherhood is crafted out of. “Clean clothes and steaming plates of pot roast and potatoes”? This is the kind of statement that would radicalize even the most benign feminist. Those may be his own fond memories of his mother, but they are hopelessly out of tune with the realities of our modern society.
To suggest that cooking and washing clothes are the hallmarks of true motherhood flies in the face of the fact that close to 60% of American families have dual incomes. He totally ignores or perhaps rejects the virtue of women as co-providers who have unlocked the full economic potential of, and benefits for, their families. Those mothers can now convey to their children the very practical wisdom they have garnered from competing in the workplace and actively engaging in the mainstream of economic life — alongside the special warmth and comfort that only mothers can provide. Their children will remember those lessons just as dearly as those of their favorite mac and cheese dish or the feel of jeans fresh out of the dryer – either of which could just as easily have been provided by Dad or the babysitter.
Lou Viada
Valencia