Things I'm loving about college right now
Alan's blog format is pretty tight, so I'm going to copy it for this post.
1) Having fun. College is the only place you can play 8-player Risk- through the laptop, connected to the tv, watch a movie on another tv, have warcraft music playing in the background, while simoltaneously eating Buffalo wings because it's Buffalo wings appreciation night.
College students always complain about messy apartments, messy rooms, too much school work, no time due to work and such, and being tired all the time due to going bed REALLY late. With all that in mind, what did we do last night? Del taco, Risk, car racing, swing dancing, and took a picture of a HUGE snowman. I was getting ready to study cause I saw all my roomies on their laptops, concentrating intensely. They must be doing homework right? Jared was on facebook, Alan was shopping on ebay, Cannon was playing Risk. Luckily Amanda was there reading the Ensign...I think that kept our apartment from being struck by lightning.
Went contra-dancing last Saturday. That was a lot of fun. Check out Amanda's blog for pictures:
http://www.eatingtoadsandsuch.blogspot.com/
2) Games. Oh the games. Haha, they really are a lot of fun.
3) Figuring out what to do with your life. I just went to the career fair. Hmmm, do I want to work for the FBI, CIA, Army, Guardian Financial Group, Goldman Sachs, or a scrap book company?
4) Soviet meetings. I can't say anymore.
5) Distractions from the presidential race. I'd probably go crazy and into depression if I were home and just concentrating on the political stuff. Luckily other things are keeping me distracted in a good way.
6) Passionate professors. My American Government professor is a hardcore conservative. He's a really funny guy with awesome arguments. Yesterday we watched a couple minutes of a documentary on Civil Rights. At the end he was just bawling. You could just tell how passionate he was about this issue and how much he cares about people. Sometimes conservatives get the stigma that they don't care about people. Politics is about helping people. He articulated that well.
7) Snow. Everytime it snows I feel like Mother Nature is sticking it to Algore. Plus it's just fun to have all these extra toys around. We played football last week---So much fun.
8) Frozen pizza. Del tacos.
9) Paul Brogan NBA rap on Youtube.
10) Awesome classes: National Security Affairs, Civil Wars, Political Violence, Islam & Politics, and American Government.
11) How much everyone here loves President Hinckley. All miss him and realize how great a person and servant he was.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Conservative Crackpot Commentary
I understand I am one, lol. But I'm totally cool with other opinions. I love passion, on both sides, and I love it when people are grounded in what they believe (though that was sometimes frustrating on my mission) and everything they believe works with everything else they believe. It really is fun and good to debate ideas because this is how progress is made. So here are my ideas on abortion why I believe them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with questioning, debating, and arguing in a respectful way.
If the argument is about giving women choice, then they should be able to get an abortion up until the baby is born right? Aren't we limiting women's choice by saying they can't have an abortion during the last trimester? Should the woman be allowed to have an abortion the day before the last trimester? or the last week? last month? When should women not be allowed to have choice? Shouldn't all the males and females that are aborted also be allowed to make choices? I'm all for there to be less liberals out there, but by convincing them through ideas not letting them kill themselves off.
Are all the women who don't believe in killing babies betraying their gender? Are they on the wrong side by siding with white males who run the government? Not only is it wrong to say white males are ruining the world, it's a logical fallacy. We can't make generalizations. Whites, blacks, hispanics, males, females are all on each side. Everything in politics should be about ideas not identities.
Women and men should be allowed to make reproductive choices, until it affects another person. Having an abortion affects an unborn human. People can make choices but they have to face the consequences. If the choice is made to get sexually active, there are consequences. Women who want their lives back fully understood what the consequences are. No one else can be blamed, especially the baby being killed.
Should the baby whose mother is addicted to crack not even be given a chance to live? Should children with fetel alcohol syndrome not be allowed to live? As far as rape and incest go, the church understands that abortion might be acceptable, but it should be decided prayerfully. The only thing is the possibility that people would lie in order to get an abortion. But these type of scenarios occur in less than 1% of all abortions. What's wrong with adoption? Progressive or modern should not mean allowing life to be killed.
There are far too many facts, stats, and philosophical arguments against abortion. There are these arguments on both sides. But we are talking about human life, a child of God. If there's any muddy ground I think we should stick with life.
I understand I am one, lol. But I'm totally cool with other opinions. I love passion, on both sides, and I love it when people are grounded in what they believe (though that was sometimes frustrating on my mission) and everything they believe works with everything else they believe. It really is fun and good to debate ideas because this is how progress is made. So here are my ideas on abortion why I believe them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with questioning, debating, and arguing in a respectful way.
If the argument is about giving women choice, then they should be able to get an abortion up until the baby is born right? Aren't we limiting women's choice by saying they can't have an abortion during the last trimester? Should the woman be allowed to have an abortion the day before the last trimester? or the last week? last month? When should women not be allowed to have choice? Shouldn't all the males and females that are aborted also be allowed to make choices? I'm all for there to be less liberals out there, but by convincing them through ideas not letting them kill themselves off.
Are all the women who don't believe in killing babies betraying their gender? Are they on the wrong side by siding with white males who run the government? Not only is it wrong to say white males are ruining the world, it's a logical fallacy. We can't make generalizations. Whites, blacks, hispanics, males, females are all on each side. Everything in politics should be about ideas not identities.
Women and men should be allowed to make reproductive choices, until it affects another person. Having an abortion affects an unborn human. People can make choices but they have to face the consequences. If the choice is made to get sexually active, there are consequences. Women who want their lives back fully understood what the consequences are. No one else can be blamed, especially the baby being killed.
Should the baby whose mother is addicted to crack not even be given a chance to live? Should children with fetel alcohol syndrome not be allowed to live? As far as rape and incest go, the church understands that abortion might be acceptable, but it should be decided prayerfully. The only thing is the possibility that people would lie in order to get an abortion. But these type of scenarios occur in less than 1% of all abortions. What's wrong with adoption? Progressive or modern should not mean allowing life to be killed.
There are far too many facts, stats, and philosophical arguments against abortion. There are these arguments on both sides. But we are talking about human life, a child of God. If there's any muddy ground I think we should stick with life.
