A 1985 memo by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts has irked
feminists over his comment that encouraging homemakers to become
lawyers might not be a contribution to the common good. Writing in the Washington Examiner and the San Francisco Examiner, Paul Chesser noted that while the Washington Post
focused on reaction from women, and whether or not Roberts was making a
joke about lawyers or demeaning women, the underlying issue – the
impact of working women on families — is worthy of analysis. “It’s too
bad that, for so long, women (and men) bought a lie. Feminists made
homemakers feel like they were the only ones giving up their “personal
fulfillment” for the purpose of raising their families, as though the
sacrifice was solely theirs. But how many men have ever held jobs that
“fulfill” them?” Chesser asked. “Because of all those years of
misplaced priorities, we now have far fewer homemakers and many more
lawyers than we should and Roberts’ doubts about the societal benefits
were prophetic. What a joke, indeed – a bad one.”