So. I think of myself as one if the 100 most disenfranchised people in the United States. Why? Because I vote.
And because when I have contacted elected officials about our growing need to protect our children they tell me that protecting our children is not their issue
Let me rephrase that: local and national elected officials who have responded to my concern about protecting children from pedophiles have said they won’t help me because it is “not” their “issue”
I used to think it was everyone’s issue.
I keep thinking–this is an election year, shouldn’t someone care?
So the Akin thing forced me to study up on the politics and what I found was interesting.
Akin was wrong–really, really wrong, but to what end?
He was trying to save babies. He meets his political downfall because he crossed a line in trying to prevent murder, mass murder.
The ends do not justify the means. His strong desire to save babies from elective abortion does not make what he said right…
but a bit of contextualization never hurt anyone.
Rape is rape, but the strange wording and semantic crash for Akin came because he was trying to legally address something that is known, practiced and acknowledged in obstetrics–doctors can call a lot of things the way they want to. Many doctors are already allowing or referring for elective abortions to minimize their risk of law suits if parents deem their child imperfect.
Akin is 50 steps ahead of a 50 year old game, but what he was discussing when he got caught out was the notion that a baby would be valuable even if she were the child of a rapist or child molester.
Ironically, another recent flurry of outrage occurred over a pregnant teen in the DR who was not permitted to abort her fetus so she could receive cancer treatment.
I thought it was interesting that no one thought to question why a girl of 13 or 14 was pregnant and how old exactly was the father?
Akin was wrong and he will pay for his verbal gaffe. But we all pay an unacceptable price if we laugh at the “rape rape” without asking how we can help the young victims of rape by providing healing, safety, comfort, advocacy and a voice–not a brutal medical death to a second innocent child when the first has endured too much.
Carrying Light 
Elea–there’s a great deal of consistency in your arguments, which I like and respect and find very appealing.
The reality of pro-life policy, however, dives into some very dark grey areas. And for this reason, I disagree with you on the abortion policy issue. But I think you know that. 🙂 And on this, my own position, I also acknowledge that there are some very dark grey areas.
Livin’ this thing called life is no easy task, sometimes.
You are one of my very favorite pro-choice friends 🙂 Which I also hope you knew
Funny thing is, when I was in college I was vocal about the abortion issue. It is a big reason why we fostered/adopted.
Now I am still prolife, I just think that it means more, much more than politics. If we say these little ones matter then we must see they do, their mothers do, etc.
And that…well..
Takes more than you can ask of most people
Yes. On some issues–even ones that I feel emotionally and intellectually very strongly about–I don’t have an urge to say “There oughta be a law…” because it gets too darn sticky. But I do think there oughta be a lot of discussion, and help, and support, and respect and willingness to teach folks how to do very hard things.
An aside: I remember when I was 16 (and not in any way close to engaging voluntarily in making babies) my parents — who are policy-wise “pro choice” — told me that if I got pregnant, I could come to them and they would move mountains to help me raise a baby. And when my big-little-one started preschool, my father came along to the orientation. In praise of Montessori and in chit-chat with the preschool teacher, he said something like: “One of my goals for my granddaughter is that, if she were to become a single parent, she would have everything she needs–upstairs, in her intellectual cupboard–to do that right. It starts with preschool.” I dunno, I just get a little kick out of that (I have no idea what the preschool teacher thought-heh). A little awkward, maybe, but my dad was was trying to think of the HARDEST job that anyone would have to do, and came up with single parenting. I don’t know if the school wants to change its motto: “Montessori: Raising the Next Generation of Effective Single Parents.”
that is a tribute to the mind of a great economist:)
I would love to A. Get him in charge of Mary And b. Know what the teacher was thinking!
Oh, I’m not sure if my father could’ve or could handle M. For all my challenging teenage- and young adult “ways,” I was pretty square and intent on pleasing my parents. Overall, an easy kid. Er, grownup. Er, kid. I don’t know when you cross that line… age 30? 🙂 Myabe it depends on the person.
How’s M doing? Does she have a village?
No village whatsoever Big trouble!