What’s more important than the birth of your child?
Baseball. Obviously.
Just kidding. April Fools' Day is over! But apparently New York sports radio hosts Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason -- who is also a legendary NFL quarterback -- didn’t get the memo when they lambasted Mets' second baseman Daniel Murphy for taking a THREE-DAY paternity leave. They even had some suggestions for the new dad’s birth plan:
"Quite frankly, I would have said, 'C-section before the season starts, I need to be at opening day,'" said NFL Legend Boomer Esiason.
REALLY?....REALLY?!
Shocker: Athletes who are radio hosts aren’t doctors. And Carton and Esiason's take on paid family leave and maternal health is dangerous, sexist, and downright insulting.
There is no better umpire than moms--and we're making a call on this one. Carton and Esiason just hit a foul ball. Demand that they apologize for their offensive remarks on Daniel Murphy’s leave with his family: http://moms.ly/boomercarton
Why is this important?
- Because this type of discrimination against dads is flat out sexist: We're calling it---not only is this discrimination sexist, but it contributes to the rampant discrimination that mothers are facing in our nation, too. 81% of women have kids by the time they are 44, and 3/4 of moms are in the labor force, and it now often takes two breadwinners to make ends meet. When moms are pinned as the only caretakers it not only contributes to the wage and hiring discrimination against moms, it also denies dads the ability to be fully active parents.
- Because family leave is consistently under fire, and it needs our support. Paid family leave after the birth of a child combats poverty, gives children a healthy start, and lowers infant mortality by more than 20%. And for all you Mets fans out there, paid leave is good for business. A 2011 study of the California Paid Leave program showed that most employers found that paid family leave had a positive effect on productivity, profitability/performance, turnover and employee morale. It also saves significant tax dollars.
- Because having a c-section is no walk in the park. The risk of death following a c-section is three times higher than for vaginal births. C-sections also increase risks in future pregnancies and are not recommended for moms who want multiple children. No one should dare tell a mother how and when she should give birth to her child. Suggesting that Murphy and his wife should have scheduled a c-section so that he wouldn't miss any baseball games belongs in the Hall of Fame of terrible and dangerous advice.
- Because parenthood matters more than Opening Day: Hey, we love sports. But it’s outrageous to prioritize a couple baseball games over the recent birth of a child. We’re proud of Daniel Murphy for taking paternity leave, and glad that he has that option through his employer. He doesn’t deserve mountains of offensive criticism for being present for his wife and newborn child.
P.S. We know that Boomer & Carter aren't the only ones who are wrong about paid family leave. Check out Jezebel's coverage of radio talk show host and television commentator Mike Francesca's epic anti-paternity leave tirade: http://jezebel.com/sports-radio-host-doesnt-understand-paternity-leave-1557576331
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