We women don’t get a “pass” because of our gender or because we give birth. Excel, do the best you can, and people will take notice.

It’s not about volume – it’s about quality. If what you say resonates with people, they listen.

I don’t always agree with Erin either – but I listen, because what she says has strength of conviction, a rational underlying structure, and a purpose. This time, I happen to agree with her. But every time I listen to what she’s saying, because her perspective is always enlightening to me.

Moms want to be “taken seriously”? Then when we have the opportunity to change the world, even in a small way, we need to do it responsibly.

I preface my comment by noting that I don’t know hardly any of the women here. I’m sure they are all lovely people, but I have no pressing or driving need to know any of the women here. Or to please them. Or pat their little heads and tell them it’s all going to be alright.

I come from the world of technology. It’s a very defined game in that world. Be better than the rest, and if you’re better, you have the right to be louder. If you’re just louder, but not better, then you’re going to be, at best, ignored or at worst, ridiculed.

In fact, that’s the game in almost every industry, even mommy blogging (whatever the hell that industry actually is – is it an industry or a demographic?). The problem was is that there are tons of people being louder and only a few being better.

I guess I’ll let you come out of your self pity world long enough to see the parallel to anyone or anything else in life.

J&J made a mistake, corrected it, end of story. Your enemy today is your ally tomorrow. I believe that’s all Erin was trying to point out and I’d say there are quite a few women here who agree with her, not because the mommymafia said so, but because it’s a basic life principle.

This isn’t a post about quieting activism. This is a post reminding those who won that with power comes responsibility.

Take your knee-jerk elsewhere, because my entire blogging career is based on empowering YOU. It’s not a lot to ask you be responsible with that power.

The fact is that no matter how large the “firestorm” or “controversy” this was still a very small representation of women who were speaking. But again, this is typical. A certain subsection gets what they want, and then they begin defining a movement for the rest of us, a definition which ultimately acts to push down. Another play at power.

What is even more embarrassing and even frightening is the rush of commentary trying to control through what amounts to bullying and using the language that roped us in for so long right back at us. Don’t *you* people have anything better to do?

That women are using this opportunity to engage the mommy wars again by defining for other women what issues are important or good or worthy when it comes to their parenting is shocking and saddening. Maddening, really. It’s a judgment on values and raising the specter of The Good Mommy to bash down those who other women feel threatened by through their own insecurities of not feeling Good Enough..

And damn, I thought we were finally beyond this; I thought we were finally beyond the infighting that has thus far prevented us from galvanizing our efforts and moving on to the “big important” issues. It never ceases to amaze me how much women have invested in holding other women down and back.

Go talk to my neighbors. Go talk to my family members. The trickle down hasn’t extended to them yet. Some of them actually can’t breastfeed in public – or at all – or wear a sling without being ridiculed or judged as trying to compensate for some innate mothering inadequacies – not good enough for equality in the workplace, and now that some of your elite sisters are flexing their mommy muscles, we’ll keep reminding you that mothers are second class citizens. But, you know, sucks to be them. The Blogger Gurlz have spoken and you’ll need their sanctifying grace before saying boo and there goes another movement.

Acting like a dimwit indeed.

The influence of the web, and the voices of ordinary people, are powerful, entertaining and have ushered in a new era. We find a cornucopia of opinions, a means to influence and a conduit to like-mindedness. For many of us, it is a means to a living for influencing a generation of consumers. As a writer, the ability of the Internet to sway opinion, produce sales and influence trends is powerful.

It should be remembered that any woman who has been enormously successful, should be celebrated. Few people will ever be the governor of a state in this country. Despite a person’s ideology, it is a fantastic accomplishment for any sex.