With marriage and procreatory status now a major issue in the mayoral race, I was talking today at the BrewHaHa with the only other member of City Council clearly deficient to serve. Councilwoman Teresa Macaluso is almost my age, never been married and has NO children. Now that's OK if you want to be a Secretary of the Army...but to serve here in Watertown....NOT !....
Ms Macaluso told me she is offended at the dialogue in the mayor's race....and she should be. It's insulting and divisive to judge the worth of anyone by whether they fit some Ozzie and Harriet model.
At yesterday's debate at JCC there was a doubling down on the the family card...on matters from recreation to law enforcement, it was said you can only see the path to good and righteous government through the prism of a rather narrow and anachronistic definition of "family values."
I have been running against this issue with its related innuendos for years. This year's incarnation is nothing short of amazing to me.
These days people and their families are structured in all sorts of ways...There is no norm, and most of us have gotten past the point of being so judgemental, so pious...and so unctuous.
I believe it was in Mathew 21 that Jesus said 'the tax collectors and the harlots will enter the Kingdom of God before you.' In other words...judge not, lest ye be judged.
Watertown Daily Times Mayoral contest takes a turn for the polite
13 comments:
Procreation is a good metric...after all, you do have to be about 12 to make a baby. It would insure we have no 10 year old mayors.
But then again it would rule out Ed Koch and Jesus Christ too.
You could be like several other men in America today....On your second maybe third marriage and paying for several kids...Or happy.
And from Matthew 22:14, "For many are called, but few are chosen".
The guy who shot and killed 8 people in california yesterday was a family man too..until he didnt get his way,now many innocent people are grieving..not taking a shot at families just saying that being a family man doesn't mean he is father of the year..not saying anything against smith either,but who is to say he is qualified to be mayor because he is a "family man"..seems like nonsense to me..
It don't matter if you have never been married,never had kids,married once,twice,have lots of kids,or whatever. What matters most ,is that you are true to your heart; and true to the people that you serve. Mayor, I do believe you are true to both. Mr. Smith should never had introduced the "family factor".
I absolutely respect men and women who have made the sacrifice of establishing a family, keeping it together, and working hard to ensure that their family thrives. I also think the fact the there are fewer and fewer of these people around makes for a lesser nation than we once had. Pressures of two parents being employed and the negative influences of materialism have hurt us as a society. I also find myself in my 50's, single, with no children. One of my biggest regrets is not having a family. I'm hoping that might change. But while I deeply respect and admire people who have been able to raise a family, that in no way diminishes my veiws of those who have taken other paths with their lives. Marriage isn't for everyone. Children aren't for everyone. Isn't it time we stopped deciding what the correct path is for others, and allowed people to make their own choices? I'm hoping that Mr Smith doesn't mean to imply that his is a more meaningful life, simply because he has made different lifestyle choices than you. If he is, that is certainly a indication of a lack of maturity as far as I'm concerned. I'm thinking he doesn't feel that way at all, and is simply taking advice from someone who should know better.
Thou would have to admit that the all mighty did not and does not intend our leaders to be bar flys/owners who support gambling alcohol and tobacco. Especially a bar owner with "go-go cage(s) in thous establishment!!
9:05 Yours is the kind of post that makes people look stupid. When I think of what threatens our world, what concerns me about the future, what is important for our kids, my thoughts immediately go to the scourge of, what was it, "go go" girls?"
Now now.....everyone can make bad choices in their youth. :)
Smith was not to worried about others families when he got a DWI while serving as county legislator.
Family Guy is my favorite show.
Hee hee...a talking dog...and a diabolical baby!
Who comes up with this stuff?{done laughing sigh}
Questionssss:
How much does the mayor job pay?
What is the contractual exp budget?
What r options/contribution for health insurance?
What is travel, gas and misc exp budget yearly?
Anything else to do with dinero or compensation of any type?
I think there has been some skillful twisting of the family values comment.
I've heard nothing from Smith that I would consider derogatory or judgemental of marital status.
Post a Comment