Facts are stubborn things (Commentary to come later)
-Only five percent of all abortions are done for the mother's physical or psychological health.
-Rape and incest are cited as reasons for less than 1 % of all abortions.
-Nationally, 82 % of women obtaining abortions are unmarried. The statistics strongly suggest abortion is used as birth control.
-Abortion has done nothing to reduce child abuse. Actually child abuse increased over 1000% from 1973, the year abortion was legalized throughout the United States, to 1986.
-Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League, admits his group lied about the number of women who died from illegal abortions when testifying before the Supreme Court in 1972. "We spoke of 5,000 - 10,000 deaths a year.... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false ... it was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?"
-The National Center for Heath Statistics reveals that before 1941, there were over 1,400 abortion-related deaths. Yet after Penicillin became available to control infections, the number of deaths was reduced in the 1950's to approximately 250 per year. By 1966, with abortion still illegal in all states, the number of deaths had dropped steadily to 120. The reason? New and better antibiotics, better surgery and the establishment of intensive care units in hospitals. This was in the face of a rising population.
-Dr. Anne Speckhard, in a 1985 University of Minnesota study, researched "long-term manifestations of abortion" (5-10 years), and found that 81% of mothers reported preoccupation with their aborted child, 54% had nightmares, 35% had perceived visitations with their child, and 96% felt their abortion had taken a human life.
Immediately after an abortion, many women report a feeling of relief ... which is what all abortionists want you to hear. What you won't hear of is the guilt and depression that frequently follows. A national poll found that at least 56% of women experience a sense of guilt over their decision, though the pollster himself acknowledged that many women will not even admit having had an abortion. [11] In fact, a five-year study shows that 25% of women who have had abortions sought out psychiatric care, versus just 3% of women who have not had abortions. [12] Further, numerous studies reveal that women who have had an abortion experience a high incidence of depression, stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings and substance abuse. [13]
Liberating Women??????
Abortion can be very dangerous for women.
Three international health organizations -- UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO -- have published warnings on abortion. The major problems that women face from separation from the fetus (whether by delivery or abortion) are hemorrhage, infection and obstruction. These risks are relevant in both births and abortions because the woman who aborts is already experiencing the changes of pregnancy and, thus, faces the risks associated with childbirth.
Obviously, the risks are greater in developing nations where the general health care is poorer, antibiotics are limited, and clean facilities and drugs for hemorrhage are less available than in developed nations. Experts agree that the key to saving women's lives -- even in developing nations -- is to improve overall health care for women rather than to legalize abortion.
Abortion is four times deadlier than childbirth.
Abortion advocates routinely claim that childbirth causes six, 10, or 12 times more deaths than abortion. Abortion clinics advertise that legal abortion is many times safer than childbirth. The statistical analysis agency for Finland's government conducted a very accurate and complete study that reveals that out of 100,000 women, there were 281 cases of maternal deaths – 27 were women who had given birth, 48 were women who had miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, and 101 were women who had abortions.
When the researchers calculated ratios, they determined that women who abort are 3.5 times more likely to die within a year than are women who carry to term. More startlingly, the researchers reported that the risk of death from suicide within a year of an abortion is more than seven times higher than the risk of suicide within a year of childbirth. A Canadian study revealed similar findings, as did a study of Medicaid payments in Virginia.
Sadly, many women have none of this information about the dangers of abortion. Instead, they know only the front-page information that has become conventional U.S. wisdom. Indeed, only a minute number of abortion deaths are classified as such in official data -- which leaves women at the mercy of abortion lies instead of being well informed about abortion
Medical progress, not the legalization of abortion, reduced maternal deaths.
The decrease in maternal mortality coincided with the development of better obstetric techniques -- antibiotics, blood transfusions and better management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – and improvements in the general health status of women. In fact, even the United Nations Population Division and World Health Organization acknowledge that there has been no substantial increase in maternal mortality since 1995, even though more women than ever had access to legalized abortion.
Sadly, they acknowledge that 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries and that those deaths could be prevented with adequate basic health care and good obstetric care before and after births. WHO also supports the view that improvements in general health and the development of modern obstetric techniques would dramatically (WHO's word) decrease maternal mortality in developing nations.
Worldwide data does not support the conclusion that legalizing abortion is responsible for reduced maternal mortality. Ireland, with one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, has not legalized abortion. The United States, which "legalized" abortion in 1973 and has high general health standards, has a maternal mortality rate that is four times that of Ireland. In Finland, where abortion is legal, a study has shown that the risk of dying within a year after an abortion is several times higher than the risk of dying after miscarriage or childbirth.
-Only five percent of all abortions are done for the mother's physical or psychological health.
-Rape and incest are cited as reasons for less than 1 % of all abortions.
-Nationally, 82 % of women obtaining abortions are unmarried. The statistics strongly suggest abortion is used as birth control.
-Abortion has done nothing to reduce child abuse. Actually child abuse increased over 1000% from 1973, the year abortion was legalized throughout the United States, to 1986.
-Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League, admits his group lied about the number of women who died from illegal abortions when testifying before the Supreme Court in 1972. "We spoke of 5,000 - 10,000 deaths a year.... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false ... it was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?"
-The National Center for Heath Statistics reveals that before 1941, there were over 1,400 abortion-related deaths. Yet after Penicillin became available to control infections, the number of deaths was reduced in the 1950's to approximately 250 per year. By 1966, with abortion still illegal in all states, the number of deaths had dropped steadily to 120. The reason? New and better antibiotics, better surgery and the establishment of intensive care units in hospitals. This was in the face of a rising population.
-Dr. Anne Speckhard, in a 1985 University of Minnesota study, researched "long-term manifestations of abortion" (5-10 years), and found that 81% of mothers reported preoccupation with their aborted child, 54% had nightmares, 35% had perceived visitations with their child, and 96% felt their abortion had taken a human life.
