With the political debates approaching and the never ending Facebook post, I started thinking about the recent claims that women's rights are being threatened by the Republican party.
I grew up in a Republican, Christian, traditional home. I was raised with the values that scare so many liberals. So let me tell you what these "old fashioned" values have taught me. Let me explain to you what I have learned and why the liberals should be threaten by the men and woman who hold these "redneck" "backwoods" rights so sacred. Let me tell you why I am so strong, so confident, and so determined. Why I am not a victim of society, why I continue to live by the values of my grandparents and why I believe these values are what make strong women.
My father worked three jobs so my mother could work less hours and be home with their children. I am proud that my father taught my brother and I to work hard and to provide for our families. I am honored that he taught my brother to treat all woman with care and respect, that he taught him to put the toilet seat down, to take out the trash, and to put the happiness of his wife and children above his own wants and needs. My father has taken us all hunting, loved all three of us equally, and he has made all three of work hard. He instilled chivalry into my brother and has shown my sister and I how we should be treated by a man. Mostly importantly, he thought us respect, for him, my mother, ourselves, and each other.
I am also blessed to have a father and a mother who sacrificed date nights and simple luxuries so that my mother could be home with us. In my family, my mother's cooking is far more superior than anything served in a restaurant. Her opinions are valued, she is cherished, she is respected, and above all she loved in our home. My mother taught my sister and I how to be respectful of our husbands, how to care for our children, and that we deserved to be loved and cherished by a man. She has also silently taught my brother how he should be loved and that when you provide and protect your family you deserve the same to be returned to you.
Watching my parents live in service for each other, has taught me to love, to be kind, and to be thankful. Their love and their lifestyle made me believe I could do anything; it will always be a strong quiet confidence throughout my life. A confidence that has allowed me to pursue all my dreams, professional and nonprofessional.
I do not think I am weak because I have chosen to love and care for a man. I am not embarrassed that I dream of one day being able to abandon my current life to pursue my dreams of raising and caring for a family. I am not ashamed that I enjoy being home in time to cook dinner for a man. I am proud that I have the footsteps of my grandmothers, aunts, and mother to walk in. From their kitchens, minivans, church pews, and humble desks, these woman, individually, have contributed more to society than any man in a suit and tie. Their hard work and sacrifices created a blue print of happiness for my cousins, siblings, and myself.
I realize being a female has had it's a advantages. I have been treated kindly by older men who have said I reminded them of their daughters, granddaughters, or someone else in their lives. However, I am not blind to the injustices in our society or in the work field toward woman. I know that my boobs and body have worked for me and against me. I know that I work in a field where I am sometimes viewed as a prize but I also know that I am working with other men who are discriminated against because they're short, unattractive, or awkward.
The fault of these injustices does not lie in the hands of the conservatives. The fault lies in those who were not raised to respect others and who never learned the value of another person's feelings. The fault lies with the man or woman who never learned to not judge or that in God's eyes we are equal.
The fault of these injustices does not lie in the hands of the conservatives. The fault lies in those who were not raised to respect others and who never learned the value of another person's feelings. The fault lies with the man or woman who never learned to not judge or that in God's eyes we are equal.
I am also very aware that because of what woman before me have done, I have been able to accomplish more than most woman could years ago. I believe I have done more for women rights by pursuing a lifestyle and career that I wanted, by excelling in a field that is strongly dominated by men. I believe I am doing more for the feminist movement then some liberals. I have chosen to work in a man's world, to compete with men, and to challenge them to compete with me. I am doing more for the respect of woman by demanding respect in my office and by proving I am completely capable of handling myself in their "world". I graduated college and obtained my masters without help. I purchased a home by myself, with the money I have saved from busting my ass. I have succeeded by practicing the principles taught by my parents. If I judged my success by the standards of a man, I would say I am doing better than most men but I measure my success by my own happiness in life. I am successful because of the family that raised me no differently than my brother, because of the sacrifices my parents made to send me to school, and because of the confidence I gained from their unconditional, unbiased love.
I am not threaten by your opinion. I do not need to fill the media with propaganda. I do not need to look for verification in anything, other than myself. I am not threaten by a man because I choose to nurture him. I do not need a handout or your sympathy, I have a support system at home that makes me feel larger than life. I am strong. I am confident. I just happen have boobs! =)
