An Inauguration On Martin Luther King Jr. Day

It really did say something about our country when we elected a black president, especially one with Hussain as a middle name in the midst of a war in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I feel like it says just as much, if not more, that we reelected him. It wasn't without hardship, controversy and a still severely divided nation - and yes, still plenty of racism - but enough of the country believed in his actions and policies to give him the votes he needed to be president again. 

And that's awesome. I haven't forgotten the hate and disgust so many people felt when President Bush was in office and although I see very little of the hate and disgust towards President Obama I do know it exists, and it's strong. But I also have a feeling a lot of that is unfounded racism and prejudice and has little to do with his actions as a leader.

But there is a little extra symbolism in Obama's inauguration today: today we inaugurated a black president in his second term on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. More than 50 years ago Martin Luther King Jr campaigned tirelessly for equal rights for people of all types and on the day we honor his efforts we celebrate the reelection of our first black president. Pretty awesome. (Obama's inauguration today wasn't the first time a presidential inauguration landed on MLK day... Clinton's second inauguration also did.)

You can watch his official inauguration and his speech. Now that elections are out of the way I really hope we'll see even more progress on some of the most important things he campaigned for in the last 4 years. I'm specifically hoping for more environmental reform and equal rights for all types of people. 

The Furthest Call

Appropriate?

The US election is two days away and the media has been predicting it will be a very close call for the presidency.

I just don't buy it.

I honestly think President Obama will not only be re-elected, but possibly even by a landslide. And if not by a total landslide (like it pretty much was in 2008) but not the close call news outlets keep predicting. I don't see how that's actually true.

Things have been looking good for the president the last couple of months and even more so this last week, the time when the most Americans pay attention to the election. And perhaps more to the point, the contender has been looking pretty sorry during that same time period. Hurricane Sandy hasn't done much to help that image, either. 

Obviously, those who hate President Obama for one reason or another and want anyone else in will vote for Romney. As will probably most of the people in the country to have loads of money (an itty bitty percentage of the country). But it baffles my mind that any pre-menopausal woman would vote Republican this year and I'm sure the Republican party has already written off anyone of color.

There are less publicized predictions of Obama winning the presidency by a massive landslide, attributing a 6% chance that Romney will win the Electoral College vote. If that's the case, I can't see how Romney would win either the Electoral College or the popular vote. (However, if either candidate wins the Electoral College but not the popular vote, that will not be good for the country.)

There are only two things I could see getting in the way of an Obama landslide: complacent or cocky Obama supporters not voting and voter fraud/rigged polls. The Obama supporters not voting is not something I see happening because of their nature. They came out in droves last time around because they believed they could make a difference, and they did - Obama finished his acceptance speech before the polls even closed in California. The voter fraud/rigged machines may be an issue, but I hope they aren't wide spread enough to matter, and if they can be found out it will just cast a nasty shadow on the falsely elected president.

Two days away, I'm gonna go ahead and say it'll happen that way again. I seriously don't think all the worry over it being too close to call and all the absentee and undocumented votes actually come into play. So there. And if I eat my words Tuesday night (or whenever the final tally is agreed upon) so be it.

Why I Can Never Be Republican

I don't affiliate myself with any of the political parties and every time I've taken a political party test I've ended up very near the middle. I agree with some Democrat issues and some Republican issues (and green party and libertarian) and have never felt comfortable siding with one side or the other.

My leaning.

That being said, I can never call myself Republican.

There are too many causes I support that get no support from major Republicans. Women's issues, climate change, the environment, gay rights, and energy are all things that I feel very passionate about and major Republicans don't agree with, don't believe in, don't support and won't pursue. In fact, some of these causes are openly mocked, called wrong or called unimportant.

Republicans think women's issues are silly girl complaints. We already work, we already vote, we already drive, we already hold major positions at major companies... what more do we want? Wanting better access to birth control just makes us sluts and wanting to keep abortion legal makes us all future murderers. If we're raped it's because we dressed provocatively, had been drinking, had flirted, had been out late at night, had not fought off hard enough, had basically asked for it, and if it was traumatic enough we won't get pregnant (or, if we get pregnant it was because we secretly enjoyed it and wanted a baby). Even though 95% of Americans have sex before they're married (if they get married at all), half the country believes sex should only be for procreating in between married couples, which means almost half the country are hypocrites.