Immediately after an abortion, many women report a feeling of relief ... which is what all abortionists want you to hear. What you won't hear of is the guilt and depression that frequently follows. A national poll found that at least 56% of women experience a sense of guilt over their decision, though the pollster himself acknowledged that many women will not even admit having had an abortion. [11] In fact, a five-year study shows that 25% of women who have had abortions sought out psychiatric care, versus just 3% of women who have not had abortions. [12] Further, numerous studies reveal that women who have had an abortion experience a high incidence of depression, stress, low self-esteem, suicidal feelings and substance abuse. [13]
Liberating Women??????
Abortion can be very dangerous for women.
Three international health organizations -- UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO -- have published warnings on abortion. The major problems that women face from separation from the fetus (whether by delivery or abortion) are hemorrhage, infection and obstruction. These risks are relevant in both births and abortions because the woman who aborts is already experiencing the changes of pregnancy and, thus, faces the risks associated with childbirth.
Obviously, the risks are greater in developing nations where the general health care is poorer, antibiotics are limited, and clean facilities and drugs for hemorrhage are less available than in developed nations. Experts agree that the key to saving women's lives -- even in developing nations -- is to improve overall health care for women rather than to legalize abortion.
Abortion is four times deadlier than childbirth.
Abortion advocates routinely claim that childbirth causes six, 10, or 12 times more deaths than abortion. Abortion clinics advertise that legal abortion is many times safer than childbirth. The statistical analysis agency for Finland's government conducted a very accurate and complete study that reveals that out of 100,000 women, there were 281 cases of maternal deaths – 27 were women who had given birth, 48 were women who had miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, and 101 were women who had abortions.
When the researchers calculated ratios, they determined that women who abort are 3.5 times more likely to die within a year than are women who carry to term. More startlingly, the researchers reported that the risk of death from suicide within a year of an abortion is more than seven times higher than the risk of suicide within a year of childbirth. A Canadian study revealed similar findings, as did a study of Medicaid payments in Virginia.
Sadly, many women have none of this information about the dangers of abortion. Instead, they know only the front-page information that has become conventional U.S. wisdom. Indeed, only a minute number of abortion deaths are classified as such in official data -- which leaves women at the mercy of abortion lies instead of being well informed about abortion
Medical progress, not the legalization of abortion, reduced maternal deaths.
The decrease in maternal mortality coincided with the development of better obstetric techniques -- antibiotics, blood transfusions and better management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – and improvements in the general health status of women. In fact, even the United Nations Population Division and World Health Organization acknowledge that there has been no substantial increase in maternal mortality since 1995, even though more women than ever had access to legalized abortion.
Sadly, they acknowledge that 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries and that those deaths could be prevented with adequate basic health care and good obstetric care before and after births. WHO also supports the view that improvements in general health and the development of modern obstetric techniques would dramatically (WHO's word) decrease maternal mortality in developing nations.
Worldwide data does not support the conclusion that legalizing abortion is responsible for reduced maternal mortality. Ireland, with one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, has not legalized abortion. The United States, which "legalized" abortion in 1973 and has high general health standards, has a maternal mortality rate that is four times that of Ireland. In Finland, where abortion is legal, a study has shown that the risk of dying within a year after an abortion is several times higher than the risk of dying after miscarriage or childbirth.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Conservatives believe that government is not the answer but the problem. I trust that I can spend my money better than the government can. I can help more people through my own efforts than letting the government do it for me. In the stats that I showed in my comment on your last entry it shows that the people are more caring than the government. The people can be trust to help people, why would we trust the government?! Whatever the government touches it messes up. Look at how messed up social security is, the welfare program, the educational system. Look at how it's messed up Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. And yet liberals want to give it more power?! Liberals place their faith in government to solve society's problems. Conservatives place their faith in the people. The people run the private sector and are responsible for America becoming great. Historically America has had lower taxes than other nations in addition to protecting rights. This has innovation and motivation to do better. If I knew the government was going to take 50% of what I make this year, what incentive do I have to really make more...it just means the government will take more. However, if I keep more of what I make, I will try harder, make better products, look for a niche in the market and try to create a product that will help people, because then they will buy it.
Christ taught us to give to the poor, but he didn't force his followers to do so. In fact, Christ even made a distinction between what is Gods' and what is the governments'. King Benjamin led by example, but he didn't make laws saying his subjects had to do the same. King Noah taxed the people to make himself, the government, bigger. Maybe the people under him rationalized that they gave more in taxes because it would help out the poor more. I wouldn't have trusted King Noah with my hard earned money, and I don't trust the government with my money. We should give, but we shouldn't be forced to give. I trust certain non-profit organizations with my money because I know where it's going. I trust the Church with my money for the same reason. We don't have to rely on the government to help the world, we do it ourselves. The longest civil war, the war in heaven...and now earth, has been about freedom. One side seeks to restrain it, the other seeks to protect it. I'm not saying liberalism is evil, but I am saying that our ability to make our own choices should be our most loved possession. If liberals had their way, they would tell us what schools to go to, how many miles a day we were allowed to drive, what kind of light bulbs we could have, how little of our income we could keep. That is not freedom. John Locke said that government's responsiblity was to protect life, liberty, and property. Empowering the government to make those choices for me goes against the purpose of government. The God-inspired document of the Constitution protects the individual from the government. The Book of Mormon taught that freedom is to be fiercely defended, which is why we shouldn't just let the government take our money...you give the government an inch and it'll take a mile.
Conservatives care about the poor which is why we emphasize the private sector which does a much better job of taking care of the poor through social services agencies than the government does (see Kasey for a PERFECT example). If we're going to point fingers on who's to blame for poverty, I blame drugs, greed, desentragation of the family, lack of morals, society's prejudices, inherited circumstances, and the GOVERNMENT. I really believe that the eroding of the family has been a major cause of poverty. We are making too many people dependent on the government which replaces the father role in many empoverished family. Fathers don't have to committ to help raise a family if it is more financially beneficial for the mother and children to get checks from the government. In 1996 there was some good reforms to welfare made, but more work has to help people not be dependent on the government but to be helped to the point where they can help themselves. The Church doesn't teach self-reliance because it doesn't care about the poor, but because it does care about the poor and the best way to help others is help them help themselves.
