No More Bin Laden

[kandrathe]

I mean, our western media rant on about many other nation for far less.

Here is where we impose our values and morality on others, extending it to nations, and justifying even the abomination of war. I want true equality for all people world-wide, but I'm not willing to drive them there at the point of a bayonet.

Have you read "Half the Sky"?

http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

"Abortion politics have distracted all sides from what is really essential: a major aid campaign to improve midwifery, prenatal care and emergency obstetric services in poor countries." -- Nicholaus D. Kristoff (the author of the above).

I think you could just remove the word abortion from the above quote. Politics, which I've come to believe, is just a way for your ideological opponents on an issue to lie to you with a straight face. In this case, one side is pressing for the use of a fairly risky medical procedure in substandard third world hospitals on principle, and the other opposes any funding, but chooses the foil of abortion to rally their side.

Here is why I cannot stand with either the Republicans, or Democrats on most issues. I want to cut through the BS, and where possible (and within the law) allow people choose for themselves how they will live their lives. I am unwilling to tell men, or women from other countries how to live, although I still have an opinion on what is right and wrong. I guess it's noble and grand to opine about international issues, while we ignore the issues in our own localities, and nations, including slavery, human trafficking, forced prostitution, addiction, and abuse.

To me, abortion is more about the rights of that citizen while still within the womb. Children are entrusted to their parents for protection and guidance, but sometimes children (in their post womb, pre-voting phase) are abused or killed and we hold those responsible accountable. A reasonable question for any government is at what point a child is protected by law, because it seems very clear to me that it is earlier than when they get issued an SSN and birth certificate. Hence, why increasingly, many States have fetal harm laws, to protect children against the abuses of even the self-abusive mother. Isn't it nonsensical for it to be illegal to damage the baby in the womb with drugs and alcohol, but then legal to have it killed? My perception of the pro-abortion position is that they agree that women don't have the right to give birth to a damaged baby which would be a burden on the society, but are steadfast in their defense of choosing to have it killed to prevent the perceived personal or societal burden of an unwanted baby. The emphasis being that unwanted children are a burden on the mother and society at large, rather than any focus on the rights of what might be a human being. For me, it is for the courts to decide who is, and who is not considered a person worthy of rights. Although, the courts and "the majority" has had a fairly sad history of protecting human rights, such as for women, racial minorities, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups.

Bringing this back to OBL once again, the conflict, as I see it, is that a good portion of the population of the world has a vastly different world view and set of values regarding the rights of women (and all people). But, we believe our world views on of the rights and equality of all people are correct, and I hope we all agree to oppose attempts to coerce our systems into being less equal, or less free.