I have tried very hard to keep my composure and hold my tongue through the insanity of the political climate of late but I don’t think I can continue to do so at this juncture.  Immediately after the passing of health care reform in the house, FB blew up with statements like “THIS IS WAR”, “KILL THEM ALL”, “REBELLION NOW”.  I am not exaggerating and if you are reading this and you are one of those people I’m very sorry but you said it…not me.  I’m not one of those people who thinks badly of people who having opposing political views than mine.  I value and appreciate diversity in all arenas, believe it promotes change and growth, etc etc.  But what bothers me the most, are people who don’t think for themselves.  People who hear something or read something in an email forward and go around spewing it as if it were fact.  They only regurgitate what they hear and don’t do any thinking for themselves.  I used to be one of those people.  Sadly.  I love you mom but….  I was raised by in a household where I was taught that we were republicans and that’s just the way it was, and democrats were bad.  Seriously.  But I never knew why.  Never really knew why we were republicans or what we really stood for.  And let me take this moment to apologize to Dr. Kristen Gilbert whom I know valued me as a student, and was pretty sure I had some intelligence in that head of mine…but who had to witness my own ignorant regurgitation of republican talking points without really understanding what was behind them.  As you can see, Dr. G, I have finally begun to do some thinking for myself.  Anyhoo, moving on…even today when I try to have an intelligent discussion with my mother about politics she gets frustrated and says “I’m not informed enough to have a debate with you on this right now…I have to look into that and get back to you.”  I love you mom but you do.  I have witnesses 😉

So, I hope I have adequately established that I respect people of both sides and have many republicans in my life whom I love dearly…most notably my entire family.  But the folks who are taking this to an extreme are ruining it for everyone.  The violent and hostile RHETORIC is scary to say the least.  And it’s all coming out of fear…scare tactics and lies that are being circulated to promote an agenda.  Our democracy is not collapsing, our president is not muslim, he is an american, our world is not ending, there are no ‘death panels’, there is no need to ‘clean your guns’…GUNS? SERIOUSLY? I am not going to sit here and breakdown the health care bill point for point or defend all the lies about it.  There are plenty of other people making that defense at the moment.  My point is the insanity of all of this.  Do your research, read the bill, get multiple points of view from reputable sources…. don’t just read something in a propagandized email then jump on FB and declare some idiotic call to war.  Instead, like Luke Lucas said, get off of Facebook and do a little research, get involved…

I have to make this one last point..

I find it interesting, too, that the abortion issue seems to be such a focal point for republicans.  It seems to be there go-to when they are confronted.  I was told last night that I support killing babies.  How the hell do you know?  Because I am liberal, I am automatically FOR killing babies?  I don’t believe anyone is FOR killing babies.  And if you knew what I did for a living you might assume I would feel quite the opposite…but that’s beside the point.  Just because I am liberal, I voted for Obama, does not mean I am PRO abortion.  Most of us aren’t.  I am FOR women’s reproductive rights and SAFETY.  I am PRO freedom of choice.  Choice…freedom…isn’t that what you are all thinking is being ‘taken’ away with health care reform?  You want the government out of your life, but yet you don’t want women to have the ability to choose what to do with their own bodies nor do you want regulation and safety of a procedure that is going to occur regardless.

And one last thing… I work with severely abused and neglected children..most of whom were born drug addicted and had been exposed to drugs and alcohol in utero.  The mothers of these children were often junkies who had sex with men for drugs and repeatedly got pregnant as a result.  These women often had multiple arrests for drugs or prostitution.  The babies were born and instead of giving them up, they kept them (without offending anyone I’ll let you figure out the logic behind that one).  They kept them and they abused them, neglected them…or eventually, as with some of the kids I have now, allowed men to have sex with them for more drugs.  These are not made up stories, exaggerated or isolated incidents.  These are real things that are happening to children every day and it is documented.  Well documented.  In my daily life I hear these stories and I deal with the damage.  These children have severe emotional, cognitive, developmental and social issues as a result of not only the drugs but the abuse, neglect, lack of nurturing, and the effects of a poorly managed foster care system (that’s a whole different blog altogether).  In addition, these children are now in custody of the state and your money is essentially paying my salary.  I would be the first to say this…if you have had multiple arrests for drug related crimes or prostitution, if you have multiple children, if you have many of your children that have already been taken by DHR and my tax dollars are going to pay for them…then you should lose your right to reproduce.  Right?  Drugs + lack of respect for human life + you already abused and neglected several previous children = you don’t get to have any more…SIMPLE.  And I know lots and lots of republicans who agree with me on this point.  But OH NO…we can’t allow the government to get involved in personal freedoms and what we do with our bodies.  BUT yet you want the government to tell me I can’t have an abortion or that it has to be done dangerously.  Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy here?