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Pete Buttigieg Takes Two Months Off For Paternity Leave

Former Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg took two months of paternity leave to stay at home with his husband Chasten and their adopted twin babies. Buttigieg had been away from his post of Transportation Secretary since August. He was welcomed back by criticism from Republican lawmakers like Tom Cotton. Tucker Carlson also sent a few shots in Buttigieg’s direction that the mainstream media labeled as toxic masculinity.

The main issue here is that Buttigieg was gone for two months and the majority of the US population didn’t notice. If a high-paid and “important” position like “Transportation Secretary” can go essentially unfulfilled for months without impact, then why have it in the first place? That is a question many lawmakers and constituents are asking themselves in light of the recent Buttigieg news.

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Some would counter that “useless position” argument by saying that most people wouldn’t notice if any of his work was helping or not. Dozens, if not hundreds of ships lying in wait all up and down the east and west coast exist as evidence against that narrative. Surely the Transportation Secretary should be at work developing methods to transport goods from ship to shore which would help resolve the supply chain issue. However, that does not appear to be a priority to Buttigieg. This is not only due to his paid time off for paternity, but also due to his inaction upon returning.

Paternity leave is sort of a touchy subject because of the taboo that comes along with it. Many people think that men taking extended periods of paid time off of work then being entitled to their job upon return is ridiculous. Some even think the same thing for women.

However, maternity leave is more understandable. After all, women would prefer to not have their water break at their work cubicles. Then they need time after that to physically bond with the child and repair their own bodies. Men don’t need to do any of that. If a man is not a single father and has a woman at home taking care of the baby, then there shouldn’t be a need for extended paternity leave like what Buttigieg had taken. Even within a gay relationship, someone must take the feminine role.

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All of the publicity surrounding Buttigieg’s paternity leave could be a ploy to expand the welfare state. Parental leave, both for men and women, is seen by many as a sort of entitlement. The idea of being able to essentially quit a job for months, still get paid, then resume that job upon returning can be a hassle for the employer. The thought process is… why allow someone to leave for six months then return if the person who took their place during that time performed just as well? If paternal and maternal laws get expanded, then the frustration of maternity leave will simply expand to both genders much to the chagrin of employers across the country.

SOURCES:

Pete Buttigieg Joins the Parental Leave Debate: ‘This Is Work.’ – The New York Times

Buttigieg brushes back Carlson comments on paternity leave – POLITICO

Tom Cotton on Twitter: “Pete Buttigieg’s performance as Secretary of Transportation has been so bad that Americans didn’t even realize he spent the last two months absent on paternity leave. https://t.co/0P5EvboXMN” / Twitter

Pete Buttigieg hits back at Fox News host’s criticism of his paternity leave | Pete Buttigieg | The Guardian

Pete Buttigieg takes parental leave, prompting GOP attacks – The Washington Post

‘It’s a toxic-masculinity thing’: Pete Buttigieg faces backlash for taking paternity leave — a stigma many dads know well – MarketWatch

More than 40 ships waiting outside LA and Long Beach setting new record – Splash247

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