Originally on TexasKaos.com
But I'm not accusing Arnold of this crime nor do I know if she has PPD. Arnold will plead not guilty and has strongly denied these charges. I'll let the courts resolve guilt and hope justice is served.
What I wanted talk about are comments readers have left on the story's site which have concluded she is guilty before the trail and make incredibly myopic generalizations about women. This comment summed up many responses:
"I still think mandatory birth control, whether white, black, red or whatever color, if after the first born, and on welfare or no husband, mandatory birth control, end of story. Also should be mandatory parenting classes tied to welfare checks."
Wow. Where do I start? I agree with only one thing, but I find this post incredibly sexist, racist, and arrogant. And ultimately, it is damaging to a huge number of American women.
Does single, black mother mean welfare?
First, um, WHY did the reader assume that Arnold is on welfare? Hmmm? Whatever made them jump to this conclusion over this black woman? And if they did not assume that, then why even bring welfare up? What made the reader jump to welfare?
Needing a good man.
40% of babies born today are to single mothers. Are they all "welfare bums"? And are single women incapable of being good parents w/o a man? Are they financially incapable (which seems an excellent argument for equal pay)? What about single well-paid professional women?
Or do they just need a man to, um, round them out or something like that?
Single mothers are not just horny teens.
By the way, that 40% figure is not driven by horny teenage mothers (teen pregnancy is actually decreasing in percentage of all single mothers):
More women in their 30s and 40s, hearing their biological clock, are choosing to give birth despite their single status. Younger women are not as worried about being unmarried, either, she added.
"I think it's more acceptable in society" to have a child without getting married, said Dr. Yolanda Wimberly, an adolescent-medicine specialist at Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine.
A penis means freedom. Vaginas mean jail.
Why shouldn't men be required to be snipped/forced to use condoms/neutered after THEY have a baby? Why should a woman be soley responsible for birth control? As a man, I have no desire to have sharp medical instruments around me, but does a penis give me the right to shrug off responsible sexual behavior?
Do readers really believe that 40% of American mothers are welfare abusing, legs spreading, incapable parents?
And of course, that because they have a vagina, it gives the state the authority to take away their civil liberties, which is what this reader are claiming is ok by making it "mandatory".
So again, let's summarize: a penis means freedom from responsible birth control and parenting. And a vagina means you can be stripped of rights, farmed into "educational institutions", and spayed like feral cats.
Let's agree on something: Parenting classes.
Here's where I agree (the only time) with this reader: parenting tied to welfare classes. This actually is a fairly noble, progressive idea and is in critically short supply.
Poor oarents often do not have the educational resources to understand the changes to their bodies and lives. They also tend to come from difficult or broken homes and do not have proper role models. Addressing these changes and educating them on good partenting practices is a wonderful idea.
Somehow, I doubt thought the reader was being so empathic and I suspect if they led these "parenting classes", their would more Sunday-school type scolding than scientific education.
But why limit it to welfare? Are we really saying wealthy men & women are always good parents? Why not require parenting classes to ALL future parents - MEN and women?
And for godsakes can we not include post-partum depression as part of the education for BOTH men & women?
Perhaps then we will not have such horrible incidences as these. And such horribly myopic and sexist generalizations made by so many readers of this story.
Single, black AND a female? Gotta be guilty.
Finally, WHY are we jumping to the conclusion that this woman HAS to be guilty??
No, I'm not naive enough to not be suspicious & I credit the police for a thorough investigation but the responses from readers seem to bring the worst out in some people regarding single mothers - especially of color.