THE PERFECT WOMAN

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE PERFECT WOMAN UNLESS YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHER PLATO'S BELIEF IN A PLATONIC FORM, AN IDEAL BEING, ABSTRACT FROM REALITY, BUT NEVERTHELESS REAL. IN THIS LIFE, SPECIMENS ARE IMPERFECT. WE CAN ONLY SET CRITERIA OR GUIDELINES FOR THE IDEAL WOMAN. WHETHER SHE CHOOSES MOTHERHOOD OR A SINGLE LIFE, I BELIEVE THE 'PERFECT' WOMAN SHOULD SHINE OUT WITH A CHARACTER THAT CAN 'GROAN BUT GROW.' WOMEN KNOW THAT LIFE IS TOUGH, BUT WOMEN SHOULD GROW, IN SPITE OF LIFE, IN STRENGTH, IN LOVE AND IN GRACE. I BELIEVE IDEAL IS A PERFECT AS IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT SHOULD BE SOUGHT.

PERHAPS THEY ARE LIKE THE SHINING STARS THAT CARL SCHURZ REFERENCED IN 1859. THE FUTURE CIVIL WAR GENERAL AND STATESMAN SAID, "YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED IN TOUCHING THEM (THE STARS) WITH YOUR HANDS, BUT LIKE THE SEAFARING MAN ON THE DESERT OF WATERS, YOU CHOOSE THEM AS YOUR GUIDES, AND FOLLOWING THEM YOU REACH YOUR DESTINY." AMERICA'S DESTINY HAS HINGED UPON THE QUALITY OF ITS WOMEN. THEY HAVE USUALLY OPENED OR CLOSED THE DOOR OF AMERICA'S GREATNESS. YET TODAY'S MORAL ANALYSTS OFTEN SPEAK TO THE TRUTH THAT SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH OUR CULTURAL CLIMATE THAT DOES NOT ENCOURAGE 'PERFECT WOMEN.'

A CONTEMPORARY OF CARL SCHURZ, FORMER PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT, BELIEVED THE ROLE OF MOTHERHOOD TO BE ONE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. I ECHO T.R.'S CALL FOR A WOMAN WITH A NORMAL SEX DRIVE WHO DOES NOT COMPLAIN OR COWER BEFORE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LIVING. GRANTED ROOSEVELT'S IDEAS ARE ROOTED IN HISTORICAL TIME, BUT HIS MESSAGE IS TIMELESS.

I CAN'T RESIST QUOTING T.R. FURTHER. " THE ATROPHY OF A HEALTHY SEXUAL INSTINCT IS IN ITS EFFECTS EQUALLY DESTRUCTIVE WHETHER IT BE DUE TO LICENTIOUSNESS, ASCETICISM, COLDNESS, OR TIMIDITY; WHETHER IT BE DUE TO CALCULATED SELF-INDULGENCE, LOVE OF EASE AND COMFORT, OR ABSORPTON IN WORLDLY SUCCESS ON THE PART OF THE MAN, OR, ON THE PART OF THE WOMAN, TO THAT KIND OF SHRIEKING 'FEMINISM', THE ANTITHESIS OF ALL WORTH CALLING WOMANLY, WHICH GIVES FINE NAMES TO SHIRKING OF DUTY, AND TO THE FEAR OF DANGER AND DISCOMFORT, AND ACTUALLY EXALTS AS PRAISEWORTHY THE ABANDONMENT OR SUBORDINATION BY WOMEN OF THE MOST SACRED AND VITALLY IMPORTANT OF THE FUNCTIONS OF WOMANHOOD. IT IS NOT ENOUGH THAT A RACE SHALL BE COMPOSED OF GOOD FATHERS, GOOD WORKERS, AND GOOD BREEDERS; BUT, UNLESS THE QUALITIES THUS INDICATED ARE PRESENT IN THE RACE FOUNDATION, THEN THE SUPERSTRUCTURE, HOWEVER SEEMINGLY IMPOSING, WILL TOPPLE."

AMEN. WHAT A CHARACTERIZATION OF AMERICA'S CHARACTER FLAWS IN 2006. GRANTED AMERICA IS AT HER DYNASTIC ZENITH, AT THE PEAK OF HER IMPERIAL POWER. BUT IS IT ALL DOWNHILL NOW BECAUSE OUR 'PERFECT' WOMAN, THE MOTHER, HAS ALREADY FALLEN FROM HER PEDESTAL? IT STILL TAKES A FAMILY TO KEEP A COUNTRY ON TOP.