Chris Christie Ignores Working Mothers In Opening Statement

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey seems really concerned about the families of Los Angeles— well, at least the ones that fulfill his perception of traditional gender roles. In his opening statement at Tuesday's Republican debate, Christie chose to frame America’s need to fight terrorism by talking about the terror threat that closed Los Angeles schools today. Christie used Tuesday’s threat to provide context for his approach to terrorism and paint a future picture of those who were terrorized. "Mothers taking kids to the bus stop. Fathers going to work...and worrying about the safety of their wives and children," Christie said, discussing families that were affected. But what about the mothers who aren’t spending their days at home waiting for kids? It seems like Christie may be thinking a little too much about New Jersey’s Real Housewives and has forgotten there are working mothers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 70% of all mothers with children under age 18 work. While we can’t deny that parents of both sexes worry about the safety of their children, particularly in these troubled times— Monday was the third anniversary of Sandy Hook — it’s not the sole province of mothers to care for children, and it’s not exclusive for fathers to worry about the safety of their wives and children.