Just some facts, ma’am

Strolling through the nacle this morning, where I have been told I am an unwelcome troll, I passed by fmhLisa’s latest post which calls for a “fourth wave” of feminism. I won’t try to dissect her commentary save for one little rant at the tail end of her post.

Declareth fmhLisa:

We’re not asking for no stinking hand out, we are demanding that we be fairly compensated for our very real, very valuable labor. I’ll say it again, motherhood is the number one risk factor for poverty in America. That is our reward. A woman can invest a lifetime of labor in raising her five children, all of whom grow up to work, paying into the social security system, and exactly how much of that investment of labor is she then entitled to withdraw from that system, the very system her labor directly supported? The answer is zero. If she didn’t have a “real job” if she didn’t “pay into the system” well then, apparently all that labor of raising children, that was totally without value. All those children (raised with to be responsible citizens) paying into the system, measurably worthless. (Emphasis Added)

We will assume that fmhLisa's hypothetical mother of five children is (or was) married at some point in time. This assumption is based on the fact that if he knocked her up five times, she had better have been married to him or retirement is probably the last of her worries. But I digress.

The Snarkernacle Research Department found, with one or two clicks of a mouse, information contrary to fmhLisa's claim:

Social Security survivors benefits can be paid to:

• A widow or widower -- full benefits at full retirement age, or reduced benefits as early as age 60
  
• A disabled widow or widower -- as early as age 50
  
• A widow or widower at any age if he or she takes care of the deceased's child who is under age 16 or disabled, and receiving Social Security benefits
  
• Unmarried children under 18, or up to age 19 if they are attending high school full time. Under certain circumstances, benefits can be paid to stepchildren, grandchildren, or adopted children.
  
• Children at any age who were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled.
  
• Dependent parents age 62 or older
  
• If you are divorced, you may still qualify for survivors benefits.

And this is all a valid conversation, because as we know, our politicians have been wise stewards of our money. Social Security will still exist by the time fmhLisa's generation retires! There is a sacred “trust fund” in Washington, DC. There is a “lock box” where 15% of every paycheck is saved. Our politicians certainly haven't spent our hard earned money in a fashion that would embarrass drunken sailors!

Simply put, a blindfolded, intoxicated monkey throwing darts at a stock chart could give our divorced/widowed/separated mother of 5 a better rate of return. Again, I digress.

So, o wise fmhLisa, if you're going to slam the "system", the least you can do is research your slams first. Just sayin'.