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Our Carpet
By Mona Lease
Hi, all!! I was speaking with a girlfriend the other day. I got on one
of my "soap-box" talks. She said I needed to write it as a column. So -
for your consideration - I submit the following.
We, here in the US, have got ourselves a huge hump in the middle of our
carpet - figuratively speaking. We all know it's there. We can no
longer ignore it. It has gotten so tall that we can no longer set a
table on the top of it (again figuratively speaking) and say it's the
latest in interior design. How did the hump get there??
It probably started in the late '60s...maybe 1969 or so. Virginia Slim
cigarettes put out a "little black book" - free with every carton of
cigarettes you purchased. I was given one - black with gold lettering
that said "Virginia Slim"...their slogan was "You've come a long way,
baby." I was twelve. So women bought into the theory and "under the
carpet" it went - so to speak because few bought into a woman with a
little black book filled with men's names and the "star-rating" that
was applied. How dare she!!
When women started frequenting the bars and clubs openly - with their
own money - the hump under the carpet grew a tad. But we could still
ignore it - along with the fact that a female version of what once was
"man's domain" existed for women. Women would be rating a man's
prowess.,,,based on what?? With a certain amount of male pride - under
the carpet this went. It was still mostly unacceptable behavior. Still
- woman was granted her rights.
Then came women having children without being married - by choice.
Gasp, sputter - what?!! But women had the little black book, could make
and spend their money in a bar or club. They got that right, too. "I
exercise my right" to a child without marriage or a father present in
the home. Others do it through a tragedy and it worked - so why can't
I?? Under the carpet it went - and the hump grew.
Then came the right to buy a house on a woman's income alone. "It's my
right to have a child - buy a home for me and my child." (She still
required the father to provide monetary support, the Judge said ok and
rapped his gavel.) With a bit of a gag - under the carpet it went to
help the hump grow.
The next logical step was adoption on a woman's merits alone (no
bringing up the bar/club attendance....she has a right to a social
life.) And now it's under the carpet. Therefore - a woman now
controlled her money - her home - bank accounts - child care - child
education. Personal "needs" were to her discretion. And the hump under
the carpet grew.
Pre-school....home-school....half-school....no school...we all learn
under different circumstances. "It's my child's right" to be
comfortable while learning. OK - they get their rights.
Gays - alternative medicine - who is allowed to marry who - what
restrooms can a kiddie use at school ?- who can father a child - which
drugs should be legal - for what procedures should an insurance company
pay? - are "escort services" a moral job? - is fidelity a "school
subject" - do we really need cursive writing? - will the 10
Commandments in public buildings really help? - is prayer in the school
a help...is it being "shoved" down unwilling throats?? - etc, etc, etc,
You know where all of this went. "They deserve their rights" seems to
be a mantra in the USA. But we've shoved so much "under the carpet" in
an effort to please all...make everyone happy.
The hump has grown so high we can no longer ignore it. Nor can we set
anything on it and call it "art" - I'm not even sure we can reach the
top of it. We're running out of carpet. No one seems willing to work
together to fix it. No one seems willing to be a bad guy. No one wants
to be "uncomfortable" and draw attention to this hump. But taking away
our constitutional rights will not fix this - that I see. Letting
people come into the US or making them leave the US is not going to fix
this. This one's gonna take some action - by everyone - at the same
time.
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the
furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next
time. Ever Toodles!! MONA
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