Response to Dennis Prager

Hello Everyone:

I's been a very quiet and cold weekend.  By cold, I mean temperature wise.  It's near freezing at night.  I read an interest op-ed piece in this week's Jewish Journal (http://www.jewishjournal.com).  Conservative columnist Dennis Prager comments on a recent study that educated women are having fewer babies.  In his usual self-righteous tone, he takes aim at all the "liberal saced cows:" including feminism.   He argues that feminism has drummed the message that being a wife and mother is unfulfilling and women should have focus on careers.  On the surface, it seems like he's suggesting that women should not explore their full academic and professional potential, just settle down, get married, and have lts of babies.  I think he seems to be missing some things in his argument.  What, I believe, he's missing is that feminism offers women a choice.  A woman does not have to just aspire to being a wife and mother.  She can aspire to a life outside the home.  Sheryl Sandberg recently reframed this argument in her book Lean In.  She argues that too often, it's the working woman who's has to make the choice between work and home.  A woman can have both a fulfilling career and home life through making different decisions.  We live in an age where technology makes it possible for men and women to be parents and have careers.  Further, I believe, that by taking advantage of corporate family-friendly policies, men and women can do both.  As far as women pursuing graduate/professional degrees, I think Mr. Prager is full of s__t.  Mr. Prager seems to think that pursuing a masters degree or Ph.D is contrary to raising a family.  Yes, graduate or professional school (I.e law or medical school) is both physically and emotionally demanding but religious women have successfully completed their degree work, sometimes one or two classes at a time.  Mr. Prager also argues that "liberal, secular" courses, like those found in the humanities, are anti-family.  While this may be true in some places, my experience in the humanities has been just the opposite.  Yes, I've had gender studies classes.  Yes, we've discussed the nature of family in current times, filtered through feminism but I've never heard the professor or anyone else say, "traditional family evil and antiquated."  Feminism is one opinion.  A young female college is free to accept or reject this.  Feminisim is about choices.