Global warming! It's such a shame. Not only are we destroying our planet, but we're also destroying Venus, Mars, Jupiter and other planets that are ALSO experiencing climate change. I can't believe that there are still thousands of scientists that think Al Gore is a hack, don't they know that there is a concensus on global warming?! Well, they were wrong about global cooling in in the 80's so they must be wrong now as well. Sorry for the cynicsm, because I do love the earth and agree that we have a responsibility to be stewards over it. I agree that humans have had some effect on the environment, but not to the point of giving away freedoms so Algore can tell me how to live my life. If he is so concerned about the environment then why is he flying all over the world contributing to the problem? Why does he need 20 (or something like that) to accept an award about how he is the environment's best friend. I can't believe that these are the same people that say we are cruel to the developing world?! If nations in the developing world aren't allowed to industrialize how else are they going to get out of poverty?! The best way for these nations to get out of poverty is by trade. Trade requires resources. The earth gives us resources. God gave us this earth to be stewards over, but also to take care of ourselves. There has to be a fine balance, and when the liberals keep on throwing lies out there about how the earth is going to be destroyed in 20 years due to global warming, I don't trust them to define that balance. Of course, on days like today I wouldn't mind global warming. Capitalism obviously has some real problems, but it's the best thing we have until Christ comes and governs the world himself.
Abortion is the furthest issue from superficial. What has killed the most Americans the past 30-40 years? Abortion. We are talking about human life. A child of God. Do people realize how babies are killed in an abortion? There are different methods such as puncturing the head or crushing it, but it's taken out with a vaccuum and thrown away in garbage. What's the result? In the trash can are hands, arms, legs, feet, a stomach, a heart, a head with ears, a nose, and eyes. I wonder if the doctors who kill the babies look into the eyes of the baby they just killed. Human life. A child of God. Not even given a chance. And this is a political issue discussed along with taxes, saving the car industry, smoking bans. Wow, that's how much liberals value life. I guess that can be mostly blamed on misinformation, I should probably post more about abortion because this is the most evil thing that our government can allow to happen. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I'd say at least 25 million babies have been killed...probably more about 35 million. I wonder if some of these liberal politicians or judges have held a newborn baby. If they have, only the devil could possess them to allow such an innocent creature to be killed. A lot of the argument depends on definitions. There is so much doubt about when human life starts. Ya know what...we dont't know. I think when there's doubt, go with life. A human life. A child of God.
Liberal politicians are trying to allow the government to allow the destruction of life, our liberties, and our ability to pursue happiness.
Conservatives believe that government is not the answer but the problem. I trust that I can spend my money better than the government can. I can help more people through my own efforts than letting the government do it for me. In the stats that I showed in my comment on your last entry it shows that the people are more caring than the government. The people can be trust to help people, why would we trust the government?! Whatever the government touches it messes up. Look at how messed up social security is, the welfare program, the educational system. Look at how it's messed up Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. And yet liberals want to give it more power?! Liberals place their faith in government to solve society's problems. Conservatives place their faith in the people. The people run the private sector and are responsible for America becoming great. Historically America has had lower taxes than other nations in addition to protecting rights. This has innovation and motivation to do better. If I knew the government was going to take 50% of what I make this year, what incentive do I have to really make more...it just means the government will take more. However, if I keep more of what I make, I will try harder, make better products, look for a niche in the market and try to create a product that will help people, because then they will buy it.
Christ taught us to give to the poor, but he didn't force his followers to do so. In fact, Christ even made a distinction between what is Gods' and what is the governments'. King Benjamin led by example, but he didn't make laws saying his subjects had to do the same. King Noah taxed the people to make himself, the government, bigger. Maybe the people under him rationalized that they gave more in taxes because it would help out the poor more. I wouldn't have trusted King Noah with my hard earned money, and I don't trust the government with my money. We should give, but we shouldn't be forced to give. I trust certain non-profit organizations with my money because I know where it's going. I trust the Church with my money for the same reason. We don't have to rely on the government to help the world, we do it ourselves. The longest civil war, the war in heaven...and now earth, has been about freedom. One side seeks to restrain it, the other seeks to protect it. I'm not saying liberalism is evil, but I am saying that our ability to make our own choices should be our most loved possession. If liberals had their way, they would tell us what schools to go to, how many miles a day we were allowed to drive, what kind of light bulbs we could have, how little of our income we could keep. That is not freedom. John Locke said that government's responsiblity was to protect life, liberty, and property. Empowering the government to make those choices for me goes against the purpose of government. The God-inspired document of the Constitution protects the individual from the government. The Book of Mormon taught that freedom is to be fiercely defended, which is why we shouldn't just let the government take our money...you give the government an inch and it'll take a mile.
Conservatives care about the poor which is why we emphasize the private sector which does a much better job of taking care of the poor through social services agencies than the government does (see Kasey for a PERFECT example). If we're going to point fingers on who's to blame for poverty, I blame drugs, greed, desentragation of the family, lack of morals, society's prejudices, inherited circumstances, and the GOVERNMENT. I really believe that the eroding of the family has been a major cause of poverty. We are making too many people dependent on the government which replaces the father role in many empoverished family. Fathers don't have to committ to help raise a family if it is more financially beneficial for the mother and children to get checks from the government. In 1996 there was some good reforms to welfare made, but more work has to help people not be dependent on the government but to be helped to the point where they can help themselves. The Church doesn't teach self-reliance because it doesn't care about the poor, but because it does care about the poor and the best way to help others is help them help themselves.
Global warming! It's such a shame. Not only are we destroying our planet, but we're also destroying Venus, Mars, Jupiter and other planets that are ALSO experiencing climate change. I can't believe that there are still thousands of scientists that think Al Gore is a hack, don't they know that there is a concensus on global warming?! Well, they were wrong about global cooling in in the 80's so they must be wrong now as well. Sorry for the cynicsm, because I do love the earth and agree that we have a responsibility to be stewards over it. I agree that humans have had some effect on the environment, but not to the point of giving away freedoms so Algore can tell me how to live my life. If he is so concerned about the environment then why is he flying all over the world contributing to the problem? Why does he need 20 (or something like that) to accept an award about how he is the environment's best friend. I can't believe that these are the same people that say we are cruel to the developing world?! If nations in the developing world aren't allowed to industrialize how else are they going to get out of poverty?! The best way for these nations to get out of poverty is by trade. Trade requires resources. The earth gives us resources. God gave us this earth to be stewards over, but also to take care of ourselves. There has to be a fine balance, and when the liberals keep on throwing lies out there about how the earth is going to be destroyed in 20 years due to global warming, I don't trust them to define that balance. Of course, on days like today I wouldn't mind global warming. Capitalism obviously has some real problems, but it's the best thing we have until Christ comes and governs the world himself.
