Thursday, December 24, 2009

the facade of innocence

root of the issue - women's rights

Maybe we're going about this all wrong? I think we need to approach this whole issue of women no longer having the right to make their own decisions about what is done to their bodies and apply it equally to men. In fact, I bet the procedures are less invasive and would be far more effective in reducing unwanted pregnancies than anything else that we're currently doing. After all, abstinence isn't working and if the religious right is upset that women are having babies out of wedlock, well then lets make sure that it doesn't happen. So I think we need to lobby our legislators to introduce a bill that would require all males, who are unmarried between the ages of 13 and 68 to undergo a mandatory vasectomy!

Maybe we're going about this all wrong? I think we need to approach this whole issue of women no longer having the right to make their own decisions about what is done to their bodies and apply it equally to men. In fact, I bet the procedures are less invasive and would be far more effective in reducing unwanted pregnancies than anything else that we're currently doing. After all, abstinence isn't working and if the religious right is upset that women are having babies out of wedlock, well then lets make sure that it doesn't happen. So I think we need to lobby our legislators to introduce a bill that would require all males, who are unmarried between the ages of 13 and 68 to undergo a mandatory vasectomy!

Viola!

No more unwanted pregnancies because one of the provisions would be that it could only be reversed once you were married (or involved in a civil union!) and had undergone counselling to ensure that you would be a willing and a good father.

Think of the savings!

No more having to worry about those "silly" women's issues!

No more wingnuts shooting doctors and stalking abortion clinics!

We couldn't make them pregnant no matter what!

All those laborious decisions about who the father is would be dramaticly reduced to a database that only contained married men! and boy would they be upset about being found out! Then we can worry about who is casting the first stone with a firm acceptance that they are morally and ethically bankrupt! ehhh... what was that Mr. Vitter?

Heck for any of those philandering Phils, we could make the sentence.... sterilization!

Okay, okay, we still have those other issues like rape and incest, but c'mon, that's not really what all this hubbub is about is it?

This appears to strike at the heart of the matter, we KNOW that men are the real issue here since so many of my gender can't control their inner tomcat and resist those feminine wiles. So here is the solution that allows us to carry on with all of our sexual selves guilt free and people can stop worrying about and being hung up on any of those outdated sexual mores and the like. Just think, when you get married, now your wife has a real reason to keep an eye on you!

With this bold "stroke" we remove that old power play that these old time geezers have over exactly who controls what, since they're so worried about bringing in babies, this cuts to the chase and makes it virtually impossible to get one unless you really want one. Imagine the example that we would be setting for the world, not to mention all of those urologists staying in business! Besides, there's no way that we would even have to worry about pre-existing conditions.

My apologies to those with sensitive sensabilities with my awkward attempts at satire and irony. I don't like the abortion option but I sure as hell do not lay any claim that I should be the one being involved in the decision unless it's between me and my partner. It's a personal decision and should be made by those who it affects. If these "people" are so ashamed about women having abortions, why aren't they working to make the alternatives, any alternative, a more palatable option, like the ru-586 pill, free contraceptives or more efficient adoption laws and caring for the unwanted. They claim that they are taking lives when in fact, they are simply controlling them. They are all ready to condemn and judge but not to solve and they have nothing to offer by way of a solution. This is a phony moral issue and I'm tired of those who seek to control the choices a woman faces when confronted with an unwanted pregnancy.

just my .02

In case I wasn't clear enough, the majority of the rant above was intended as sarcasm.

