A Mother and a Housewife
A cold wind and steady rain would seem to belie it, but “summer” starts for me today—–following Commencement at my college, the spring semester is over and the fall one does not start until late August (in fact, the first session of summer school courses starts today). Now it’s time to resume being “more of a mom” and clean up the various stacks of books and papers on my desk, dust and vacuum rather more frequently, sort through the clothes Charlie has grown out of instead of waiting for my mom to do this when she next visits…
Time to be a mother and housewife, because those kinds of motherly, housewife-sort of activities are all that mothers and housewives do, no?
Well, not exactly. Mothers and housewives can be pretty accomplished—-one whom I know (via the internet) is Kathleen Seidel, who writes the Neurodiversity weblog. The subject matter of her articles is often vaccine litigation and “alternative” autism treatments; her posts are carefully, meticulously researched and cogently reasoned, and are a sort of primer about the legal and scientific background to issues frequently debated in regard to autism.
Seidel was profiled in the April 27th Concord Monitor after she had quashed a subpoena delivered to her by vaccine litigation lawyer Clifford Shoemaker. In her most recent post, Welcome to My Conspiracy, Seidel lists a number of documents that were filed the evening of Wednesday, May 14, in the United States Court for the District of New Hampshire (Case 1:08-MC-13): (1)Response of Clifford J. Shoemaker to Order to Show Cause (.pdf); (2) Memorandum in Response to Order to Show Cause (.pdf); (3) Declaration of Clifford J. Shoemaker (.pdf); (4) Declaration of Lisa Sykes (.pdf); (5) Declaration of Mark Geier (.pdf). Document (6) is an Order that
“Ms. Seidel need not respond to the ‘Response of Clifford J. Shoemaker… to the Order to Show Cause…’ However, she may respond if she chooses to do so on or before May 27, 2008. James R. Muirhead, United States Magistrate Judge.”
Seidel notes that “virtually every speculation, assumption and conclusion about my beliefs, motivations, sponsorship and capabilities expressed in these statements is inaccurate.”
If you want the details, best to read Seidel’s post. The one small point I wish to focus on here is the claim that Seidel is
“a person utilizing investigative ability well in excess of that available to the mother and housewife she claims to be.”
This phrase “mother and housewife” is repeated throughout the documents, with the suggestion that anyone claiming to be a “mother and housewife” could not possibly produce such well-researched and carefully prepared articles (and must have Secret Financial Backers—-drug companies—-that she is not coming clean with in a serious “conflict of interest”). (Not that others in autism research don’t have a few conflicts of interest of their own.)
A few examples in reference to Seidel:
“Ms. Seidel claims to be a mere mother of an autistic child and housewife who is dedicated to the cause of not treating Autism as she believes it is not a result of a neurological defect or injury, but is a natural condition that should not be treated but left alone. She claims to be using only her own funds and a few meager donations to produce her web site. That posture is difficult to credit.” [my emphasis]
“If indeed Ms. Seidel is just a mother working with limited funds to preach her particular gospel, compliance with the subpoena would prove that and it would be easy to comply with.” [my emphasis]
I believe that Ms. Seidel’s sources of information extend well beyond those of a mother and housewife, supported by a few donations, as she claims on her web site, Neurodiversity.com. [my emphasis]
First, what is so wrong about claiming to be the mother of an autistic child and housewife? And, second, who said that mothers of autistic children/housewives are not able to do anything besides the duties of mothers and housewives? Who’s to say that a mother/housewife might not have or find the time to research materials and to write about subjects that she believes to be vitally important not only to her personal circumstances, but also to public health and scientific understanding?
I am glad to describe myself as a mother and housewife, a working mother, that is. I do the usual mother/housework duties, and I also have (find time do to) a full-time job teaching Latin, ancient Greek and Classics at a small, very urban, Jesuit college in Jersey City, New Jersey. And actually, I don’t “just” teach. I co-direct my college’s Honors Program and advise students about graduate school. This summer vacation is already filled with summer school teaching, recruiting and advising incoming students, and writing my book. And, writing this blog. And, walks and swims and adventures with Charlie and Jim; practicing musical instruments; working on skills ranging from writing to making the bed to learning an after-school schedule.
I am about as baffled at the limited notion of what mothers/housewives in the documents of Shoemaker, et al., as I am by the accusations of conspiracy-mongering in the documents. Is this a sign that some sort of paranoia seems to be at work: Aren’t mothers of autistic children supposed to be over-burdened and bleary-eyed enough just from the daily struggles of taking care of a disabled child; to be simply desperate and beleagered?
Well sure we all can feel that way. It ain’t, as they say, easy.
And doing the work (all of it) that I do makes it much, much easier. Now back to work.
Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, conspiracy theory, disabilities blog, Family, family blog, neurodiversity, paranoia, Parenting, pdd-nosRelated Stories
POSTED IN: College, Disability Rights, Legal Issues, Parenting, Politics, Science, Stereotypes, Vaccines, Weblogs, Work
19 opinions for A Mother and a Housewife
Bad mommy
May 19, 2008 at 7:25 am
Oops. Cliffy stepped in it there. He’s supposed to be showing cause, and he chooses to try belittling and insulting his quarry, and by extension a large portion of society? NICE.