Abortion is the furthest issue from superficial. What has killed the most Americans the past 30-40 years? Abortion. We are talking about human life. A child of God. Do people realize how babies are killed in an abortion? There are different methods such as puncturing the head or crushing it, but it's taken out with a vaccuum and thrown away in garbage. What's the result? In the trash can are hands, arms, legs, feet, a stomach, a heart, a head with ears, a nose, and eyes. I wonder if the doctors who kill the babies look into the eyes of the baby they just killed. Human life. A child of God. Not even given a chance. And this is a political issue discussed along with taxes, saving the car industry, smoking bans. Wow, that's how much liberals value life. I guess that can be mostly blamed on misinformation, I should probably post more about abortion because this is the most evil thing that our government can allow to happen. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I'd say at least 25 million babies have been killed...probably more about 35 million. I wonder if some of these liberal politicians or judges have held a newborn baby. If they have, only the devil could possess them to allow such an innocent creature to be killed. A lot of the argument depends on definitions. There is so much doubt about when human life starts. Ya know what...we dont't know. I think when there's doubt, go with life. A human life. A child of God.
Liberal politicians are trying to allow the government to allow the destruction of life, our liberties, and our ability to pursue happiness.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hillary Clinton would be terrible for the feminist movement
Ha, this is going to be a fun semester. My blog might take on a new form and might be more interesting. Sunday I met my exact opposite: Caitlin. In "media" terms, I am a conservative crackpot and she is a liberal nut job. We both love political debate and of course do it in friendly terms. It's actually a lot of fun, and I dunno what it is, but some of my most favorite people in the world are those I disagree with and debate with a lot. Here's her blog: http://caitlinpcarroll.blogspot.com/ . Obviously I know Republicans aren't perfect, neither is my hero, Rush Limbaugh, or my candidate, Br. Mitt Romney, but I still think it's good to rip into bad candidates and why the left is wrong...about everything, eh, well...no...I dunno, I'll let ya'll know if I find out if they're right about anything.
I have too much to do right now to add much commentary, but, according to a couple feminists, here's why Hillary is terrible for the movement. Eh, let me know if ya need sources. My commentary is in parentheses.
The conservative feminist believes that women being told they need a boost to get ahead is insulting to a woman's intelligence and resolve. Conservative feminism regards abortion as violence to women and children, and believes in supporting women in the military, who are vital to our nation's defense. The conservative feminist does not enjoy being discriminated against, thus would not endorse discrimination against others in the form of affirmative action.
(Has Pelosi done anything for the movement? How has she been a step forward in the right direction?)
One would think a true feminist would be gender-blind and judge everyone equally on their abilities
(Here's some things I found regarding income disparity between genders. I'm not really going to argue this really, because I do agree that there is sexism and such. But it's still healthy to get the whole picture about the issue)
In fact, he says that many times women actually earn more:
There are 90 fields that pay women more than men.
There are 39 fields in which women earn more than 5 percent more than men.
Female sales engineers earn 143 percent of male sales engineers.
Female part-time workers earn $1.10 for every dollar a male part-time worker makes.
Women who choose non-traditional careers may be the best off. According to the Labor Department, women dentists (who make up just 20 percent of the field), airline pilots and navigators (less than 4 percent of the field) may make lifetime earnings that are 150 percent higher than women in traditional careers.
However, what is comes down to may be the simple fact that women are less willing to make sacrifices at home or in their personal lives to make more money.
Says Farrell, "Women and men look at their life, and women say, 'What do I need? Do I need more money, or do I need more time?' And women are intelligent enough to say, I need more time. And so women lead balanced lives, men should be learning from women."
(Here's a story from a feminist in India)
BOMBAY -- She is the first lady of a nation that is supposed to lead the world's women in their "liberation" -- a woman long seen as a feminist and as the epitome of the modern day "professional" woman. Yet in response to charges that her husband has cheated on her, she has made a public display of loyalty to him, even joining in his denials.
This choice is reason to question seriously Hillary Clinton's credentials as leader for a reformed world for women, especially for me, as an Indian woman living in a still overwhelmingly traditional society.
Here, as in so many other areas of the world, women experience oppression almost entirely in the private life -- in their intimate relations. Achieving equality for women in the public realm has no immediate bearing on those whose knowledge of the larger world is limited to the television screen.
Watching Hillary Clinton on television, one sees her jump to the defense of her husband and his presidency. But there is an emptiness in her eyes, and also a sort of suppressed womanhood, as well as distinctive aloneness. One cost of being co-president is clearly the demise of a feminist United States.
The first lady, this Hillary, is no different from an aunt or cousin or sister, someone we all grew up with. Faced with an abusive spouse, what did our mothers advise? "Go back to him, my dear. That is your home. He is your all." Seeing Hillary act out that advice is the biggest travesty of the current scandal. What is at stake here is not the ethics of sexual promiscuity but how a wife should deal with it in terms independent of her husband and child.
If Hillary acts as she does -- stands by her man -- because she loves him or her daughter too much, then her claim to being a feminist is open to serious question. If she does it to protect his presidency, not just her man, then she can be charged with being a nationalist rather than a feminist. Finally, if she is being steadfast out of her own ambition, to stay in command as co-president, she again falls short of the feminist ideal -- an authentic feminist would be honorable only if she sought to hold power on her own, not as an icon with reflected glory.
If feminists and the women's movement feel let down by the present sexual scandal, they have both Clintons to blame, not just Bill Clinton.
(A feminist, liberal nut job's take on Mrs. Bill Clinton)
So what gives? For people like my friends and me, her hawkish position on Iraq and her insistence that the U.S. maintain a military presence there even after the troops are withdrawn have been very disappointing. But it’s more than any specific position. Women don’t trust Hillary. They see her as an opportunist; many feel betrayed by her. Why?
Baby boomer women grew up with the Feminine Mystique and then came of age with the Women’s Liberation Movement. As a result, millions of us have spent our lives crafting a compromise—or a fusion—between femininity on the one hand and feminism on the other. And for many of us feminism did not mean trying to be more like men. It meant challenging patriarchy: trying to bring equity to family life, humanizing the workplace, prioritizing women’s issues in politics, and confronting the dangers of militarism and imperialism. And millions of us fought (and continue to fight) these battles wearing lipstick, skirts and a smile: the masquerade of femininity we are compelled to don.
Hillary, by contrast, seems to want to be more like a man in her demeanor and politics, makes few concessions to the social demands of femininity, and yet seems to be only a partial feminist. She seems above us, exempting herself from compromises women have to make every day, while, at the same time, leaving some of the basic tenets of feminism in the dust. We are sold out on both counts. In other words, she seems like patriarchy in sheep’s clothing.
All of this frames many women’s reactions to Hillary. If she’s a feminist, how could she continue to support this war for so long? If she’s such a passionate advocate for children, women and families, how could she countenance the ongoing killing of innocent Iraqi families, and of American soldiers who are also someone’s children? If it would be so revolutionary to have a female as president, why does she feel like the same old poll-driven opportunistic politician who seems to craft her positions accordingly?
(...not that there's anything wrong with all this, cause I do want her to be the nominee)
Ha, this is going to be a fun semester. My blog might take on a new form and might be more interesting. Sunday I met my exact opposite: Caitlin. In "media" terms, I am a conservative crackpot and she is a liberal nut job. We both love political debate and of course do it in friendly terms. It's actually a lot of fun, and I dunno what it is, but some of my most favorite people in the world are those I disagree with and debate with a lot. Here's her blog: http://caitlinpcarroll.blogspot.com/ . Obviously I know Republicans aren't perfect, neither is my hero, Rush Limbaugh, or my candidate, Br. Mitt Romney, but I still think it's good to rip into bad candidates and why the left is wrong...about everything, eh, well...no...I dunno, I'll let ya'll know if I find out if they're right about anything.
I have too much to do right now to add much commentary, but, according to a couple feminists, here's why Hillary is terrible for the movement. Eh, let me know if ya need sources. My commentary is in parentheses.
The conservative feminist believes that women being told they need a boost to get ahead is insulting to a woman's intelligence and resolve. Conservative feminism regards abortion as violence to women and children, and believes in supporting women in the military, who are vital to our nation's defense. The conservative feminist does not enjoy being discriminated against, thus would not endorse discrimination against others in the form of affirmative action.
(Has Pelosi done anything for the movement? How has she been a step forward in the right direction?)
One would think a true feminist would be gender-blind and judge everyone equally on their abilities
(Here's some things I found regarding income disparity between genders. I'm not really going to argue this really, because I do agree that there is sexism and such. But it's still healthy to get the whole picture about the issue)
In fact, he says that many times women actually earn more:
There are 90 fields that pay women more than men.
There are 39 fields in which women earn more than 5 percent more than men.
Female sales engineers earn 143 percent of male sales engineers.
Female part-time workers earn $1.10 for every dollar a male part-time worker makes.
Women who choose non-traditional careers may be the best off. According to the Labor Department, women dentists (who make up just 20 percent of the field), airline pilots and navigators (less than 4 percent of the field) may make lifetime earnings that are 150 percent higher than women in traditional careers.
However, what is comes down to may be the simple fact that women are less willing to make sacrifices at home or in their personal lives to make more money.
Says Farrell, "Women and men look at their life, and women say, 'What do I need? Do I need more money, or do I need more time?' And women are intelligent enough to say, I need more time. And so women lead balanced lives, men should be learning from women."
(Here's a story from a feminist in India)
BOMBAY -- She is the first lady of a nation that is supposed to lead the world's women in their "liberation" -- a woman long seen as a feminist and as the epitome of the modern day "professional" woman. Yet in response to charges that her husband has cheated on her, she has made a public display of loyalty to him, even joining in his denials.
This choice is reason to question seriously Hillary Clinton's credentials as leader for a reformed world for women, especially for me, as an Indian woman living in a still overwhelmingly traditional society.
Here, as in so many other areas of the world, women experience oppression almost entirely in the private life -- in their intimate relations. Achieving equality for women in the public realm has no immediate bearing on those whose knowledge of the larger world is limited to the television screen.
Watching Hillary Clinton on television, one sees her jump to the defense of her husband and his presidency. But there is an emptiness in her eyes, and also a sort of suppressed womanhood, as well as distinctive aloneness. One cost of being co-president is clearly the demise of a feminist United States.
The first lady, this Hillary, is no different from an aunt or cousin or sister, someone we all grew up with. Faced with an abusive spouse, what did our mothers advise? "Go back to him, my dear. That is your home. He is your all." Seeing Hillary act out that advice is the biggest travesty of the current scandal. What is at stake here is not the ethics of sexual promiscuity but how a wife should deal with it in terms independent of her husband and child.
If Hillary acts as she does -- stands by her man -- because she loves him or her daughter too much, then her claim to being a feminist is open to serious question. If she does it to protect his presidency, not just her man, then she can be charged with being a nationalist rather than a feminist. Finally, if she is being steadfast out of her own ambition, to stay in command as co-president, she again falls short of the feminist ideal -- an authentic feminist would be honorable only if she sought to hold power on her own, not as an icon with reflected glory.
If feminists and the women's movement feel let down by the present sexual scandal, they have both Clintons to blame, not just Bill Clinton.
(A feminist, liberal nut job's take on Mrs. Bill Clinton)
So what gives? For people like my friends and me, her hawkish position on Iraq and her insistence that the U.S. maintain a military presence there even after the troops are withdrawn have been very disappointing. But it’s more than any specific position. Women don’t trust Hillary. They see her as an opportunist; many feel betrayed by her. Why?
