Actually, Dragonlady, though I usually agree w/ you, and I respect your opinion, we see this issue in a somewhat different light.
Terry was talking about 'motherhood', not 'childbearing'. Perhaps 'parenthood' would have been a better term for him to have used. Usually, women bear most of the work and worry of child-raising ,,,, many work full-time, and do the lion's share of parenting and housework ... and as you said, "ultimately we women end up with most of the responsibility".
Yes, and why? Because we do it, we let it happen, we encourage it. Perhaps not you, perhaps not me (well, not all of the time, but I must admit ---> GUILTY!), but many women.
Also, I have watched women slit their own throats so many times, allowing men to patronize them in the workplace, playing up their T&A factor to get what they want, and backstabbing other women. Competition w/ looks, makeup, and 'flirt' factor is huge on both the professional and personal scenes.
I'm really hoping the 'third wave' of feminism works at changing this, but over the last thirty years, I have seen my generation go from independent, hopeful, 70s feminists, to 40-something drudges who are still saying things like "but I love him", and "if I don't do the laundry, he just lets it rot", and making catty talk about the gorgeous (though conservative) blonde supervisor, saying "who did she blow", when I had worked with her and knew she was smart, savvy, and never once did I see her use sex as a weapon.
Education, education, education. Sadly, sisterhood, true sisterhood, is still an illusion for many.
As a gender, we need to have higher expectations of ourselves and work at fulfilling them. Just my two, is all.
t