Republicans don't believe climate change is real. The ones that do admit the science and data behind climate change is legitimate deny that we have anything to do with it. All those coal plants in the 40s that we shut down and cleaned up? If that were to happen today Republicans would lament all those coal jobs and ignore the improvements to the environment and human health. In fact, it kind of is happening today: Republicans are working hard to save the coal industry, claiming those few thousand jobs are critical to the health of the economy, while completely ignoring that people who work with coal all end up very sick, often with cancer. But those jobs, man, those jobs are all they got. (Which is true... people in coal mines don't know how to do anything else...)

Republicans think the environment is something we should care about only when times are good and we have the time and resources to devise ways of living that do not involve destroying the only place we can live. Since the planet will live far longer than any generation conceivable now, they kind of have a point. We will all die long before the planet starts to really hurt. So it kind of doesn't matter to us as a species. But for some generations it will matter, for the other groups of people and species that share out planet it already matters, and the things we're doing now will play a major role in the destruction of the environment.

Republicans think that giving gays more rights, namely the right to marry, is an "assault on the foundations of our society." To Republicans, gays are all that is wrong with our great country. Since God says their actions are punishable by death Republicans can't fathom why we'd want to condone their behavior. They've said we should round them up and put them in cages until they die off (since they can't reproduce the gays will stop existing). One even said the government should kill them all, an idea certain idealists took to heart. So at the very least, Republicans are saying they should just be happy that we aren't doing that to them and accept the separate-but-equal "registered domestic partnership" status, where we more or less arbitrarily decide whether or not that means a gay person's partner gets to be included on end of life decisions, get to visit in the hospital, and gets custody of the children.

Republicans do believe that we should be energy independent (or they're at least publicly saying so), but all that means is more drilling on our lands. Wind energy and solar energy are scams that don't create jobs and don't create energy, and since the environment isn't something they're concerned with they see no downside to drilling in Alaska or the Gulf (even though the poor Gulf is just barely hanging on as it is). Fuck the polar bears, the tuna, the shrimp, the moose, the ground water. We don't need them anyway.*

I'm a big supporter of all those things and say so publicly any chance I get (still waiting for my Human Rights Campaign equality sticker to come...), so identifying with a party that is vehemently against all those things means I can never side with that party. I don't see myself identifying with any of the other parties, either, but hell would pretty much have to freeze over before I called myself Republican.

PS- If I've made too many generalizations in this post and the links don't satisfy you, please leave a comment with some of your own links or other support for why I'm wrong. I'd really love to not believe that there are people in positions of such great power (one of whom is trying real hard to be the leader of the country), but I so far haven't heard anything to the contrary.

*Incidentally, during my research I clicked on a link that took me to the GOP.gov energy website and got a 404 error. Telling.

Why Obama Will Be Reelected

If the Democrats like it we hate it!

Alright, hush. I'm not a politician or political analyst, but I am an American and I have an opinion and you're on my blog anyway.

No secret that I'm a fan of Obama and lean to the left on a lot of social issues. I voted for him and I think he's doing some pretty great things. At the very least, he killed Osama bin Laden, stood up for gay marriage and is trying to get Americans better access to healthcare, which is something I need to start researching. I get really frustrated with the Republicans in office who have all but come out and said that if the President supports it they will oppose it, regardless of how good of an idea it is. Case in point: Mitt Romney (the supposed Republican presidential candidate, but we'll get into that in a minute) enacted nearly the exact same health care plan for Massachusetts when he was governor and now has nothing good to say about it, even though if he were really all about the country he would openly agree the President has a good idea and that he supports it (to be fair, he did once do exactly that, but now that he's trying to get the president's job he's backtracking, saying the exact thing he did for his state, which was good then, would be bad for the country). But you can't do that in an election year, and I guess Republicans can't be caught agreeing with a Democrat or all the kids in school will pick on him.

I miss my old gynecologist.