Baby boomer women grew up with the Feminine Mystique and then came of age with the Women’s Liberation Movement. As a result, millions of us have spent our lives crafting a compromise—or a fusion—between femininity on the one hand and feminism on the other. And for many of us feminism did not mean trying to be more like men. It meant challenging patriarchy: trying to bring equity to family life, humanizing the workplace, prioritizing women’s issues in politics, and confronting the dangers of militarism and imperialism. And millions of us fought (and continue to fight) these battles wearing lipstick, skirts and a smile: the masquerade of femininity we are compelled to don.
Hillary, by contrast, seems to want to be more like a man in her demeanor and politics, makes few concessions to the social demands of femininity, and yet seems to be only a partial feminist. She seems above us, exempting herself from compromises women have to make every day, while, at the same time, leaving some of the basic tenets of feminism in the dust. We are sold out on both counts. In other words, she seems like patriarchy in sheep’s clothing.
All of this frames many women’s reactions to Hillary. If she’s a feminist, how could she continue to support this war for so long? If she’s such a passionate advocate for children, women and families, how could she countenance the ongoing killing of innocent Iraqi families, and of American soldiers who are also someone’s children? If it would be so revolutionary to have a female as president, why does she feel like the same old poll-driven opportunistic politician who seems to craft her positions accordingly?
(...not that there's anything wrong with all this, cause I do want her to be the nominee)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
"Push the pedal down, watch the world around fly by us"
Here's what the weather is like today: very cold, very windy, rainy, and just bland. Sometime after the devotional I walked out of the bookstore and the wind hit my face in the right spot that just made me intensely appreciate the earth and God for letting us use it. It's not perfect, but's certainly a heavenly gift from God. God is very good at using wind, stars, sunsets, and nature in general to knock me into submission, humility, and gratitude. I've been blessed with a type of sensitivity that I wish I could explain in words. Using examples might help, but it's really a feeling that I have that constantly lets me know that there is Somebody up above who is reminding me of how much He loves me. Losing that feeling of becoming dull to it really hurts, and is completely my fault. But I think I'm finally figuring out the implementation part. A really good scripture study everyday is a huge part of that.
Is it too much of a generalization to say that everybody wants the same thing? I think history proves that pretty well. People want happiness. I think that word is best understood when it's described as also security, purpose, and comfort. history shows people's struggles for that and misconceptions of what has to be done to get it. It isn't about power, territory, or materials. Nuclear weapons don't bring security, neither will conquering enemies or pressing religion on others. I could be way off in my choice of words that describe happiness, but I am not far off in saying that that is really what everybdy wants. The complete package of happiness is only found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are loved so much that throughout history God has sent prophets to give us that formula and show us why we need it. Whenever I read about Joseph Smith I know that he had it and wanted everyone to have it. The General Authorities have it today and teach us about getting this complete package. I say package because there are definitely elements of it that one can have. But it's the complete package that is offered and the complete package that I want. Desire is the first step to getting it. That's tough to get. You can't give someone desire. They can get it by looking to those that have it and there occurs the kindling of a fire. One can also pray for more desire. But there's also a lot of hard work involved--which is what life is. We're not going to get the complete package in this life, but along the way we get chiseled, polished, and refined. And that is the brilliance of the plan. Lucky for us we have a Father who wants that for us and has lots of patience. I crave these little tender mercies along the way. They help remind ya that there is a destination, you're going up still, just a little off the path, but you can get back on. Keep going, those ahead of us tell us it's worth it. Be ready for obstacles. Stay focused. Stay sharp. Pay attention to details. Enjoy the journey. Help others.
...and vote Republican.
Here's what the weather is like today: very cold, very windy, rainy, and just bland. Sometime after the devotional I walked out of the bookstore and the wind hit my face in the right spot that just made me intensely appreciate the earth and God for letting us use it. It's not perfect, but's certainly a heavenly gift from God. God is very good at using wind, stars, sunsets, and nature in general to knock me into submission, humility, and gratitude. I've been blessed with a type of sensitivity that I wish I could explain in words. Using examples might help, but it's really a feeling that I have that constantly lets me know that there is Somebody up above who is reminding me of how much He loves me. Losing that feeling of becoming dull to it really hurts, and is completely my fault. But I think I'm finally figuring out the implementation part. A really good scripture study everyday is a huge part of that.
Is it too much of a generalization to say that everybody wants the same thing? I think history proves that pretty well. People want happiness. I think that word is best understood when it's described as also security, purpose, and comfort. history shows people's struggles for that and misconceptions of what has to be done to get it. It isn't about power, territory, or materials. Nuclear weapons don't bring security, neither will conquering enemies or pressing religion on others. I could be way off in my choice of words that describe happiness, but I am not far off in saying that that is really what everybdy wants. The complete package of happiness is only found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are loved so much that throughout history God has sent prophets to give us that formula and show us why we need it. Whenever I read about Joseph Smith I know that he had it and wanted everyone to have it. The General Authorities have it today and teach us about getting this complete package. I say package because there are definitely elements of it that one can have. But it's the complete package that is offered and the complete package that I want. Desire is the first step to getting it. That's tough to get. You can't give someone desire. They can get it by looking to those that have it and there occurs the kindling of a fire. One can also pray for more desire. But there's also a lot of hard work involved--which is what life is. We're not going to get the complete package in this life, but along the way we get chiseled, polished, and refined. And that is the brilliance of the plan. Lucky for us we have a Father who wants that for us and has lots of patience. I crave these little tender mercies along the way. They help remind ya that there is a destination, you're going up still, just a little off the path, but you can get back on. Keep going, those ahead of us tell us it's worth it. Be ready for obstacles. Stay focused. Stay sharp. Pay attention to details. Enjoy the journey. Help others.
...and vote Republican.
