I'm ticked. It happened on Monday and I'm still a bit miffed about this. I consider myself a fairly forgiving person, but this insult was pretty intense. In the course of a facebook discussion on taxes, a friend of a friend made a statement that not only should the child tax write-off be done away with, but people should PAY a tax on each child. I can see where he is coming from with the tax write-off, but taxing people for having kids? Really? Doesn't China do that? How's it working for them? This person went on to make a direct comparison that not only flabbergasted me, but made me really angry. This person compared having a child to playing video games. Seriously. He went on to say that, based on my FB profile pic, that my child is 'obviously your hobby and playstation is mine.' What????? My hobby? Sorry pal, a child isn't a hobby.
This struck a pretty sensitive nerve with me. At first I felt quite insulted, that my role as a mother was being demeaned, but then I realized why I was so angry. The anger wasn't directed as much at this person, but at our society's view of parenting. It seems that our society views parenting as a side activity, not an investment. A child as a mere hobby? I assure you, if I had wanted another hobby I certainly would have chosen a hobby that didn't poop, wake up at odd hours of the night and put an end to sleeping past 7:30am. Perhaps if this person had a child of his own, he'd understand that a child is no hobby. Then again, he might not.
Fortunately, the Lord does not see parenting in the same way. We are told to diligently teach our children about God (Deut. 6:6-7). My desire is to help my child want to choose Christ. That's certainly not a hobby that can be laid aside at any given moment; instead it's a lifestyle of decisions, commitments and sacrifice- much of which I've yet to learn. So friend-of-a-facebook-friend, I wouldn't recommend comparing a child to a playstation hobby again. Ever.
Perhaps I should try to simmer down now.
Love Languages: Four Ways We Should Not be Speaking
8 months ago
It just confirms for me that not everyone should be a parent. It's for the best he doesn't have one; I'd hate to see what happens when he realizes that he can't just turn off a child like you can a playstation!
ReplyDeleteThat was amazing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, for sure! It's one thing to discuss the merits of the child tax credit, but quite another to assert that the reason it should be done away with is because it's subsidizing a HOBBY! Children are the most valuable thing a family can contribute to a society, because without them no society could endure (Europe, anyone?) I'm not sure what FB man may have meant by a tax on having children--we DO pay a tax on our children, in a manner of speaking, in the form of a consumption tax. Every single material item we need for child-rearing is taxed. What more does he want? A nice man from the holy IRS waiting at the door of the labor and delivery wing with a bill? I'm not accusing FB man of this point of view (I have no way of knowing this about him), but the left better develop a greater appreciation for children, and their place in this world, or our society can't endure, much less thrive.
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing, wasn't it Tyler? Yeah, I sort of lost my patience/cool with him. After my last comment I made the decision to quit engaging with that particular conversation. Hence, I didn't answer anymore of his loaded questions.
ReplyDeleteI don't completely disagree with his assessment that the child-tax credit is a bit unfair, but I was so appalled by his comparison that I couldn't even get to that point. Kyle and I most certainly take advantage of the tax credit because, quite frankly, I think we are better managers of that money that the government.
Sarah- Your second sentence is a very succinct way of expressing my thoughts. The left (and a good bit of the right, too) better develop a greater appreciation for parents who take their jobs as parents very seriously too.
I also think it is evidence of the limitations of the electronic world. People say things, because they're essentially anonymous, that they wouldn't normally say face-to-face with a complete stranger. I have been trying to keep that in mind much more when interacting with people I either disagree with strongly, or people I just do not know. It's best, esp. on FB, to keep one's mouth shut rather than make wild assumptions about a stranger.
ReplyDelete