The biggest reason I think Obama has it in the bag is that Republicans so far don't even have a contender. FYI, guys, it's July. Pick someone already. Acknowledge that Romney is your guy or find your knight in shinning armor, like, now, cause it's getting down to it. Didn't McCain get the nomination in February or some other really early month? And now it's July and the GOP still can't admit they're going to back Romney? Even though every other candidate has bowed out of the race? If even the Republicans don't like him, what chance does the party have? There aren't enough I'll-vote-for-anyone-but-Obama-because-I-don't-want-to-wear-a-burka votes out there to make that matter.

The second biggest reason is that in the middle of an election year Obama is growing a pair and taking a stand on some super controversial subjects which has got to drum up favor among supporters and those who say he's been lax. First, he openly declared his support for gay marriage. While he can't just go make it law, much to the relief of our Christian overlords who feel the need to legislate our private lives, he says he believes this is the major civil rights issue of this time and that he will do what he can to give the same rights and privileges to gay Americans as the rest of the country receives. Applause, sir. Way to stand up and stick it to the fundies where it hurts. I still don't understand what's so horrible and awful about gays marrying the ones they love (please, someone, explain it to me in a rational manner that doesn't involve quoting the Bible), and I'm glad the President feels the same way. Which, to clarify, is that religious beliefs don't mean squat, and civil rights are civil rights.

Mr. Obama is also pushing for his Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, now that the Supreme Court says he can. Now, I don't know enough about the bill, and do not have the time/energy to research it right now, but I do know enough to say that I can't make a decision one way or the other about whether I support it. I know it will require every American to have health insurance and there will be a fine (or tax, if that's what you want to call it) for those who "opt out," which may be plenty cheaper than actually having insurance. I also know individuals and employers will still keep their plans if they want, that insurance companies can't deny a claim based on a pre-existing condition or drop people for no reason, and that Americans will have to choose between a private insurance company like we have right now or the to-be-created government option (unless that got cut... again, need to do my research). On the one hand, I would love to have health insurance. I'm clumsy as fuck and it's really only a matter of time before I need stitches or a cast, and it'd be nice to not be in debt up to my ears for something like that. And I really need to see a dentist. But on the other hand, I am a pretty healthy young person and have not been to the doctor (except for the gynecologist, but that's taken care of thanks to Planned Parenthood) in years. Years. Not since I was in college. Except for that one time I went to Urgent Care for eczema, and that was over 3 years ago. So, I dunno if that's something I really need to pay over $100 a month for, considering how often I'd use it.

Damn sluts trying to have sex and not get pregnant!

He's also trying to bring a human side to America's illegal immigration problem, which some believe is going to be the absolute death of our country. Illegal immigrants who came here with their parents before the age of 16, who either are successful students or served in the American military, who pose no criminal or security threat, will get a 2 year reprieve from being deported. I'd say that if an immigrant served in the military he or she should be granted citizenship, but for some reason that's not enough proof that they'd be good citizens. Plus, it's not even like he's giving them anything more than a chance to finish school, finish serving, or start the citizenship process.

I think Obama's actions during this election year are going to speak to pretty much everyone except the fundies: the young, the gay, the female, the foreign, the sick, the poor, the educated, and probably even a few of the religious, too. His actions seem rooted in what he believes is best for the country as a whole. While he may be singling out some religious groups with his support of gay marriage and his requirement that employers cover birth control (which they're exempt from anyway... another thing someone needs to explain to me), he's embracing the gay population and almost the entire female population. He's telling young immigrants that he won't punish them for the crimes of their parents. He's telling sick people they won't be turned away from affordable care just because they're sick. I can get behind that. 

But what do I know? I'm a young woman with gay and foreign friends, so I clearly don't know what's good for my country.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Click to read- unnatural marriage

One of my best friends has suggested we try to ignore everything Palin and her ilk have to say, but I simply cannot help my anger at the ignorance they spew, so here goes.

Yesterday, in a wonderfully refreshing and progressive display of support for all Americans, President Obama declared his unequivocal support for gay marriage. The first president to do so, he said that his daughters helped him realize the error of his ways in not being more bold on this front. The civil rights issues that gay Americans are currently experiencing is in every way, shape and form the exact fucking same thing that black Americans (and generally Americans who just weren't white) experienced just a few short decades ago, and arguably still have to deal with. Anyone who says differently is sexist and racist or  doesn't have any information to back up an argument.