Speaking as a mere mother and housewife, at present taking a break from work, he needs to watch himself. As any resident of the South knows, the scariest organizations of which to run afoul are the Junior League, PTA, and League of Women Voters. Get the “mere mothers and housewives” mad, and they are capable of energy, efficiency, organization, and determination that he cannot imagine. These traits are vital to the “job” he denegrates.
Assuming that somebody once potty trained Cliffy, he needs to learn some respect.
Regan
May 19, 2008 at 8:16 am
‘Just finished reading Kathleen’s current blog and the assorted listed complaints…
(Cue the music from the X-Files). It couldn’t possibly be that Kathleen is an outstanding investigator because she’s a “mere” housewife–it must be an organized and richly funded cabal. They seem to overlook her training in library sciences, and I note that Kathleen cited the public sources of her information. I am sure the preference from their point of view is that no one should comment except in the affirmative.
In many ways the allegations against Kathleen are an unintended compliment to the fastidiousness of her research, her ability to keep the loose ends together and her quest to also give, as Paul Harvey says, “the rest of the story”. If there were a Pulitzer Prize for blogging, I suspect that she would have several sitting on the mantle right now.
andrea
May 19, 2008 at 8:40 am
I’m between positions at this time of the school year, so am also catching up on housekeeping, repairs and whatnot. In other words, doing the mother and housewife thing. But somehow, my MSc does not evaporate during these periods!
andrea
Laura
May 19, 2008 at 8:55 am
what a douche
(the plaintiff, not Seidel)
Kathleen Seidel
May 19, 2008 at 9:28 am
And I even wear an apron every now and then! It has a picture of Pupshaw on it.
Thanks, Kristina!
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 19, 2008 at 9:40 am
Just this morning prior to heading off “to the office” I had an extra moment and cleaned the kitchen floor before the next round of crumbs falls…….
Emily
May 19, 2008 at 10:15 am
Holy cow. I’m a “mere mother and houswife” for the next four months; gee, I wonder if I could manage to write anything coherent about anything or, say, do some real research. Shoemaker’s made himself out to be a major-league ass. Obviously, he has no idea of the executive processing and research skills required to run a household and be a mother, or of the history of housewifery in general, when women handily and efficiently ran households that were like corporations. If Jenny McCarthy can get her degree at Google U, why not the rest of us? “Well in excess”? Good Lord. He has no idea. I hope the judge got a good laugh out of all of that.
The “mere mothers and housewives” in our community–and these are all full-time stay-at-home moms–are, among them, PhDs, JDs, MBAs, former CFOs of large agencies, bankers, and MDs. Yep…they’re stay-at-home moms. Merely. It’s a wonder they remember how to chew gum and cook at the same time.
Club 166
May 19, 2008 at 10:38 am
If Cliff is married, he better hope that his wife doesn’t read about his motions.
Joe
Kev
May 19, 2008 at 11:38 am
My wife is a mother and housewife and just like Kathleen, there is nothing ‘mere’ about her at all.
Storkdok
May 19, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I want to join “the conspiracy”, where do I sign up?
Brava to Kathleen for representing all of us “mere mothers and housewives”! I didn’t check my brain at the L&D door when I delivered and later stopped working. For me, being a housewife and mother is a lot harder than being a working physician.
I hope Cliff’s wife reads what he wrote.
Bonnie Sayers
May 19, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Before taking Matt to school this morning I caught this segment on Good Morning America:
The Answers to Autism May Be Inside the Mind
Dr. Fernando Miranda Says Neurologists Should Be More Involved in Autism Fight
It has 66 comments on it now. I just checked since my son has been schooling on the computer:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4882297&page=1
Bonnie Sayers
May 19, 2008 at 2:24 pm
FYI - Good Morning America had a segment on Autism this AM. I posted the link in another comment that is probably waiting moderation.
Marla
May 19, 2008 at 4:30 pm
What? I am sitting here eating and watching Dr. Phil. That is what at home moms do all day right?? ;) Enjoy your summer of sitting around and watching tele.
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 19, 2008 at 4:38 pm
@Bonnie, found the comment and talked with someone at work about the segment—I was going to post about it and then saw the thimerosal study.
dkmnow
May 19, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Someone had better contact Boyd Haley, and warn him and Cliffy about the coming epidemic of Mad Woman’s Disease.
It’s the Stepford Revolt! OH NOES!!!
;-D
Patrick
May 19, 2008 at 6:41 pm
My dear mister chicken scratch, (Well his initials do match that, though I would replace the scratch with another S word.)
You are welcomed to the 21st century where we deal with microwave ovens, remote controls, gameboys, and other technologies well beyond those that a mere lawyer and scaremonger are used to dealing with, for quite a few years now too. Please feel free to updated your caveman attitude appropriately.
Signed,
A mere asperger’s commentator.
Eleanor
Jun 24, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Kristina: I see that the court has sanctioned Mr. Shoemaker on this. (I don’t want to post a link and get caught in your spamfilter, but there is an update at Respectful Insolence.)
Regan
Jun 24, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Sullivan also blogged about this at Left Brain/Right Brain
http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=894
Pretty harsh calling out on Mr. Shoemaker by the judge, and praise for Kathleen Seidel’s research skills.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 24, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Thanks, Eleanor! here’s Orac’s post and I put mention in here too—-something very worth mentioning for sure….
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: