It’s honorable to be a supportive homemaker — and that’s why more men should do it | Opinion
It’s honorable for men to be homemakers too
I agree with columnist Lynn Schmidt that the role of homemaker is an honorable occupation that should never be denigrated. But her nostalgic view of the role is problematic because it is usually gender-specific, and it is unpaid.
Who can imagine a commencement speaker urging men to stay home while their wives pursue careers? While I have known a couple of men who chose to do this, they are rare.
Few families today have the luxury of allowing one parent to stay out of the workforce for very long. Ironically, the conservatives who push the idea that women should be homemakers have also championed tax cuts for the wealthy, which have moved wealth upward, shrinking the middle class so that most families now need two wage-earners just to pay the bills.
And what if the primary wage-earner dies, becomes disabled, or divorces the homemaker and leaves her with no way of making a living? As my financial adviser said, “A man is not a financial plan.”
If conservatives such as the millionaire football player want women to sacrifice their career ambitions to be unpaid homemakers, they will have to be willing to support public policies that make it possible.
Mary Mosley, Meridian
Low primary turnout helped far-right
Low voter turnout in any election opens the door for extremist voters to control political parties. Idaho’s GOP primary results demonstrate more far right, extreme candidates, who call themselves Republicans, will be on November ballot. Only about 150,000 Republicans, just 25% of Idaho’s 590,000 registered GOP voters, took the time, or made the effort to vote in May’s primary. Maybe 75%, or 440,000 GOP voters couldn’t find candidates who shared their political views. Maybe they didn’t vote because there were no Rs next to the names of the candidates on the ballot, or maybe they are fed up with the nasty civil war between GOP cults within the Idaho Republican party. Not voting means they trusted other voters to decide their future. Even more dangerous is that most GOP voters will vote for any candidate with a mystery R next to their name in November. If GOP voters don’t research which GOP candidates are traditional Republicans, or Trumpist, anti-rule-of-law election deniers, or anti-government libertarians, or far-right, Christian-only religious extremists, every person in Idaho will suffer from the political GOP dysfunction in Idaho for the next two years. Vote for people, not political parties.
Steven Shake, Caldwell
We know why doctors are fleeing Idaho
To those members of the Idaho GOP who believe that Idaho’s abortion laws have minimal impacts to the citizens of our state, I’d like to inform you otherwise.
I was notified during my last visit with the eye surgeon who repaired a torn retina on my right eye last summer that he is leaving the state of Idaho. With his skills, he reattached the retina to the back of the eyeball, saving the sight in that eye.
My doctor, a native Idahoan, is leaving Idaho due to our state’s abortion laws. His wife, who is a practicing OB/Gyn in Boise, is not comfortable working in a state which threatens jail time and fines. They will be leaving Idaho in the coming months to allow her to establish a practice in a state which does not have such harsh laws on abortions and women’s health.
In addition to the significant challenges Idaho’s abortion laws bring to women and families and their health providers, Idaho is losing talented, skilled healthcare professionals, those who we all depend on. Remember that in November when it comes time to vote.
Jake Heusinkveld, Boise
Little, lawmakers to blame for library closures
I hope legislators and the governor are happy with themselves that the first of many travesties have come to rural libraries, which are now going to limit our children’s access to getting a book to read. The legislative passing and gubernatorial enforcement of HB710 is wrong and is making our state look unbelievably backwards in this era of modern culture. This bill was not supported by the general public; for neither I nor my friends and family in Nampa have found one person that willing supports this bill. I was taught and believed that the legislators we elect were elected to listen to us and represent our concerns not theirs; but this group only listens to out of state influences from Idaho Family Policy Center. Come November please do not vote them back in to office for we will have other choices this year
Cindy Benson, Nampa