Cruise company takes out sexism award

[Sapphocrat]

The rough and tumble of the New South Wales Lower House is infamously known as the "bear pit", but it has nothing on an event being held in the Parliament's dining room last night.

<snip>

Now in its 14th year, the Ernies go to whichever derogatory public uttering gets the loudest crowd reaction.

<snip>

Among those were federal Health Minister Tony Abbott, who won the repeat offender award for what the crowd regarded as a lifetime of offensive comments. However, he lost the political Ernie to party colleague Senator Bill Heffernan. "Who said about Julie Gillard, 'I mean any one who chooses to deliberately remain barren, they have got no idea what life is about'," the presenter said.

<snip>

The judicial Ernie went to lawyer Chris Papadopoulos who, at a rape trial, said: "That it was only brief and at the very bottom end of the scale of seriousness."

<snip>

More (including the Ernie for Tom Cruise):
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1723787.htm

[ThomCat]

1. The idea that people who do not have children

do not understand life is not new. I've seen that same sentiment almost verbatim in GD. "Once you have kids you'll understand." And often this is response to things that don't have anything directly to do with children.
x(

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. Aargh! How I hate that.

Why does reproducing, which is something that every living organism on the planet does, render you the epitome of insight on everything? Quite frankly, I know plenty of self-absorbed, oblivious twits who have kids. And plenty who don't. It has feck all to do with anything.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Too true

I had a chemistry professor who remained childless by choice. She was a physical chemist who in her older years taught basic chemistry at a local community college. An absolutely lovely women who was a role model for me. (The women collected Ph d's like gathering nuts throughout her life--She was old enough to experience the second class status, the "how dare you become well educated and excel in a "man's" field you love and not have babies")

We had a conversation one time about the insight those who DON'T have children gather--not as any type of social competition, but there is something to be said to how you look at life from any point of view--Especially one that is not as common.
Women who remain childless by choice have my complete respect and I defend them when necessary. It's still ABOUT choice.

Me? I ended up a very young mother, and incompetent at it. It's all good now, but I often think If I was to do it over I wouldn't have children. I'm definitely not a natural. I know the argument is "who is" but there are some of us meant for a different path I think.
It's good to have people to love, to care for, children or not, Love is very good, but being a parent doesn't give you special love abilities.

[spooky3]

4. Someday I think the culture will evolve

Rather than having children being seen as the norm and not have children being seen as either something tragic (if not chosen), or highly deviant and rendering one incapable of holding public office, for example, society will view it as the choice that it (usually) is--right for some people, not right for others.