Barking Mad News

"These allegations are simply untrue and in fact the opposite of everything that I said."
"Rather, in addressing a few dozen lawyers I took the opportunity to encourage MORE women and minorities to apply to be judges, to enable the federal government to promote them to the bench and thus to better reflect the diversity that is Canada today. That was the intent and tone of my remarks."
Justice Minister Peter MacKay

 

Spent Father's Day with my family. There is no greater joy in life than children, no higher title than Dad.

Good grief, what a brouhaha over nothing at all. A Minister of the Crown makes a few statements based entirely on reality and one might think it's a slow news day with commentators taking umbrage left, right and centre. Mostly, however, left and centre. It's open season on anything emanating from the Conservative-led government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. There is nothing the Prime Minister nor any of his Cabinet members do and say that doesn't come under close scrutiny.

Reporters are looking for those "gotcha" opportunities, the mainstay of small minds. Mr. MacKay makes an observation that many female lawyers feel constrained by the knowledge that to sit on the bench may require more time away from their families than they wish to relinquish to their professional careers, and in so stating he is observing a reality, when mothers are torn with indecision over which portion of their lives to devote a greater care to; nurturing of children or of career.

Two messages to employees of the Ministry of Justice from their Minister arrested the outraged attention of the press, hard pressed to find anything of value to report on, quite obviously. And handing to the opposition the opportunity to gravely add their condemnation to statements by the Justice Minister which they claim takes women for granted, and minimizes their role both in society and as parents. To champion women for their dual roles as mother/worker is to damn them with faint praise, screech the condemners.

Mother's Day: "As we take the time to celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize our colleagues who have two full-time jobs: as hardworking Department of Justice employees during business hours and as dedicated moms and caregivers around the clock.
Now as a father of an active toddler myself, I have a new appreciation for how busy and hectic a parent's life can be. By the time many of you have arrived at the office in the morning, you've already changed diapers, packed lunches, run after school buses, dropped kids off at daycare, taken care of an aging loved one and maybe even thought about dinner.
Yet you come to work every morning ready to make your contribution as a public servant for the benefit of all Canadians and their families. And for this, we are all thankful.
For all our colleagues who are mothers, or have mothers, I hope this weekend is full of love, appreciation and lasting memories!"
Best wishes,
The Hon. Peter MacKay
Minister of Justice

Father's Day: "As we pause and take the time to celebrate Father's Day this weekend, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize our colleagues who are not only dedicated Department of Justice employees, but are also dedicated fathers, shaping the minds and futures of the next generation of leaders.
Watching my young son grow, learn and change a little more every day, I marvel at the tremendous gift that my family and I have received. Yet, needless to say, it can also be daunting to consider the immense and life-long influence we have over our children. Our words, actions and examples greatly mould who they will become. We can only hope that the moments we spend teaching, guiding and loving them will sustain them throughout their lives.
From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this special day with your loved ones, complete with lasting memories to be cherished.
Best Wishes,
The Hon. Peter MacKay
Minister of Justice

A thoughtful, introspective view voiced sincerely by a man who is an elected official, wishing to state a human-to-human contact with a myriad of employees for whom he is responsible. A very nice gesture, to be sure. Why find fault? Because he differentiated between the role of the mother and that of the father? Nit-picking critics will find fault with anything. While there are obvious overlaps in the parental care of children between father and mother, there are still some responsibilities that remain largely the purview of the mother or the father.

"At early childhood, there's no question I think that women have a greater bond with their children", Mr. MacKay commented. It is women who give birth to the child both parents share. It is women who nurture the baby, and who breastfeed, in the process waking up throughout the night and attending to the needs of the infant. Fathers can help and many do, but the mother's role is primary. Sharing and a semblance of balance may eventually result, but nothing that Justice Minister MacKay said does not reflect reality.

And the reality is that there's nothing whatever misogynistic about his statements. The reality is that bored minds make insipidly inappropriate comments, relishing the opportunity to criticize and attribute fault where none exists.