While I, and millions upon millions of my fellow citizens and friends, am incredibly excited at the prospect of what the president's comments mean for the future, I recognize that he did say this not one day after North Carolina banned gay marriage and civil unions, the separate-but-equal qualifier that gay marriage opponents keep throwing around. Which means gays in North Carolina are not equal even a little bit... they're second class citizens, not allowed to declare their love and commitment to their partner even in a totally governmental, non-religious way. No rights, nothing. The president's words also come at the beginning of 6 politically charged months, when the rift between conservatives and liberals is stronger than ever, when these words might mean losing his re-election campaign. Props to him for making that strong of a declaration at such an uneasy time, and I hope it serves him well.

In the meantime, however, we have the Palin crew preaching to the conservative ostriches. Bristol (she's the daughter that got knocked up right before Republican presidential hopeful McCain picked her mom to be his running mate, then broke up with the baby's father) chastised Obama for listening to his kids and not being a father. In short, she says that Obama should have explained to his daughters how their friends with same-sex parents are wrong and immoral, and that while "they are no doubt lovely people" he should have shown them that only a father and a mother can properly raise a child. Bristol is a shining example, having inadvertently gotten pregnant in high school when she was unmarried, but she proved that she was mature and responsible by marrying her baby's father and raising her baby in a loving, mother-father household. Oh wait, that's wrong. Bristol had the baby out of wedlock, broke up with the father, didn't allow the father to see the baby, and then had a roller coaster relationship with him after that.

But that's beside the point, at least to the Palins and their followers. What Bristol is really saying is that it's nice that Obama listens to his kids at the dinner table, but rather than take their words to heart and learned to be a better father, man and president, he should have told his daughters that that's not how the world is, and although some people choose that lifestyle it's wrong and should not be condoned. He should have been the person to explain to his daughters how some people are treated differently because of who they are. He, who was alive when the last civil rights movement was in full swing and whose mother undoubtedly went through certain ordeals just having him, should have explained to his daughters that relationships like the ones their friend's parents have is wrong. Bristol is really saying that Obama should be a hypocrite. (Seriously, read this. It's in her own words, in her personal blog on this family-oriented website. I'm reading between the lines, but the idea is clearly there.)

In another blog post written by Bristol just weeks ago, the single mother proudly proclaims that not only is she not living with her boyfriend/father of her baby, but she has no intention to. She brings Beyonce and the New York Times in as testimonials to her abstinence cause (poorly), saying that living together before marriage practically dooms you to divorce. How is Bristol following her own advice? After all the publicity her mother's surprise VP bid brought the family, especially the unwed pregnant daughter, Bristol was able to command enormous fees to speak at high schools and colleges about waiting until marriage to have sex, something she is so clearly unqualified to speak about, no doubt gets advertising revenue from her religious blog, and even has a goddamn book, and is fortunate enough to have the money to have bought herself a nice house, renovate said house, and live independently (or so she implies... I have serious doubts) until she's ready to move in. This isn't the same "I'm a single mother and I'm damn proud of the job I'm doing raising my kid" schpeel we've heard a million times over, mostly deservedly so, it's a unique and self hating "I'm a single mother and I'm damn proud of the job I'm doing raising my kid but you better not even think of doing what I did because if you do it it's wrong" hypocrisy that puts me over the edge. I have no idea how people don't see the blatant lies and discrimination she puts out. Shouldn't someone like Bristol be all for healthcare for mothers and children, all for social services for young, unwed pregnant girls? No, she did what millions of girls and women do and was praised, and then turns around and blames those who did exactly what she did. Some champion.

I realize I've gotten myself all fired up over someone who really does not matter and whose opinion is absolutely worthless, but there are too many people in this country who follow her opinions and even value them, too many people agreeing with people like Bristol and her mother that certain Americans are more equal than others, more deserving of rights and liberties, and frankly just all around better than the rest. This is bullshit and I'm going to call her out, even if only on this little blog, in my little corner of the internet. One day, hopefully within my lifetime, we're going to look back on this time and on people like the Palins with the same disgust we now look back on the people who said a black person and a white person couldn't marry. One day we'll plainly see the ignorance these people have and pity them and their hatred and fear, and be glad that the truly righteous agenda, real equality for every American, finally won.

All Politicians Are Crazy

Duh. I know.

Disclaimer: Although I'm not a registered voter in any party, I took a political beliefs test in high school and I was just barely to the left. The issues here, among many, many others, make me cringe at Republicans.

This November will be the third presidential election I've voted in and here we are, mid April, and I'm already fed up with the whole thing. We've got changing rules left and right, backstabbing and more name calling than I heard in middle school. And these are the leaders of the greatest country on Earth. 

I know there's a system, that whichever party isn't in office blames the party that is in office for any little thing that goes even slightly wrong, but if things end up going great they poo-poo the accomplishments or try to take the credit, and as soon as that party gets in office the cycle starts all over again. It's sickening. I know I've said this before, but I'm starting to think there's more than a system and that this whole two party deal we have is an illusion, and that the over-the-top uber-conservative politicians chomping at the bit this time around are simply helping the incumbent Democrat keep his office. There's just no way these people really believe in the things they're preaching, and if they really do and would really try to accomplish all the so-called promises they're giving middle America? I'm fucking leaving. (Now that I think about it, those people would just say good riddance to a woman like me.)

There's been a lot of petty arguments going on this time around, which I didn't notice so much in the last two elections (although, to be fair, the last election was so focused on the circus that was Sarah Palin, who was running for president in 2012 while running for vice president in 2008, that it was hard to pay attention to too much else). Recently President Obama accepted a donation from comedian Bill Maher and some women said he should not accept it because of Maher's stand-up routine on women, which apparently is less than flattering or respectful. Funny thing about that, however, is that it was Republican women who said the president shouldn't accept the donation, not Democratic women. Oh really, a Republican is saying a Democrat should have standards regarding who donates to his race? Shocking. This is especially notable because it came right after Rush Limbaugh got on his radio show and openly called a woman a slut, whore, prostitute and several other things for wanting to take birth control. I don't think any Republicans are not accepting his donations...

That whole situation was so juvenile and ridiculous that I think it perfectly sums up this election, and American politics in general. Republicans are doing whatever the fuck they want but as soon as a Democrat does something even remotely similar they're all up in arms about it, thinking the rest of us won't notice they just did that exact same thing (although usually in a worse fashion: I'll take a comedian's relatively harmless stand-up routine that picks on female stereotypes over an influential talk show host actually calling a woman a slut any day). I've seen some of Bill Maher, although apparently not the anti-women schtick he supposedly has, and thought he was funny. I've seen male comedians live and watched male comedians on TV who make fun of women and it never bothered me. Then again, I've seen female comedians pick on men, but no one seemed to care about that... I assume the conservative women who had the issue with Bill Maher's comic comments don't actually have an issue with him, they just saw an easy target and made a big fucking deal out of it. They probably don't really  think that a stand-up comedian who goes on about some woman driver who cut him off actually hates women who drive; they're probably somewhat rational people who understand comedy and the difference between a stand-up routine that picks on certain stereotypes and someone who actually hates specific groups, like what one can believe from Limbaugh's comments about women who take birth control.

Or maybe not. Maybe there are a lot of outspoken people who do not have any fun in life, who do not like comedy, who do not have sex even with their opposite-sex spouses, who take everything very seriously and who can't relax. And the rest of us have to sit through another 6 months of this political bullshit, even though we all know it's highly likely Obama's getting another 4 years (yep, I said it). Might as well grab the popcorn and try not to get an ulcer as I watch the Republicans shoot me down just because I wasn't born with a penis.

If We Don't Finish What We Started, The Terrorists Win

The morning of September 11, 2001

Ten years ago I was a new junior in high school. It was homework period in colorguard so I wore something a little cuter than normal because I didn't have to worry about getting them dirty spinning in mud. But when the carpool arrived, the mom shouted across the driveway to our mom that the World Trade Center went down. None of us knew what the World Trade Center was, but we could tell this was something big. At school, first period was homework and listening to the radio. I still didn't understand what was going on, only that terrorists from the Middle East somewhere flew our planes into two buildings in New York and a lot of people died.

