Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Jeremy Hits Hirshman Back

Those of you with long memories (OK, even those of you with short memories) probably remember the mini-spat I had with Linda Hirshman, a debate that -- even now -- makes very little sense to me. As part of her blog barrage, she rather bizarrely holds up two dads as evidence that men today cannot be trusted to put family first. I'm one of 'em, and the other is Jeremy Adam Smith. Jeremy responded today at Daddy Dialectic:
So what's really behind Hirshman's attack on caregiving fathers? Dads like me and Rebeldad are not really her target. Instead she is attacking the very idea of caregiving, a position ably dissected by my colleague Chip. Hirshman has argued that if taking care of children "were the most important thing a human being could do, then why are no men doing it?" I'd like to turn that around: if no men are doing it, Linda, then why are you attacking me and Rebeldad? It is as if she finds the very fact of our existence threatening--as do a lot of people.
This is only a snippet. The whole thing deserves a read from anyone interested the discussion.

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