Papa Don't Preach
There have been alot of media attention going on about certain stories involving girls and women. I'll start from the fetus and work my way up.
Various media sources have now reported that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Meiers,in 1989, was for the reversal of Roe v. Wade decision. Hopefully, she is still not of this mindset. But from a newstory in the Los Angeles Times, she apparently switched teams religously. She was born a Catholic but became a "born-again Protestant". I have no problem if she wants to change where puts money in the collection plate. I do take issue with the phrase "born again" when used in religion. There are some things you don't get to do over. Especially those who claim to have "found" Jesus. If you were a jackass yesterday, chances are you're going to be a jackass a week from tomorrow. It's just you're going to have to remember that if you screw up not only do you have to answer to yourself, a higher power is now on your speedial of the religion of your choice. If you've found him, could you let the rest of the Christians, of various backup groups, in on the location? I know I have a few questions I'd like to ask.
It's amazing to see how my attitudes have changed since then. What's even scarier? My 20 year reunion is in five years. Yikes. I'm not surprised Bush would nominate someone without experience as a judge. That's how the country ended up with Mr. Blame Game Brown.
The state of Missouri now has to provide transportation to the female convict that wants a abortion. The woman's family is paying for the abortion so that's not even affecting tax-payers.
If male convicts can get the government to pay for their Viagra then female convicts should be able to get abortions.
I have seen firsthand the effects of Missouri's strict abortion laws. When I was a student in the state I had a friend/roommate who found herself pregnant. In the early nineties, the rule was that women were allowed only 3 abortions. After that, unless the mother's life was in danger would a abortion be allowed. She had already had an abortion and didn't want to use her chances up. Zelda decided to have the baby and give up for adoption. At 20 she was in no position to become a single mother. The birth father was an idiot who claimed he had a low sperm count while dating another woman. To add insult to injury, her pregancy had to be kept secret from part of her family because the child was bi-racial. She received maternity clothes from a local church, food stamps to ensure proper nutrition, and had an open adoption. On top of that she worked and had a full class schedule. I put my work-study job on notice that I had to take off in case she gave birth while I was on campus. She went into labor while some of us went to Florida during Spring Break. We got back in time to see her little girl. I still have the photographs that I took at the hospital. From what I can recall her adoptive family already had other children from foreign adoptions. The family sent pictures and letters about Emily. All appeared to be well with Zelda until the baby's first birthday. Zelda went into a deep depression and dropped out of college. She married a much older man and is still married to this day. She decided never to have kids because she didn't think it was right to bring a child into the world until everything was in order. Zelda had the option of giving the baby to her best friend from childhood, Linda, but thought it would be too hard to have to see her daughter being raised by someone else. I have big problem with pro-life groups who say it's best for the child to be brought into the world. At what cost? For those who picket, are you going to be there to pick up the pieces in the middle of the night when the birth-mom has a nervous breakdown after not dealing with her emotions? Is there a guarantee that the adoptive child is going to have a better life? How many stories have we seen about adoptive parents who abused and or killed the children they promised to take care of? Not to mention the understaffed and underpaid social workers who work in bowels of hell in the foster care system.
About five years later at a 4th of July party,I met a woman who was my age and had a kid who was in grade school. She got pregnant when she was in high school. She went from being a cheerleader to being a single parent. Her parents didn't allow her to have an abortion. She was a dental hygenist and never got the opportunity to go to college. How different would have her life had been if she had the chance to fufill her dreams?
On the flip-side there's the Duggar family. This couple just gave birth to #16. Yes "Cheaper By The Dozen" was based on the Gilbreth family. But at least both adults had college degrees ,every child from this family went to public school and graduated from college. These other two are a real piece of work. Granted most parents are going to embarrass us in some shape or form. If they want to dress the girls in knock-off Laura Ashley outfits fine by me. My mom made my clothes and I suffered the teases from my peers in grade school. But I have a big issue with them not sharing the chores equally and having the girls do alleged "women's work". They are not doing their children favors by not teaching them skills for everyday life. Home-schooling standards are a total joke for the majority of the states that participate.
I am pro-choice. A woman should decide what's best for her and not have to stand before a judge or anyone else so she can get permission about her decision. When you educate a man you educate him for a job. When you educate a woman, you educate her family.
Various media sources have now reported that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Meiers,in 1989, was for the reversal of Roe v. Wade decision. Hopefully, she is still not of this mindset. But from a newstory in the Los Angeles Times, she apparently switched teams religously. She was born a Catholic but became a "born-again Protestant". I have no problem if she wants to change where puts money in the collection plate. I do take issue with the phrase "born again" when used in religion. There are some things you don't get to do over. Especially those who claim to have "found" Jesus. If you were a jackass yesterday, chances are you're going to be a jackass a week from tomorrow. It's just you're going to have to remember that if you screw up not only do you have to answer to yourself, a higher power is now on your speedial of the religion of your choice. If you've found him, could you let the rest of the Christians, of various backup groups, in on the location? I know I have a few questions I'd like to ask.