I could grasp the seriousness of the situation but understanding it would take much of the next decade. Class that day consisted almost exclusively of teachers trying to answer questions and letting us mostly listen to the radio or do work silently. When I got home the news was on (it would stay on for a whole week) and both my parents were home. Over and over we watched as one plane after the other came out of absolutely nowhere to crash with incredible accuracy into the side of one of the tallest buildings in the world and stay there, burning a giant hole. Then we watched as smoke, ash, papers and debris flew over the streets of New York City covering citizens and firefighters from head to toe, people lying injured and bleeding, people running literally for their lives as cameras bravely rolled on. Then, we saw footage of people in the towers jumping from windows far, far too high. Many people jumped, which is something I still don't quite understand. That was perhaps the hardest thing to witness.

As a nation we were first shocked and scared, but we quickly turned to unity with one another and became angry, fully backing the war we'd just been brought into. Whatever it took to make the perps pay for the thousands of lives they cost (and the hundreds of thousands of lives that would eventually be lost) was justifiable.

Over the years America became overtly racist towards Muslims and anyone looking even remotely Middle Eastern. Then we started losing our own rights, one by one, in the name of protecting us from terrorists. First the Patriot Act, then losing virtually every freedom we had in airports, then allowing our phones and conversations and sometimes even our properties to be monitored by the government, all of which is justified by saying you have nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide. What ever happened to "give me liberty of give me death?"

We've become so paranoid about another attack that we're willing to live in the shadow of fear for the rest of our lives or give up what were once basic rights. Because of one attempt we now have to take our shoes off at airports, plus all metal, plus go through a metal detector, and now (in addition to everything) body scanners that show our naked bodies and be pat down by a disgruntled and underpaid TSA employees. For what? Are we safer? Does turning over our nail clippers make us less likely to encounter another terrorist? I don't feel like it does.

However, I'd rather live with that risk and have an enjoyable life. I'd rather not be looking at every person with dark skin and a beard or a hijab and wonder if they're plotting against me. I'd rather take my chances when I fly than be forced to undress for a stranger. I'd rather live freely in the Land of the Free than be afraid of the police who are supposed to protect me, wondering if some innocent thing I do will be considered suspicious. But I feel alone in these preferences. So many of those I know would rather spend an hour in airport security half naked because it makes them feel safer in the air, or allowing phone tapping because, as true patriots, they have nothing to hide. If there's even a chance that these measures will prevent another terrorist attack they'll allow them, even if it impacts our way of life.

This is not what it means to be an American. If we were attacked for our way of life we should be living that way of life louder and prouder than ever. We should taunt those who hate us, beg them to try again. But we aren't. For the last ten years we've been afraid, deeply divided, and hateful of anyone that isn't us. We've given up on our schools, our economy, and fortifying the strength of our country on our soil in favor of "helping" other countries form democracies and ensuring our safety overseas.

What if we just said fuck it, we're done, we tried and we're calling quits. What if we stopped spending the billions on Iraq and Afghanistan and started spending that money on educating our kids so we can be even stronger in 40 years, or providing jobs to those who have been out of work for 6 months or more so we can have a strong and vibrant economy again? What if we cared about our people and our country half as much as we cared about other countries, and what if we spent our defense money on protecting our borders? I'd be very interested to see.

There are hundreds who died ten years ago saving, or trying to save, the lives of others, and hundreds of thousands of others deeply affected by September 11, 2001. I'm grateful I didn't lose anyone in those attacks, grateful those I know in our armed forces returned to their families, grateful I was as old as I was when the attacks happened. I'm sad to see the direction my country went after that day and I hope one day we turn around and can become the hopeful, strong, leading country we used to be again. I also hope those who lost someone due to the attacks and the wars that followed will heal and were OK today. Finally, I hope those lives weren't lost in vain and that something good will again come from all of this.

A Deserved Death

This is my favorite!

Within minutes of the Obama press conference announcing the death of the current world's most hated terrorist, the Internet had a field day making snarky images. Facebook has also been blowing up with people arguing over whether we should celebrate his death or...well, mourn would be the wrong word, but not celebrate it. While I agree that no death should be outright celebrated (come on, we are better than that), some deaths are very, very deserved.

