Families Rising

by Robert Drago and Arlene Holt Baker

Many voters and pundits see John McCain as a maverick, someone willing to cross party lines on important issues. Maybe that is so in some ways, but his record on family issues is consistent. He opposes what American families need (see Take Care Net Summary).

Happy Father's Day! What is the greatest gift a father can receive? Mothers! Both their own mom and the mother of their children! Then there is mother Earth. MomsRising, for me, is about taking care of all mothers, not just our own, but all moms in all countries, and our planet as well.

As some of you may know, we were profiled in this past Sunday’s New York Times Magazine in a piece by Lisa Belkin entitled When Mom and Dad Share It All.

I know there are many moms reading this who have had a bad experience with dads and with men in general. Frankly, it troubles me as well to hear about some of the dads out there and I can completely understand the anger. It can be well deserved.

Is there some value to Father's Day other than the Hallmark greeting card that it is presently? Is there something more to this day than just buying another tie or another golf shirt for dad?

Funny, how a bike changes a kid. Last summer, my 6-year-old son learned how to ride a 2-wheeler, and by the time fall came, it got too cold too fast to keep it up. This year, he was back up on the first warm day.

Earlier this week, my 12-year-old son told me he was a little nervous about asking a girl in his class if she wanted to go out, and he wanted my advice.

My rather doltish response: "Um, where are you going to go?"

This blog entry is written by Amy only. While Marc hung out with our kids, I chose last week to attend a summit meeting offered by a national coalition called the Campaign For A Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). I had no idea what I'd be hearing, or whether I'd be spending two precious days of free time on a worthy endeavor.

Hey there!

It's been a while since I've blogged here but here's something worth sharing.

I don't usually quote from comments people leave when they join our project's mailing list, but the one we received this morning was so eloquent and heartfelt, it really needs to be shared. Even more importantly, it comes from a mom who 'gets it.'

"It is not possession of a womb that now holds women back, but its use." That's a line from a brilliant article published earlier this week in the British magazine New Statesman. As journalist Richard Reeves explains, in Britain the pay gap between men and women is virtually gone, until they become parents.