It's amazing to see how my attitudes have changed since then. What's even scarier? My 20 year reunion is in five years. Yikes. I'm not surprised Bush would nominate someone without experience as a judge. That's how the country ended up with Mr. Blame Game Brown.
The state of Missouri now has to provide transportation to the female convict that wants a abortion. The woman's family is paying for the abortion so that's not even affecting tax-payers.
If male convicts can get the government to pay for their Viagra then female convicts should be able to get abortions.
I have seen firsthand the effects of Missouri's strict abortion laws. When I was a student in the state I had a friend/roommate who found herself pregnant. In the early nineties, the rule was that women were allowed only 3 abortions. After that, unless the mother's life was in danger would a abortion be allowed. She had already had an abortion and didn't want to use her chances up. Zelda decided to have the baby and give up for adoption. At 20 she was in no position to become a single mother. The birth father was an idiot who claimed he had a low sperm count while dating another woman. To add insult to injury, her pregancy had to be kept secret from part of her family because the child was bi-racial. She received maternity clothes from a local church, food stamps to ensure proper nutrition, and had an open adoption. On top of that she worked and had a full class schedule. I put my work-study job on notice that I had to take off in case she gave birth while I was on campus. She went into labor while some of us went to Florida during Spring Break. We got back in time to see her little girl. I still have the photographs that I took at the hospital. From what I can recall her adoptive family already had other children from foreign adoptions. The family sent pictures and letters about Emily. All appeared to be well with Zelda until the baby's first birthday. Zelda went into a deep depression and dropped out of college. She married a much older man and is still married to this day. She decided never to have kids because she didn't think it was right to bring a child into the world until everything was in order. Zelda had the option of giving the baby to her best friend from childhood, Linda, but thought it would be too hard to have to see her daughter being raised by someone else. I have big problem with pro-life groups who say it's best for the child to be brought into the world. At what cost? For those who picket, are you going to be there to pick up the pieces in the middle of the night when the birth-mom has a nervous breakdown after not dealing with her emotions? Is there a guarantee that the adoptive child is going to have a better life? How many stories have we seen about adoptive parents who abused and or killed the children they promised to take care of? Not to mention the understaffed and underpaid social workers who work in bowels of hell in the foster care system.
About five years later at a 4th of July party,I met a woman who was my age and had a kid who was in grade school. She got pregnant when she was in high school. She went from being a cheerleader to being a single parent. Her parents didn't allow her to have an abortion. She was a dental hygenist and never got the opportunity to go to college. How different would have her life had been if she had the chance to fufill her dreams?
On the flip-side there's the Duggar family. This couple just gave birth to #16. Yes "Cheaper By The Dozen" was based on the Gilbreth family. But at least both adults had college degrees ,every child from this family went to public school and graduated from college. These other two are a real piece of work. Granted most parents are going to embarrass us in some shape or form. If they want to dress the girls in knock-off Laura Ashley outfits fine by me. My mom made my clothes and I suffered the teases from my peers in grade school. But I have a big issue with them not sharing the chores equally and having the girls do alleged "women's work". They are not doing their children favors by not teaching them skills for everyday life. Home-schooling standards are a total joke for the majority of the states that participate.
I am pro-choice. A woman should decide what's best for her and not have to stand before a judge or anyone else so she can get permission about her decision. When you educate a man you educate him for a job. When you educate a woman, you educate her family.
posted by Starla Spaulding @ 12:36 PM
2 Comments:
At 11:25 AM,
DMartin said…
Well, again, well written. While I too consider myself pro-choice, I find abortion to be horrible. I am pro-choice because I struggle with the idea of government telling women what they can and can't do. That being said I believe in strict laws surrounding abortion. But where I disagree with you is in the area of the girl who was a cheerleader and ended up pregnant and how her dreams have been dashed and such. First, she is not a victim unless the child was from a rape. She made the decision to sleep with the guy, made the decision to avoid taking procautions, and thusly, she should live with the concequences of those decisions. While it is sad that she may not have been able to follow her dreams, she made the decisions and now she lives the life she dealt herself.
Keep writing, good stuff.
At 4:05 PM,
Starla Spaulding said…
Hey Dave,
Last time I checked, it takes two people to have sex. Contrary to your assumption, this was her first relationship and she wasn't a slut. The teen birth father was just as responsible and bailed on her the minute he found out she was pregnant. In fact, the majority of teenage boys never want to use condoms because it allegedy "dulls" the experience. He has never been in the child's life. He had never provided a dime of child support. Most likely, he went to college,got a job, married, has children that he provides for, lives a good life and never looked back. Why should he be the one with a second chance and not her? Is it fair that her son grow up without his father?
I strongly disagree "she lives the life she dealt herself". She had some help in the path she took. How convenient of you to lay all of the responsibility at her feet?
Funny how some pharmacists have no problem giving out Viagra by the truckload but put their foot down the minute a prescription for birth control pills, or the morning after pill crosses their hands?
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