Choosing Wisely

Amy Pagnozzi, in her March 1 column in The Hartford Courant [A Useless Family Plan for Welfare?] championed one of her many should-be lost causes. While poking fun at President Bush's welfare plan, she attempts to portray unwed welfare mothers as if they were all wise, hard-working heroes and, of course, victims of the system. Some are, but let's take a quick look at Ms. Pagnozzi's example: a 20-year-old never-married woman with an illegitimate 2-year-old son. The article indicates she has parents, but either is not welcome in their home or prefers to live on her own and on welfare. Ms. Pagnozzi says, "Single parenthood's rarely a conscious choice." It isn't? Women don't have choices? They don't choose the men they date? They all got pregnant by being raped? They were all sleeping during sex education classes? They never heard about the choice of adoption? Someone else made the decision for them to have sex before marriage? Someone else chose whom they would marry?

Maybe Ms. Pagnozzi thinks the single parents were in a coma and made these decisions while unconscious. If the majority of women really are being denied these choices, then Ms. Pagnozzi would be correct in her criticism of Bush's welfare plan. Otherwise, any plan that encourages people to make better choices is—you guessed it—the best choice.