A Brave Fox

Children’s author, Mem Fox, is reported as saying that society would look back on the trend of putting infants in child care and wonder "how could we have allowed that child abuse to happen". (SMH 1/9/08)

She continued:

"I don't know why some people have children at all if they know that they can only take a few weeks off work," she told a Melbourne newspaper. "I know you want a child, and you have every right to want a child, but does the child want you if you are going to put it in child care at six weeks? I don't think the child wants you, to tell the honest truth." (SMH 1/9/08)

Perhaps she is using hyperbole to make her point by calling childcare a form of abuse. But sometimes ideas need to be exaggerated for the point to be made. With the vehement rebuttal from working mums and childcare agencies I assume the point has been well made and has struck a nerve.

Working mothers feel the have no choice. They must work to make ends meet.

More than two-thirds of working mums would rather be at home with their children. But for most it is not an option because they need a job just to make ends meet. (Daily Telegraph 26/8/08)

But do the really? Angela van Boxtel feels somewhat unsympathetic to their plight

Many women don't realise it, but the very simple answer to the question of balance for working mothers is this: be happy with less. (Daily Telegraph 27/8/08)

This is coming from a woman who has four children and has made the necessary sacrifices so that her children get to grow up knowing their mother.

While Mem Fox’s call on childcare being a form of abuse is very gutsy it has more than an essence of truth. Children should grow up knowing their parents. Sticking them in childcare as early as six weeks is surely bad for the child and reeks of a lack of priorities. What higher priority is there than the child? As stated on this blog, children are a blessing and it's time to treat them like one. Childcare is a lazy option by those who are selfish and don’t want to sacrifice anything.

Fox is right. It’s as if they don’t even want the child at all.

Not Clearly Thinking

Almost all of Sydney let their hearts get carried away this week. They were swept up in the romantic notion that a whale’s life we could be saved and maintained after it appeared on our northern beaches seemingly abandoned by its mother and pod.

Unfortunately nature is tough. Abandoned baby whales die and there is nothing we can do to stop it. That’s just the way it is. A baby whale probably dies everyday, but just because Collette found her way to a suburban piece of Aussie coastline she gets a lot of attention.

One man even called for the UN to get involved, as if they would. Others were making their own concoctions of the special milk mixture that has been used to feed whales in such situations overseas. I even heard a story of someone buying 10 x 2L cartons of milk exclaiming, “this is for Colin” even though whales can’t take cow’s milk. Feels as if that this is a serious case of 'man' believing they can control every situation, not the case.

But for all those who really wanted to save the whale’s life, not one was seen with a blank cheque to hand to the NPW. Because that’s what it would have taken to save Collette. That and a lifetimes devotion to caring for the mammoth sized creature. Even then there is no guarantee of its survival.

At least common sense finally prevailed and Collette was put to sleep humanely as there was nothing we as humans could do to save it in the long term.

Now that it’s all over. A lot of people need to just sit back and start thinking with their heads as they were all emotion yet no substance.

That didn't stop the Daily Telegraph well and truly jumping on the emotion driven bandwagon with the headline "We could have done more" (23/8/08). Calls are now on for Collette's legacy to have some meaning by having a summit, bringing together whale experts from all over the world. Paid for by whom I wonder? Probably the taxpayer.

If we genuinely cared about each other half as much as they wanted to look after Collette then we would have a much better society.

Gender Inequality

Women’s groups are again complaining about gender inequalities in the workplace. The latest quibble is that women in the public service are overlooked for promotion after childbirth. While their female colleagues are receiving promotions.

Written in the Daily Telegraph (19/8/08):

....65 per cent of women who had taken maternity leave in 2000-01 had not received a promotion in the six years after taking maternity leave. This compared with the 42 per cent of women without children who had not received a promotion over the same period.

It is a biological fact women give birth to children. Also true is that the act of childbirth interrupts with one’s career. Women’s groups acknowledge this fact yet still draw on their feminist ideals to suggest that women should be able to have it all and that it is the fault of the workplace that this cannot occur.

So why is it that people are led to believe that they can have it all? That is, have the career with multiple promotions and have a happy family life. Something always has to give. We want it all, but unfortunately we can’t, it just doesn’t work. Sacrifices have to be made.

Of course this is what the feminists would hate the most, as women historically have been the main caregivers for children. This means that women have been the ones to sacrifice their career (if they had a career in the first place), while the man became the breadwinner. However, the same applies for the man. He will miss out on family life if he wants a big career as well.

The Daily Telegraph fails to ask these unpromoted women if they are happy with their situation. Perhaps they are happy as they are able to have that family life.

The big losers in all this kerfuffle about gender inequality are the kids. Children are a blessing, how about we start treating them as such. In the long run they become the losers from having a non existant parent because work was too important.

What’s Wrong With Hillsong?

Hillsong seems to cop criticism from all directions. Most of the time I think it is unfair and uncalled for. Some don’t like Hillsong because of their inclination to preach “prosperity gospel” or it’s because they are big and successful. Others simply don’t like the mere existence of Hillsong.

Most recently they have been in the news because of a program they run in some government schools. It is called ‘Shine’ and is aimed at building the self-esteem and self-image of young girls.

Doesn’t sound that bad. With all the distorted views we have of what is perfect they could surely appreciate some encouragement and a boost in self-image.

So is the program off the mark or are people’s anti Christian or anti Hillsong prejudices showing?

Underbelly - Book Review

Underbelly: The Gangland War

Andrew Rule & John Sylvester

The truth is stranger than fiction. Therefore the story of the Melbourne Gangland murders is a very strange one indeed.

It is my sort of read, small chunks in shortish chapters and just the facts. No fancy language to confuse me. However there are a lot of names to keep up with. People would come into the story and leave just as quickly, usually in a body bag.

Of course with stories like this there is the concern that it may be glorifying the fast living of the real life “gangsters.” However, how can you glorify dying at a tragically young age or ending up in jail for extremely long stints. They may have had the appearances of a good life on the outside with the big houses and nice cars, but the authors of Underbelly point out how paranoid which drove them into mental health issues. That is if the bullet didn’t get to them first.