February 13, 2009

Give me a break

This article is a textbook case in completely missing the point.

Shorter Pinker: Gender discrimination? What gender discrimination? Women choose to marry high-achieving men and then choose to "opt out", so clearly there's no problem. It's all about love, right?

Yes, women and men of similar socio-economic backgrounds often end up together. Yes, the women then often end up staying home with the kids or taking less-demanding jobs. That's not the explanation for wage disparities -- that's the _problem_. Why is it always women who stay home? Having a high-earning spouse doesn't explain it -- if it did, surely we'd see lots of men opting out because of their high-earning spouses, and we don't. Why is a woman giving up her job as soon as she "can" seen as a given?

This is an issue that's been hashed out extensively by feminists in the past. Women stay home because of institutional sexism that means men continue to have a higher earning potential, and because of societal pressures that say women should be the ones caring for home and children.

You know, I think Michelle Obama is pretty awesome, too. I just don't see her decision to give up her career and become the poster girl of the "opt-out revolution" to be one of the more awesome things about her. It's great that the Obamas obviously love each other. But love isn't the same thing as subsuming yourself to your husband's career.

And I've really had enough of the "women just really want to stay home" meme. It's been old for a while now.

February 4, 2009

Basic Civility

Ottawa's transit strike has finally ended.

Of course, it'll be two months before service returns to anything approaching normal.

And I fully expect to see a surge in bike commuting and walking to work as soon as the snow melts. Not to mention the huge number of people who are just going to stick to their cars, thereby setting back the cause of public transit in Ottawa by at least a decade.

This has been a frustrating couple of months for the residents of Ottawa. It's cost us thousands of dollars apiece and countless hours of our time (one of the reasons this blog pretty much went dark for the duration is that I was spending most of my blogging time sitting in traffic or running around the city to get friends and family where they needed to be). I know I'm one of the lucky ones -- I had the resources to get myself to work (however inconvenient and expensive it was), and an employer who was understanding when the traffic meant I arrived an hour later than usual. A lot of people were not so fortunate. The pain inflicted on the people of this city by the combined forces of the union and city council is real, and severe, and both sides should be ashamed.

But you know who else should be ashamed? The hostile, vindictive commentators who've been advocating nastiness directed at the returning bus drivers.

Here's a sample of the comments to this article about the end of the strike:


I encourage you all to give the bus drivers attitude when you hop on the bus! Give them a piece of your mind!!

The greedy fools will probably expect a basket of fresh baked cookies. They've got something else coming!!!!!!!


I was hoping this would go longer and the union would go bust.
Yeah i will make cookies for them, with ex lax in them.
And i hope some people cause them lts of grief and show no respect.
back to work you bums.

Remember your anger and your outrage, bus-riding citizens of Ottawa, when regular service resumes. Remember the lack of sympathy and the cocky smirks from this grotesque mockery of a union

Remember, this strike was supposedly about "respect". They have shown us NONE, and that is precisely what they should receive in return! Pay your fare in pennies if you have to!

They deserve everything that will inevitably come their way.
Classy, no?

And there are plenty more where that came from. People making veiled threats about how drivers will have their backs turned to angry commuters... or suggesting that commuters vent their feeling upon the first driver they encounter.

That's not even to mention the folks who, demonstraing a complete lack of understanding of labour laws, have been screaming "fire the bums" from day one of the strike, and are still screaming it to anyone who will listen.

I have to wonder if anyone ever taught these folks basic manners or how to control their anger. Acceptable outlets for transit-related frustration include writing letters to Larry O'Brien, city council, André Cormellier, and anyone else you can think of. You can even make a sign and picket whatever public location you like. But taking your frustration out on the drivers just isn't okay. They're just trying to do their job. They're going to get you to your destination safely. The least you owe them is some common courtesy.

January 2, 2009

Some Canadian political wishes for 2009

So it's the New Year, time of fresh starts, soon-to-be-broken resolutions, and other symptoms of the rollover of the odometer.

In the New Year, I'd really like to see:

  • A parliament that works like a minority parliament is supposed to. That means compromise, Stevie, and not waving the "obey-me-or-we'll-have-an-election" club too often.
  • An opposition with a spine, to force the above-mentionned compromise.
  • Some evidence of Michael Ignatieff's supposed superior leadership.
  • If we do have an election, women running in winnable ridings. For all parties.
  • The absence of any bills conferring legal status on a fetus, directly or indirectly.
I'd also like peace in Gaza, but that's kind of like asking Santa for a pony, isn't it?

What are your wishes for 2009?