Open mouth insert foot
Hello kids, first off my birthday was nice and low key thank you all for the nice greetings. Spent the day basically with my favorite people my tennis team. Had camp in the morning, and our banquet at night.
Alright so recently this little town I live in went big time, as we made some news not just locally but the Huffington Post picked up this story as well as other national outlets. Before I go further i'd like to say that I do like living here, it's a nice town, safe town, but the people that live her i'd say 90% of them are stuck in the stone ages with their beliefs, and religious views. So, about 2 weeks ago the local high school had their graduation, I want to state right away I didn't attend, but it had some controversy. The speaker who is a high school social studies teacher there gave well in my opinion a sexist speech. He got up and basically addressed the young women by saying that their greatest role in love would be, being a mother and wife. You know had he stopped right there while to me that is still a sexist thing to say it might not been as bad but here is where it snowballed, he went on to say that we have "enough" women CEO's out there and it's time these girls buck the trend. Umm WHAT!? I am not even a woman and that offends me last time I checked it's 2013.
Anyway, somehow this speech got leaked to a local Indianapolis TV station, and from there it really took off. Of course the teacher in question, who I want to point out is a friend of mine, we don't have the same beliefs what so ever and I like the guy but I can't side with him on this one. Anyway he said that the speech was taken out of context. Like I said I wasn't there, but my assistant coach was and I asked HER a female what she thought and her exact words she was offended. She felt like this speech was calling her a failure because she is both unmarried and single. I think what scares me is this entire community has rallied around him and has lashed out at ANYONE who is critical of him or the speech. I get it, it's great to have that community spirit but these mother's defending this speech their daughters heard I can't believe they don't realize how inappropriate it was. I should say I said earlier the speaker is not only a teacher but has a radio show where his topics range from politics, to religion, to gay rights, and he is definitely pro religion anti anything gay, and has made some crazy comments before. After one of the shootings that made the media recently he made a similar comment about this not happening as much if women went back to their roles of being at home.
So I ask you, especially you females are you or would you be offended by this speech? Maybe it's just me, I know that most people outside of this area were not fans of it, infact the valedictorian of another school in the county wrote an editoral for the paper about this speech and she was definitely not in favor of women being told to be a wife and mom :)
Alright sound off
Phats
posted by Phats @ 8:23 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Okay please still be my friend after this.
If I didn't know him, and I just read or heard the speech, and if I were still single, then yes, I probably would have been offended. When I was single, I got ticked off pretty quickly whenever anyone made a comment about fulfillment coming from marriage - because I WANTED to be married and it wasn't happening.
But because I do know him, I believe (perhaps I should say I HOPE) what he meant was that IF you are a wife and mom, that is your greatest role. Not that you have to be either - but that IF you are, you should realize that's more important than a career.
Being a mom is not a goal of mine, but I don't feel like he thinks I'm a failure because I don't want kids.
Though I love my job to the very center of my being, a career has never driven me, and I could stay at home tomorrow and do the wife gig alone and be perfectly fulfilled in that.
And yes, I realize I'm weird.
I obviously haven't heard the speech, and I *know* the media can take things out of context, but going on what you have said Phats, yeah I'd be offended. It's incredibly sexist, and elitist. I have mixed feelings about family values (I do not share a lot of my families values), but it sounds like he was attacking people in the way he delivered his message, and asserting that his way was the best or only way. He needs to be taught the phrase 'you kill more flies with honey than with vinegar.'
Bekah, even if he was saying that IF you were a wife and a mom your greatest role is family and you shouldn't be a CEO, I have a problem with that. You can be a great CEO and still prioritize family. I have a good friend who was almost passed over for a leadership opportunity at work because her co-workers assumed she wasn't interested since she has a family. Her husband is a stay at home dad, but she isn't treated the same way fathers with stay at home wives are, or single coworkers. And do be honest, a single mom should have opportunities based on job performance. When it's important, you find a way to make it work, that doesn't mean you love or provide for family any less.
I hate people who attack others, especially in the name of a god. I am not a religious scholar, but from what I know of most major religions, the common messages are ones of tolerance, forgiveness, and kindness.
Also, I've got to put some responsibility on the school...especially if he has an editorial style radio show. They knew exactly what can of worms they were opening when they asked him to speak, and they did it anyway.
I fully support anyone who stays at home to raise a family, and I do consider it a full time job. But I don't consider it a benchmark for my success as a human being. I'm not a fan of gender specific roles, and I'd have a hard time sitting through a speech where someone was telling me pursuing my goal of running the family business was what was wrong with America.
Bekah- Ha I would NEVER not be friends with someone cuz they don't agree :) I think my biggest problem with this is his priors, the fact that he has hit on this topic both on his radio show and his blog in the past with a similar stance. Also like emily says I might have been OK and it might not have blown up had he not added the CEO line I am not sure why he felt the need to add that in. Oddly enough I like the guy I just don't agree with his message here or his stance on a lot of things.
Emily- The seniors get to vote on who speaks they voted him he is very popular. I will be honest I am not a fan of this community when it comes to things like this they are ultra conservative christian and if you don't have that view it's fine as long as you don't speak your opinion. I have said before I feel like this might be the town with closest(does that make sense) mind haha :) But I agree I think they should look into other arrangements for speakers. I think what irritated my friend that was there was he addressed the graduating boys by saying they need to put family first as well but make sure they balance a career I dunno just not cool to me
I am with you on this one Phats especially since my wife and I don't have the traditional roles that a lot of married couples do since she is the breadwinner and I am home with the kiddos. Maybe it is time we entered a new age of enlightenment. Have a good one blogging BFF.
Ah, so that was YOUR school!
Nothing is wrong with opinions. Everybody's got one. But a high school graduation isn't the place for it.
College graduations can get away with the speaking editorializing.
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