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Bob McDonnell says he is a moderate, but his description of working mothers as "materialistic," "detrimental to family," and the cause of a "breakdown of society" is hardly moderate.
He insults each of us and our mothers and grandmothers.
Was my grandmother materialistic when she made quilts for other people so that she could be "paid" with the scraps from which she made quilts to warm her family?
Was she a "detriment to the family" when she worked in a cotton mill (long before the days of standards to protect her from the machinery, the noise, and the lung-damaging fibers) so that she and my grandfather could support their children?
My mother worked the night shift for years (in order to be at home during the day for her children) so she and my father could make ends meet and ensure that my sister and I had clothing and books for school. Was she causing the "breakdown of society"?
Bob McDonnell seems to have little understanding that sometimes parents struggle just to provide the basic needs of their family.
Does he believe that people are poor because of some sort of moral failing? Perhaps this would explain why he opposed efforts to improve child care centers in 2001 and 2003 and voted against eliminating gender-based wage discrimination.
During his years in the state legislature, Creigh Deeds has worked hard for the women of Virginia, standing up for such rights as equal pay, protection from domestic abuse, and medication and medical treatment for poor women.
I urge all who believe that Virginia should offer equal opportunity and support for women and families to vote for the best team for the commonwealth: Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Steve Shannon.
Opal R. Stroup
Spotsylvania
The writer is co-chairman of the Spotsylvania County Democratic Committee.
