I recently attended a candidates’ forum hosted by The Lucas County League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women.
Among several controversial topics discussed, the gender pay gap was one that interested me the most.
The moderator cited a consensus statistic that shows women make 77 cents for every $1 men earn. The implication, of course, is that employer discrimination leads to male privilege, but I fear that we’re comparing apples to oranges.
Men are more likely to hold engineering jobs, as well as careers in computer science and math — all high paying careers. The top career paths for women, however, are in social science fields such as education and psychology.
If there were a true gender-based wage gap, then it would follow that I could start a shoe factory, hire only women and pay them less, therefore allowing me to charge less for the shoes, undercut the competition and become the most successful shoe factory owner in the world.
Clearly this is not the reality. In fact, when we compare apples to apples, we actually see instances where women win out. Young, childless, single women earn eight percent more than their male counterparts, according to an article in Business Insider magazine.
The wage gap is not primarily caused by gender, but by choice, choice and more choice. Every single day, we make choices and must accept and take responsibility for the consequences of those choices.
This is largely relevant to the contraceptive and abortion debate, which has also been hotly contested recently.
I’ve long felt that, per usual, both sides of the debate are missing the point.
Those on the left tend to purport that the government ought to stay out of our bedrooms and, more specifically, uteruses. While we’re at it, let’s also say the government ought to stay out of our wallets as well.
Birth control measures, whether condoms or the pill, are inexpensive. No one should be entitled to these things. If you cannot afford birth control, you certainly cannot afford to raise a child and you shouldn’t be taking the risk.
Oh, you want to have a ton of sex without repercussions? Well, I want to eat a ton of Dunkin’ Donuts, but no one is giving me the magic weight-loss pill. My job is to take responsibility for my own actions, not yours.
Your job is not to take responsibility for my choices, either. Having intercourse is a decision; it has risks, it has consequences and it that shouldn’t be decided lightly.
Having said that, the government also has no right to curb reproductive rights. During the Republican primary season, then-candidate Rick Santorum suggested states reserve the right to ban contraception.
Just as it is wrong to force an individual to pay for something that may be against their religion or personal values, it is also wrong to ban something from another individual for the same reason.
As for Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment, I’m not touching that with a ten-foot stick. I’m not a doctor.
Whenever I share an opinion on these sort of matters, I’m often met with sentiments that go something like this: “Dude, you’re a dude. You can’t speak for women.”
They’re right. I can’t speak for women, nor do I claim to. I can, however, speak as the eldest brother of three, as a son and as a future father. Men can and should be a part of this debate just as men should be a part of their families.
Men should not make decisions for women, but should be there for them when the decision can’t or shouldn’t be made alone. Above all things, women should treat themselves with respect.
Demanding entitlements and government-enforced privileges are not empowerment; women truly empower themselves by caring for and holding themselves to a higher standard — just as they expect men to, I’m sure.
Respond to Chance at