A woman’s place

When not tackling the big dangers like Muslims, abortions, homosexuals or Supreme Court subpoenas, Republicans often turn their efforts to more simple matters. Matters like families—mainly other people’s—and how they should be run. Idaho Republicans are no different, and a House of Representatives “family task force” believes they’ve figured out the keys to a model family. Keep the woman at home and make divorce a less viable option.

Using the stereotypical ideal of the 1950s family as its goal, the six-member panel has issued a series of recommendations to the state that they’ve concluded will make Idaho’s families better. Blaming divorce and co-habitation for crime rates and drug use, the panel has suggested Idaho repeal its current no-fault divorce laws to make breaking up even harder to do.

“Divorce is just terrible,” said an almost sensible-sounding Rep. Dick Harwood, before adding, “It’s one of Satan’s best tools to kill America.” The panel also suggests that pre-kindergartens and day-cares make it too easy for a woman to go off to work when she should stay home and raise the kids, and believes Idaho should review its laws on restraining orders in cases of domestic violence.

by Scott Saxon