I want to be clear on this, and this is my opinion only, I don't believe that I have any more right to make this decision as any of those old duffers that have been elected to serve our nation. My problem with those forces who are anti-abortion are many and they include the thinking that while they do not want women to have an abortion, they are also against the very groups and organizations that would allow her to have a healthy child. The same ones that want to shut down the planned parenthood clinics are unable to fathom that this is only a small part of what those centers do. They help women with prenatal care and nutrition and in offering alternative methods of contraceptive care to prevent unwanted births. Not all abortions are a matter of welfare cheats who are too lazy to find another method of contraception and those that believe that abstinence is the only way to counteract teenage lustful desires are delirious. I find it laughable that men are the ones who are imposing this choice on women, whatever happened to equal rights? You say, what of the rights of the child, well that child is dependant upon the woman who would give it that foothold to exist, I do believe that sincce it is dependant upon them for life, they should be the arbiter who decides if they wish to allow it. Do I wish that abortion wasn't necessary, yes, but it's also dishonest of those who are insistent that a woman bring a baby to term to claim that they care about those innocent lives. Because there is nothing that they are doing for that innocent soul once it is born. Then that child is forgotten by those who claimed that it had a right to be born, no provision for its care or accounting for its environment, that poor soul is on its own. Charitable isn't it? God's will indeed.

Media musings

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Especially considering the departure of Lou Dobbs. How has the media devolved to the point where we are today? The national networks all devolved into a cult of personality, sniping as each one was more interested in the numbers of viewers versus giving the public the freaking news of the day. I'm not sure if it started with Watergate, but I think that's when network news "jumped the shark". This led to the rise of CNN, which used to be an unbiased, almost BBC-like, above it all entity that focused strictly on the news itself, reserving judgement. Then it devolved into the nightly white child kidnapping/celebrity trial and/or tragedy network. Now we are left with FAUX news (the conservative opinion network) and MSNBC which does the intricate dance of catering to the right in the mornings and to the left at night.

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Especially considering the departure of Lou Dobbs. How has the media devolved to the point where we are today? The national networks all devolved into a cult of personality, sniping as each one was more interested in the numbers of viewers versus giving the public the freaking news of the day. I'm not sure if it started with Watergate, but I think that's when network news "jumped the shark". This led to the rise of CNN, which used to be an unbiased, almost BBC-like, above it all entity that focused strictly on the news itself, reserving judgement. Then it devolved into the nightly white child kidnapping/celebrity trial and/or tragedy network. Now we are left with FAUX news (the conservative opinion network) and MSNBC which does the intricate dance of catering to the right in the mornings and to the left at night.

With the advent of the Internet and the immediacy of the "I need it now" generation, the local and national newspaper reporting is soon to be no more. The writing is on the blog, as a manner of speaking. The thing is, who is holding us bloggers accountable? how do we keep the tone and the facts in line to make our case without the use of vitriol and venom. How can we be heard over the shouting from the fringes of folks that refuse to listen?

I think CNN is a real reflection of our times, the news has "become too complicated" for the folks at home or so the network execs appear to be indicating based on their programming choices, so we give them something personal to worry about in hopes that they'll tune in as if it was a nightly soap opera and sayonara to any actual news reporting. I tune in to Rachel and Keith where I hear some incredible things being said and I wonder wtf, how are these idiots still in office? aren't we supposed to be electing people that have our best, albeit local, interests at heart?

What I want to know is, if the number of rascals that we have in office is this bad (democrat and republican alike) why in the hell aren't the local rags and media picking up on this stuff and holding these people to the properly high standard of being a national representative? I know that Rachel and Keith have some incredible staffs, but cripes, isn't anyone out there trolling the back alleys of the web to find this stuff out and keeping tabs? Or do we go ahead and have to give our local (and in many cases our national) media a huge freaking FAIL and have to do it ourselves?

For those greedy and corporate purchased dems and these whacko repubs, where are our media paladins to get this stuff into commercials to let the voters know, just who is doing the decision making for them? I have faith that the public would be appalled to see some of the hyperbole that is being thrown around in the name of partisan politics and in championing the interests of the well heeled over those in need. Also, the incredible amount of stupid that is performed by the misinformed and the misguided on behalf of the American people is staggering. I believe that we can make a difference, hell just based on what I see nightly on TV, there's about 30 of these guys/gals who are too dumb or too arrogant (or both) for their own good that we should be focused on allowing them to find their way in the new economy.