Daddy Dearest
The history of the United States is not what people seem to think.
Sure, we had the Quakers and all, but what many don't know is that the people who originally came over here (from England, after all we are talking about the 13 original states and the beginnings of American culture) were rich men from prominent English families looking to make their fortune.
They left their families and estates behind to "make it" in the colonies. And to bring riches home to their wives, children, families.
And, hey, they didn't want to have to clean their houses or cook anymore than today's richies want to clean...
And Native Americans were not down with sitting in some dudes house, cleaning up after them. In the first place, there weren't that many Native Americans over here anyway. And, in the second place, they were nomadic and didn't understand the agricultural or even the industrial way of life.
Ahh, so what to do?
Imagine that you are some rich, spoiled English dude and you take this boat over to the New World. You miss your wife (i.e., sex) and you really don't even know how to clean up after yourself, much less cook. What to do?
The lightbulb moment went off. Why not transport illiterate, desperate English, Scottish and Irish girls (young girls) over to the new world.
Then, while your fancy wife and children are sitting tight in London (or somewhere on your estate in England), you get four or five young women at your house cooking, cleaning and having sex with you. And guess what! Many of these young women found themselves pregnant! Surprise.
So, some of the first laws that were written in the New World were all about 'father's rights'. You know, the right to disappear, to get a fine and have the church raise his child (oh, as a slave, regardless of color)....
The result was infanticide. A lot of it. It was ugly.
And if you look at these laws and the horrific social problems that resulted, you can see how the American culture evolved (or didn't, many of the same laws from the 1500's and 1600's are on the books today--such as not allowing a pregnant woman or single mother to move).
And today, Jude Law, another English gent, is now on his fourth child with some random woman he has chosen not to marry (what a way to show honor and respect to your new child!). Read about it here.
Yet, in keeping with tradition, Americans will not rail against irresponsible, misogynistic, selfish, pedophilic fathers. Fathers who can have as many children as they have sperm. Oh no.
Much more effective to trash the mother.
Sure, we had the Quakers and all, but what many don't know is that the people who originally came over here (from England, after all we are talking about the 13 original states and the beginnings of American culture) were rich men from prominent English families looking to make their fortune.
They left their families and estates behind to "make it" in the colonies. And to bring riches home to their wives, children, families.
And, hey, they didn't want to have to clean their houses or cook anymore than today's richies want to clean...
And Native Americans were not down with sitting in some dudes house, cleaning up after them. In the first place, there weren't that many Native Americans over here anyway. And, in the second place, they were nomadic and didn't understand the agricultural or even the industrial way of life.
Ahh, so what to do?
Imagine that you are some rich, spoiled English dude and you take this boat over to the New World. You miss your wife (i.e., sex) and you really don't even know how to clean up after yourself, much less cook. What to do?
The lightbulb moment went off. Why not transport illiterate, desperate English, Scottish and Irish girls (young girls) over to the new world.
Then, while your fancy wife and children are sitting tight in London (or somewhere on your estate in England), you get four or five young women at your house cooking, cleaning and having sex with you. And guess what! Many of these young women found themselves pregnant! Surprise.
So, some of the first laws that were written in the New World were all about 'father's rights'. You know, the right to disappear, to get a fine and have the church raise his child (oh, as a slave, regardless of color)....
The result was infanticide. A lot of it. It was ugly.
And if you look at these laws and the horrific social problems that resulted, you can see how the American culture evolved (or didn't, many of the same laws from the 1500's and 1600's are on the books today--such as not allowing a pregnant woman or single mother to move).
And today, Jude Law, another English gent, is now on his fourth child with some random woman he has chosen not to marry (what a way to show honor and respect to your new child!). Read about it here.
Yet, in keeping with tradition, Americans will not rail against irresponsible, misogynistic, selfish, pedophilic fathers. Fathers who can have as many children as they have sperm. Oh no.
Much more effective to trash the mother.
posted by Knittin 'n Stitchin at
10:21 PM
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