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No Don't Leave Your Newborn Babies: Paid Family Leave

Writer's picture: Jacob KravetzJacob Kravetz

It is hard to imagine a task of more profound importance than the raising of the next generation of humanity. The trajectory of our civilizations, and perhaps even the long term viability of the human species lies in the balance. While many mysteries around human development remain, scientific inquiry has revealed what many parents intuitively sensed, that the first several months after birth are some of the most critical periods in a child's development, and that such time, once lost can never fully be replaced. Looking across the world, we can see that nearly every nation has taken this folk-wisdom, bolstered by science to heart, and offers some form of guaranteed, paid parental leave, often for several months. The United States, of course, is the only OECD nation to guarantee absolutely zero parental leave. Perhaps, such barbarism occurs because Americans simply are a mean-spirited bunch, who don't care if sending mothers and fathers back to work causes harm to an infant. Is our government merely reflecting the will of the people? Of course, readers of this weekly email will all know the answer, our government is wildly out of step with the American people:

Should workers be offered paid family leave? Support for Mothers: 82% Support for Fathers: 69%

The American people consistently demonstrate a profound desire for a more humane and generous society, and yet our politics seems stuck in a parallel track, never intersecting with the people's desires. How could this be? Scratch beneath the surface and it soon becomes clear that while support among the people for family leave is sky high, businesses show a far less bullish attitude towards the policy. The two major reasons given for this resistance are: first, the cost associated with a payroll tax to support such a family leave, and second, the claimed desired to not be confined to a "one-size-fits-all" plan. While these may play a role in the decision-making, the recent removal of healthcare from striking GM workers shows perhaps an even more important consideration is the power leaving such arrangements to companies grants an employer over their worker's. If a company can take away the healthcare of it's workers, or dangle family leave time to it's employees it has a profound ability to control the very shape of it's workers lives.

So, despite the deep popularity, and importance, of granting family leave to all parents, policy remains unchanged. We know that these deeply unpopular politicians are bought off by the very businesses, who are dragging their proverbial feet on this issue. If we are to bring democratic representation back to America, it will take a broad and enduring movement of people, demanding change and putting pressure on the powerful. We must do this for the sake of the most vulnerable and worthy of our care: little children. Join us every Tuesday, in growing solidarity and power until we take back our democracy from amoral special interests, and greedy politicians: Don't Shop on Tuesdays!  ________________________________________________

Let friends and families, let them know about this growing movement, and how they can help us take back our democracy if they Don't Shop on Tuesdays!  Send their email address to boycottforourdemocracy@gmail.com

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