I'm a supporter of the death penalty. I think that some people do such atrocious things to others for no reason that they give up their right to humanity, and with that goes compassion and life. Osama bin Laden was responsible for hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths, and his own death could not have come too soon. But on the other hand, maybe chanting and singing and celebrating isn't the right approach. Maybe we should have a respectful moment of silence for those we've lost in the last ten years (still wrapping my mind around the fact that it's been ten years), and reassess our efforts in our war triangle.

Perhaps it's finally time to withdraw from the Middle East and focus our resources on strengthening out country from within. Let's spend that war money on defense (not offense), educating the poor kids who keep getting school days taken from them, putting people to work, and celebrating our own very unique culture. Maybe, if this was our goal, now we can stop "helping" others for long enough to help ourselves. Maybe.

After watching the press conference I wanted two things: to see a picture of the body and to learn about the SEAL who fired the bullet (and his brothers). I don't know if either will ever happen, but I'm glad for this milestone. I'm sorry it had to take so long, and I hope this means the end is coming soon.

I Need To Learn To Self Edit

It's been a long and very busy week, and I had little time to get on the computer, much less write. Though I already love my job I need to keep writing, and to do that I must learn to self edit so the task of blogging won't be as daunting. Curse my long windedness!

Somewhat recently I saw this article about Obama's federal funding plans for sex education for teens. During the campaign America more or less realized abstinence only just doesn't work (thanks, Bristol!). No matter who says what, teens are going to have sex, so we might as well show them how condoms work so they don't get pregnant and scabby on top of it.

 It's kind of cute, actually.

I believe too many people (adults included) have such a blase view of sex. But I also believe that too many people (adults included) think sex is an act that should be banned except for the two or three times necessary for procreation. Since I'm a believer in the "happy medium theory" I'm all for couples waiting until they're ready to have sex. And though "ready" will vary, I doubt most high schoolers are "ready" for that sort of thing. 

On the other hand, what if we told our kids the truth about sex from the very beginning, from the first time they asked where babies come from? What if, rather than blaming the stork or saying God decided it was time, we said something like:

Babies come from the mommy's uterus. The daddy puts his penis in the mommy's vagina and that's how the baby is made. Then it lives in the uterus for 9 months until it's born.

I'm reminded of the movie Kindergarten Cop, where the little boy stands up and announces "boys have a penis, girls have a vagina!" If we don't teach kids that their body parts are bad words they won't feel any differently about their penises than their arms or their vaginas than their fingers, and they'll grow up comfortable about their whole body. In sex ed they can then learn how to protect those sensitive body parts for when they inevitably do what those parts are supposed to do.

This budget cut goes hand in hand with Obama's act to reverse the Mexico City Policy his first week in office: both wins. Here's a quote from Rep. Carolyn Maloney regarding our own policy:

"It's about time that evidence-based management - and sanity - return to family planning programs."

Retaliation

I only drink Italian bottled water.

A couple of days ago a new tax on goodies from the European Union went into effect, including a 100% tariff on Italian bottled water. According to Italymag.co.uk, the US buys 40% of Italy's bottled water (Panna, San Pellegrino) so the tax, which will effectively double the cost of Italian bottled waters, is a big problem. Apparently this tax was one of the last ideas George W. Bush had before surrendering the office, as retaliation for the EU not importing hormone-laden American beef, and the EU is hoping Obama will make it all go away. 

American Italian restaurants are not happy about the new tax either. What used to be a $3 bottle of water will now be $6, and no doubt some patrons will switch to free tap and cost restaurants a good portion of their profits. I'm not a drinker of bottled water, much less bottled water from Italy, so I'm entirely unaffected. However, my former employer made the switch to exclusively Italian bottled waters right before firing me, and I was the one to make all the written changes. They'll probably have to switch back to Fiji and who's gonna make those changes now, hm? Fuck you, Sammy's!

For the record, the hormones in American beef are not proven to be a danger to people. It's safe to consume beef and milk products (including cheese) from cows treated with rBGH(rBST). However, the cows develop all sorts of terrible conditions when injected with these hormones. Remember that video a couple years back of the cow being fork-lifted to the slaughterhouse because it couldn't walk? Yeah, that's what happens. Buy naturally raise beef, people. The Europeans have a good point.