Monday, January 07, 2008
"Tongue hangin out of your head and you was swimmin"
Ok...where to begin. It was a good Christmas and a good New Year's day...a good bowl season, good times with family, but the caucuses weren't that great. I was so busy last week with running packets to precinct captaings all over Pottawattamie and Crawford counties, making a ton of phone calls, organizing volunteers, etc. We had about 20 volunteers from Colorado come in, 1 from Connecticut, 1 from Oklahoma, and 1 from Alabama. It was a really fun week actually. It was actually a really fun week, I was so pumped about the caucuses. There were about 5 precincts at the site we went to, so it was pretty big. The Ron Paul people sat in one section, the Fred Thompson people sat in another, and the rest of us were on the opposite side. We had two huge Mitt Romney signs and we gave stickers to people as they came in. It was fun seeing friends, family members, church members, and old friends at the caucus. We did our best to get the crowd into it, the Ron Paul people kept on chanting for their guy so I started our side (it was mostly Romney people) up with a Romney cheer. The back and forth was fun, there were a couple of Romney fanatics...I was just glad they were on our side. We basically rocked the caucus. Because ours was so big we didn't get to vote until like an hour into it. By then a lot of people had called me telling me that Romney won their precincts. Things were looking really good, and then we voted. Romney-74, Huckabee-31, Thompson-20, McCain-19, Paul-12, Giuliani-9, and Hunter-1. I wish I would have known who the Hunter guy was. So everything was going well until I heard that they had already called it and Huckabigot won. I was pretty disappointed because from our perspective, Romney dominated. And Romney did dominate Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie county. So we all did our part. So yeah, I was pretty disappointed Friday and then Rush Limbaugh spoke right to me. He said, "conservatives do not look to other human beings for answers to improve their lives." He went off on how conservatism is different than liberalism and populism. Ya know, he has an excellent point. We make our own futures, not others. We do not look to politics for answers. It was a good back to the basics lesson.
This week has been just awesome! Man I love school! I'm sad that this is my last semester cause there are too many classes I wish I could take, too many books I wish I could read, too many languages I wish I could learn, and too many friends up here I wish I could spend more time with. It's been a great chillin with roommates and friends and just having fun. This semester will be unprecedented, there's no precedent baby!
I got in an accident last week. It was a windy day in Wyoming, a few accidents off the side of the road, so I took off cruise control, I hit a patch of black ice, and while I was skidding around I hit a mile marker. This little mile marker did huge damage to Trichy and she might not make it. She might be totaled. It's too bad I didn't roll it, that would have sounded cooler and more of a reason for it to be totaled. In my defense, the tow truck guy said that's the worst stretch of interstate in Wyoming. So whenever I drive by mile marker 138, I'll always slow down and remember the time I owned it and took it out completely. Sure I was a little shaken up, but ya know, that's life. Things like that happen. Colby's car, Trichy, pretty much kicked my trash that day. She wouldn't open the little door to the gas tank, a big ole piece of rubber was hanging down in the front, and some semi-truck guy nearly ran me off the side of the road. That was kinda scary cause there wasn't anywhere else I could go so I was prepared to just take it. I sped off when he let me and saw a big ole lit cross where his headlights were. He almost sent me to meet my maker. So there aren't too many good things that come out of wrecking your parents' car, but the insurance is paying for a rental car. It's a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid. It's a pretty sweet car. It's very high tech and kinda confusing. The other night it took us 10 minutes to figure out how to even start the car to go to Del Taco. That was unprecedented. Man I love Del Tacos! That phrase is not.
I got my first ever fillings last week. It really isn't that bad letting the dentist work on your teeth if she's hot. Don't worry, she didn't have a ring on so I can say stuff like that.
"Another filling?...oh please, go right ahead, I don't mind."
In talking about Israel's control over Palestinian land, Bush called it an occupation. That is huge I think! I've never heard a U.S. President use those words. He's really pushing for a Palestinian state by the time he leaves office. I really want there to be peace in the Middle East, but the part of me that is familiar with Second Coming prophecies really doubts things will get better before they get worse.
I'm hoping I can make a big announcement on my blog soon, but I'll probably have to wait until March. Things could change after all. But I'm really hoping they don't.
This will be a fun semester, it's fun being back.
This week has been just awesome! Man I love school! I'm sad that this is my last semester cause there are too many classes I wish I could take, too many books I wish I could read, too many languages I wish I could learn, and too many friends up here I wish I could spend more time with. It's been a great chillin with roommates and friends and just having fun. This semester will be unprecedented, there's no precedent baby!
I got in an accident last week. It was a windy day in Wyoming, a few accidents off the side of the road, so I took off cruise control, I hit a patch of black ice, and while I was skidding around I hit a mile marker. This little mile marker did huge damage to Trichy and she might not make it. She might be totaled. It's too bad I didn't roll it, that would have sounded cooler and more of a reason for it to be totaled. In my defense, the tow truck guy said that's the worst stretch of interstate in Wyoming. So whenever I drive by mile marker 138, I'll always slow down and remember the time I owned it and took it out completely. Sure I was a little shaken up, but ya know, that's life. Things like that happen. Colby's car, Trichy, pretty much kicked my trash that day. She wouldn't open the little door to the gas tank, a big ole piece of rubber was hanging down in the front, and some semi-truck guy nearly ran me off the side of the road. That was kinda scary cause there wasn't anywhere else I could go so I was prepared to just take it. I sped off when he let me and saw a big ole lit cross where his headlights were. He almost sent me to meet my maker. So there aren't too many good things that come out of wrecking your parents' car, but the insurance is paying for a rental car. It's a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid. It's a pretty sweet car. It's very high tech and kinda confusing. The other night it took us 10 minutes to figure out how to even start the car to go to Del Taco. That was unprecedented. Man I love Del Tacos! That phrase is not.
I got my first ever fillings last week. It really isn't that bad letting the dentist work on your teeth if she's hot. Don't worry, she didn't have a ring on so I can say stuff like that.
"Another filling?...oh please, go right ahead, I don't mind."
In talking about Israel's control over Palestinian land, Bush called it an occupation. That is huge I think! I've never heard a U.S. President use those words. He's really pushing for a Palestinian state by the time he leaves office. I really want there to be peace in the Middle East, but the part of me that is familiar with Second Coming prophecies really doubts things will get better before they get worse.
I'm hoping I can make a big announcement on my blog soon, but I'll probably have to wait until March. Things could change after all. But I'm really hoping they don't.
This will be a fun semester, it's fun being back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)