We have failed our mothers
More events coming for “The Last American Editor”
The Front Page
Morning Update
Monday, May 9, 2022
By Ken Tingley
As Mother’s Day dawned yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder if the most recent generations of mothers have been “The Greatest Generation” of moms.
But maybe I’m getting that wrong.
Maybe it is just a generation forced to overcome the most challenges while having careers, attending meetings, helping with yard work and shuttling their children to a never-ending number of activities. In many cases, they have been misunderstood and given an inappropriate “helicopter” before their title.
These moms have had more demands than ever before.
But that has also been the recipe for not only motherhood, but parenthood in recent years.
What we need to consider more carefully is how our elected leaders have failed not only mothers, but families in general.
Certainly, there remains bipartisan support for motherhood and apple pie, but how many moms have the time to bake anymore?
The past several generations of women have gradually gotten on equal footing with men when getting an education and starting a career - although sadly not in receiving an equal wage. But when it came to starting a family, their remains significant roadblocks to having it all.
Compared with many industrialized countries who don’t have the same riches we do, we are backwards in our commitment to families. Both Congress and greedy corporations can share that blame.
The United States is one of seven countries in the entire world without paid national maternity leave. The average leave is 29 weeks - paid - for other countries.
About half the countries in the world allow paid leave to take care of sick children. This country does not.
The United States is the only country among 83 to not have a paid national paternity leave. For those that do, the average paid leave for fathers is 16 weeks.
Twenty-five years ago when my wife was returning to work after having our son, I cobbled together a month of vacation days so that I could take over taking care of our son at home. My boss rejected my request and I had to go over his head to the publisher to get it approved.
There is little if any help for families when it comes to daycare. That leaves many parents out of the work force - more often than not the mother. Often, one parent is working just to pay the daycare..
Few companies provide flexible work hours, although the pandemic has showed that working from home can work and that might be changing.
Locally, we have made some inroads. New York has paid family leave now. But health care and child care remain challenges.
Celebrating Mother’s Day Day is a bit hypocritical for those in the political realm.
We love our moms. Their work is essential.
But mostly, they and their families are on their own and that’s not right.
Reviews
So many of you have been so kind in your feedback about “The Last American Editor.” It is greatly appreciated. I hope you continue to spread the word to your friends and neighbors that it is a volume that needs to be read by every member of our community.
We all need to understand how lucky we are to live here.
I have one other favor for anyone who has read the book, I’m hoping you will leave a review on amazon.com or Goodreads.com. Maybe you could post it on your social media of choice.
You just need to search “The Last American Editor” or my name, then give your star rating and write your review. Amazon does have a policy that you must have spent $50 on your account over the past 12 months or they won’t let you review.
Crandall Library event
Reminder to mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 24 when I will be having a conversation with former Post-Star Projects Editor Will Doolittle about life, newspapers and “The Last American Editor” at Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls.
The event will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and will include a question and answer period. It should be fun.
You are so right. And…we have not passed the Equal Rights Amendment.