In today's Friday News Round-Up (10/19/12),
Diane Rehm wondered aloud if Mitt Romney's abysmal record hiring women - even
when governor of Massachusetts - might reflect his Mormon belief that "a
woman's place is in the home."
It appears that Mr. Romney confronts a
significant choice: either betray the undisputed teaching of his church, or
focus his hiring decisions on males.
Given the authoritarian structure of
Mormonism, it is difficult to imagine Mr. Romney taking a public stance that
contradicts Mormon teaching.
It would be good if we could discuss this
matter openly.
Lamentably, Mr. Romney has refused -
rather adamantly - to answer questions about his devotion to Mormonism.
Here's why.
It is important to ask Mr. Romney if he
conceals his Mormon beliefs because - in addition to persistent sexual
predation by founding prophet Joseph Smith - Mitt's great-grandfather turned
his back on the United States to practice polygamy in Mexico.
Here is Mr. Romney's "polygamous
family history" as reported by The Salt Lake City Tribune,
Utah's premier daily newspaper. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salt_Lake_Tribune
"The Romney
family’s polygamous roots are deep and include some of the most prominent
families in the fledgling Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The
faith officially banned polygamy in 1890. Mitt Romney’s great-grandfather,
Miles Park Romney, was a Mormon polygamist with five wives, who fled to Mexico
to escape a crackdown on the practice of polygamy in the late-1800s and
established a settlement there."
Personally, I see
no reason not to vote for Romney just because he's Mormon.
Indeed, I'm
voting for the Muslim.
It is important
to remember that the Mormon practice of polygamy contradicted American law for
a very long time, and that polygamous practice is still widespread throughout
Utah and neighboring states.
***
Postscript:
All
five of Romney daughter-in-laws are stay-at-home Moms.
There
is nothing wrong with this.
In
fact, I spent much of my adulthood as a stay-at-home Dad and think it
preferable if one or the other parent can stay at home with kids during their
formative years. (I believe the optimum circumstance is for mothers and fathers
to alternate staying at home.)
Politically,
my core apprehension is this: Mormonism pushes mothers to mold themselves as
permanent home bodies, a fundamental contradiction of the egalitarianism that
lies at the heart of the American experiment.
Here
is an article that references the stay-at-home lives of all five
daughers-in-law.
And
here is a video clip in which all five daughters speak briefly.
Notice
that one daughter-in-law refers to her husband from a framework that implies
submission to the man's will (curiously, a will she considers rather silly,
ill-informed and immature): "And then, being a man, he said, come home!"
I
doubt many Americans would be happy with the 19th century,
"women-know-their-place" "pioneering life" that
contemporary Republicans seem intent on resurrecting.
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