How wonderful it must be to live in a world where things are absolute – black and white – no grey. Meghan, A Mom Two Boys, twittered this article and drew my attention to the comments left by folks regarding the Democratic Party. Gems like this:
“Although I’m pro-life as a conservative, I must admit that abortion does serve a useful purpose. Most of the people who have abortions are Democrats. If their children were allowed to be born, they would be raised as Democrats and the woods would be full of ’em. We Republicans wouldn’t have a chance. By killing them off, the natural balance is maintained.”
“The liberals do kill many of thier unborn, but they also spread a lot of STD’s by behaving like animals.”
“So, after everything is said and done the Dems have nominated one young inexperienced naive black man and one bitter old hate filled white man. About the only thing they have in common is they are both baby killers. Sad.”
I pretty much stopped there for fear of an aneurysm.
Animals? Baby Killers? I always love it when those with limited vocabulary and lack of ability to debate issues start name calling. I wear the label of “Socialist” proudly as it is often handed to me by people who have no idea what a socialist actually is.
In the simple world where these folks live, a place where black is black and white is white and you are wrong and they are right, Democrats = Baby Killers. And they place their heads gently on their pillow each night and haven’t a care about the bigger picture.
So for all you “conservatives” (again another term you might not be familiar with as you elected GWB twice leading this great land of ours with no fiscal responsibility and record spending. GWB is no conservative my wayward little friends, and here’s a newsflash: NEITHER IS McCAIN – but a discussion for another day), this “baby-killer” would like to give you her take on this issue that you base all of your political decisions on.
I don’t speak for all Democrats here as I don’t live in the absolute world some do. But from my years of reading, discussion and debate, I have come to these conclusions:
Some Democrats who find themselves Pro-Choice are not Pro-Abortion. We are simply unwilling to let the government dictate what a women should do with her body. You know how hot and heavy you are for smaller government? Well Connie (can I call you Connie?), we are too – we think the last place government should erect themselves is in our decision making when it comes to something happening to us and us alone. Period.
Some Democrats hate the idea of abortion. They hate the idea that a woman faced with an unwanted, unplanned pregnancy has to make a choice like this. It can be devastating and not one of us who value the right of a woman to choose her own path ever lose sight of this fact.
Some Democrats want programs in place – in schools, in society – that would eliminate the need for this choice. We want to live in a country where no one finds themselves pregnant and scared and without resources to welcome a child into their lives. We want to live in a country where every child is wanted. We see the enormous benefit of supplying the knowledge to those most vulnerable to unplanned pregnancies.
Some Democrats think that if a child is brought into this world, they should be afforded a base level of love, acceptance, education…a chance to succeed, no matter their race or gender or economic status. We believe that if they are equipped with the tools they need to prosper, they are that much more likely NOT to face the consequences of poverty and under-education lived by the generations proceeding them.
So that’s where this “baby-killer” stands.
The sad part of all of this is that I know everyone knows all of this already and at the end of the day, no one is going to read these words and say Wow! I totally get where they are coming from now. No more than I’m going to have a zen moment reading the shit Ann Coultier or Michelle Malkin put out there.
Again, this is just where some Democrats find themselves. For this Democrat this issue is not THE decision maker in who I choose to vote for. The wars (yes folks it is plural), the economy, the general state of affairs in this country far outweigh the abortion issue for me. It’s not to say that it is not an important one. I firmly believe that if we manage to fix many of the other ills plaguing our country, the need for abortions will decline. And that is something all of us should find agreement on.
18 comments
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August 28, 2008 at 11:37 am
AMomTwoBoys
Dude. I LOVE you.
August 28, 2008 at 11:38 am
Stella Blue
Hear Hear! Would anyone even listen to Ann Coulter if she didn’t have such shiny hair? Seriously, she and her ilk scare the crap out of me.
Personally I find the idea of abortion tragic – even horrifying. But, like other things I find tragic and horrifying, I believe the solution is education, support, more education, more support…until the root cause is eliminated. The tragedy of abortion begins before the woman gets to the doctor’s office – it begins as you said, with poverty, poor access to education and to contraception, and sometimes with substance abuse.
Interesting how the radical pro-life crowd often is first in line to rally for the death penalty, though. Apparently “pro-life” only extends so far.
August 28, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Insta-mom
Agreed.
And I would love to rant with you, but I simply don’t have the energy after ranting at our local black-is-black and white-is-white city council which is trying to convince us that the schools are a separate entity from the community. Um…???
Off topic…hey, I just saw me in your blog roll. *MWAH*
August 28, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Quart
Connie. Bruce. You can call me whatEVER you want. I was actually pleased to hear that the Democratic platform this year seeks to decrease the number of abortions and unwanted pregnancies. I hate being called “pro-abortion.” Who the hell is pro-abortion? And I have to wonder about the poor woman who finds herself in the situation you described. She is pregnant, an accident, and she knows she cannot afford to raise a child. Especially given the fact that McCain voted against S-CHIP because it “covered too many children.” (http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/09/voters_deserve.php)
I love you too. Thank you for venting for me today.
August 28, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Marinka
I cannot believe that it is 2008 and we are still talking about a woman’s right to choose like it’s some new thing. What the hell were all those college marches on Washington for?
