Democracy is hypocrisy without limitation.
- Iskander Mirza
HYPOCRITE, n. One who, professing virtues he does not respect secures the advantage of seeming to be what he despises.
- Ambrose Bierce
I would sooner devote brain cells and column inches to a celebration of MRSA than the thoughts of Ann Coulter, who to me is the intellectual and moral equivalent of drinking paint thinner. Still, there are a few things in my life that I truly have a soft spot for, and when someone tramples one of those things, I tend to get my hackles up. This is especially true when a harridan like Coulter pretends to be some sort of moral authority on anything having to do with family.
I’ve been fortunate enough to know and love two women who are single mothers. I’m here to tell you that when it comes to the sacrifices that they willingly and lovingly made for their children, both of those women are my heroes. Both of them felt strongly that what they had was a blessing and not a burden. Sure, having a husband around to help shoulder some of the responsibilities would have been nice, but both felt as if they did what they did because those were the choices they knowingly and willingly made. No regrets, no complaints, no bemoaning their fate. When I look at what both of them did on a daily basis for their children, it’s hard not to be impressed with their strength, their determination, their commitment, and their love. They both frequently told me that what they did was no big deal, but I watched what they did every single day…and to me it was a very big deal.
Granted, I realize that my experience is but a small sample, and not all single mothers are equipped- financially or emotionally- to pull the sled by themselves. Still, being a single mother ain’t easy. These days, though, just over 25% of children in the country are being raised in single-parent households. Yes, traditional stable nuclear families may well be the best environment for a child to be raised in, but the current reality doesn’t always lend itself to an Ozzie and Harriet. white picket fence Nirvana. That a harpie of Coulter’s ilk could see her way clear to blaming single mothers as the “leading cause of all social pathologies” defies simple human decency. I simply don’t have the words to adequately describe how revolted I by the idea that someone who sees herself as some sort of moral compass could blame single parents for anything.
Hey, at least ONE parent is making an effort…which is more than anyone can say about Coulter, whom I wouldn’t trust to manage a Dairy Queen, much less raise a child.
I shudder when drawing attention to Anne Coulter, because, like the mythical Wendigo, she grows stronger on our fear. But her predictably over-the-top response to the Casey Anthony verdict is just too much to ignore: she’s identified single parenthood as the “leading cause of all social pathologies.”
As she admits, this is a conclusion drawn in her last book, but she just couldn’t resist connecting it to the Casey Anthony case and, of course, the “liberals’ destruction of marriage.”
First of all, let’s get one thing out of the way: single parenthood is not the cause of “all social pathologies.” Institutionalized racism? The glass ceiling? White-collar financial crime? The Strokes taking years between albums? I refuse to believe that single moms caused all of those things.
Don’t get me wrong; I understand that there are social issues in this country in need of addressing. I agree that there are many things that could and should perhaps be done differently. The problem, at least from where I sit, has nothing to do with single parents. It has everything to do with the fact that, as a society, we hate children. There are those who will kill to protect an unborn child…but there are few who will stand up for that child once it exits the womb. Single parents are among those who can and do stand up for children, often by sacrificing their own dreams, goals, and aspirations…because they love their children just that much.
There are many things wrong with this country. There are many people seemingly determined to destroy what’s good and right. Others seem determined to remake America into a haven for the wealthy and well-connected. The fact that a parent, single or otherwise, is willing to make the commitment to raise a child with love and compassion is most definitely NOT one of the things wrong with this country. Indeed, if not for single parents many children wouldn’t know what it’s like to have someone in their life completely devoted to their safety and well-being.
I’ve been blessed to have known two single mothers, women who devoted themselves to their children and still somehow managed to carve out a life for themselves, all while pretending that what they were doing was no big deal. Perhaps to them it wasn’t, but to me it was huge, a selfless example of what love is really all about. That’s a lesson I’ll never forget. It’s just too bad that Ann Coulter could somehow find a way to twist something so right into something so horribly wrong…but then, that’s what she does. When you have nothing positive to offer, I suppose all that’s left is to make your contribution by tearing things down. How sad and pitiful.
