Comments on: In a pinch

By: Armagny

Armagny — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:54:01 +0000

“most people are completely capable of judging whether they can do what needs to be done or not with whatever distraction (such as Blackberries and lap tops) happens to be about. ”

Ay, perhaps there should be a rule that they all have to shut their cakeholes, stop heckling, stop talking to each other, and sit still through entire debates, only speaking when called on by the speaker.

By: Stranger in the House « In a strange land

Stranger in the House « In a strange land — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:28:48 +0000

[...] child was a Stranger in the House. There’s an excellent commentary by Blue Milk, posted at her own place and at Hoyden about Town, and another on Andrew Bartlett’s blog. Both make the point that [...]

By: Ariane

Ariane — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:11:50 +0000

The other argument in the public debate that has annoyed me immensely is the one about the senator not being able to do her job properly because her child was there (for a couple of minutes). I mean, apart from the utter nonsense that someone needs any form of concentration whatsoever to stand on one side of the house and be counted, most people are completely capable of judging whether they can do what needs to be done or not with whatever distraction (such as Blackberries and lap tops) happens to be about.

It parallels the assumption that if a child can be heard in the background, the work you are doing is less professional. As a person who works from home, this irks me no end.

By: sally

sally — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:32:08 +0000

Thank you for this thoughtful post. I have been too busy to sit down and work out what had actually happened and was only getting media bites which were completely useless. Your blog has filled me in, and I must say I agree with you.

By: Sophia

Sophia — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:42:49 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree with you! Very well said.

The other thing that worries me is that this is just another thing that makes it seem like it’s ‘too hard’ to get into politics as a woman. It’s still easier to be a man with a full time wife at home in politics, until this changes we will never get equal representation.