I am really frustrated. Yes, I am so pro-abortion that I think that everyone should have at least one, preferably two. Good freaking LORD!
August 28, 2008 at 2:47 pm
psychmamma
Amen and Hallelujah. Way to speak it, sister.
August 28, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Heather~Domestic Extraordinaire
Gah! Those baby killer comments made me twitch and want to hand in my Republican status. Altho I have no idea where I stand. I think I am a 30something wife/mother whose ideals don’t really fit into either camp.
I don’t know what I am really trying to say. I just want you to know that I don’t think Democrats are evil baby killers. *sigh*
And I don’t read Ann Coulter, I find her offensive and very narrowed in her view points.
Okay I am done now.
August 28, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Laura
Well said, Amy! What a great summary of the REAL issues.
August 28, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Amy @ Milk Breath & Margaritas
The comments you cite are shocking. These are clearly asshats who unfortunately know how to spout their garbage via an Internet connection.
I am a pro-life Catholic and a free-market conservative. But I am not stupid or cruel or self-righteous, like these commenters. I know there are many shades of gray in this world, and I would never, ever say anything like that. And my friends who share my religious and political stance would also be horrified. And not all of my friends share my various stances. That’s not a criteria for being my friend.
Please know that most of us are not narrow-minded, judgemental dillholes. I have found in my life that it’s very easy to take a hard line about things you have not experienced personally. For that reason, I try to form and articulate my beliefs carefully and with respect.
These people you quote are terrible and sad. They bring nothing to an intelligent public debate about any issue.
August 28, 2008 at 3:48 pm
AmyInOhio
After reading Amy & Heather’s comments and simmering down a little from this morning, I think I should remind everyone (and myself) that I know those people don’t speak for all Republicans or Conservatives anymore than I speak for all Democrats. I was fuming mad and though I don’t take anything back that I posted, I certainly didn’t want to give the impression that I think everyone who identifies themselves as Republicans are like the horse’s asses I quote here.
Some of my dearest friends are wonderful and perfect and Republicans. I love them no more, no less because of our differing views on the best way to make the best America. Truth be told, I lean right on fiscal issues from time to time and I agree that sometimes smaller is better.
I wish we could get back to that business – all of us – working in concert to fix what is wrong with our nation. Listening to each other and learning from each other. So much has changed the landscape of American politics in the last twenty years. It’s meaner and uglier and lower? Rhetoric has replaced problem-solving.
I’m glad Amy and Heather felt comfortable enough to post their beliefs and remind that these are not the feelings of everyone on the other side of the aisle. I like them and respect them as mothers and bloggers and women. I hope they know that their opinion on this topic and any other is ALWAYS welcome here.
August 28, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Katie
Dude, I couldn’t make it past the quote. I got so angry my stitches hurt. LOL.
I keep trying to think of something to say, but you know what our mothers said about not saying anything that’s not nice.
August 28, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Maura
You said it all, sister! I couldn’t even go read the page that spawned those comments because I don’t feel like having my blood pressure raised unnecessarily. Nor can I read the tripe the so-called conservative pundits spew out on a regular basis — it’s not worth it to me. So thanks for taking that hit for me and railing for what’s right (you know, the left kind of right, or something like that) on my behalf, too.
August 29, 2008 at 12:02 am
mrs. f5
In the course of a few hours, I have careened from loving my fellow blogger, no matter her personal politics…
… to feeling completely disenfranchised and disenchanted with every single member of the GOP because of the ignorant, hateful comment from ONE total stranger who Twittered that Obama was clearly the antichrist.
All I could do was stutter and stammer. And UNFOLLOW.
So reading this post just made me weep with gratitude at your eloquence, conviction, passion and perspective. Thank you for your words. Thank you more than my words can say.
mrs. f5
August 29, 2008 at 12:59 am
anymommy
Well said Amy, in your post AND in your response in the comments. Differing views and civility, co-existing in the same space, watch and learn dumb@sses. My blood boils when I read comments like the ones you quoted. That kind of ignorance accomplishes nothing.
August 29, 2008 at 8:23 am
MissyK
Wow…it makes me sad that stupid people can type.
Those quotes made my eye twitch so much it was difficult to read the rest of the post. I can only add my own personal “Amen sistah” to the comments above.
August 29, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Kelly
VERY well written Amy! You ought to check out the book Freakonomics and check out what he has to say about the correlation between Roe V. Wade and crime. I am not a very “political” person, but I do really enjoy reading well written rants š
BTW, any idea how come in Google Reader you don’t come up as Amy In Ohio??
August 31, 2008 at 2:59 pm
ilinap
I am staring at my laptop in utter shame, disgust, and fear. I too am a mom of two boys, buy clearly planted on the opposite of world order from The Mom of Two Boys. Do these people really exist? And do they really vote, raise children to hate, and loom among us?
August 31, 2008 at 3:05 pm
ilinap
OK, a correction is warranted here. I retract what I said about being on the other side from The Mom of Two Boys. I totally misread the lead paragraph in this post. It turns out the The Mom of Two Boys is cool. Way cool. My apologies for that “Amazing Race moment.” That’s what my husband and I call it when we misread something that leads to a fateful result.