Politics 101: Abortion

I support a woman's right to choose, but I do not endorse abortion as a form of birth control. I believe that sex education should be taught in schools and that the curriculum should include both a promotion of abstinence and an education of contraception.

Most Democrats believe in a woman's right to choose. Most Republicans do not. In fact, Sarah Palin, wants to take away abortion as an option under any circumstance including rape and incest. Some Republicans have also made attempts to take away birth control proclaiming contraception to be abortion.* Imagine life without birth control.

Republicans claim that they believe in less government when it comes to public assistance like welfare and yet they believe in more government when it comes to personal freedoms like a woman's right to choose. Very few Republicans want to support the fetus that they fought so hard for once it's actually born.

Therefore, an unwanted fetus that is not permitted to be aborted often becomes an unwanted child, who typically ends up being raised in foster care. While the common perception is that there are long waiting lists to adopt a child, this isn’t the case for ethnic minorities who land in foster care, the vast majority of whom are statistically, unfortunately, far less likely to be adopted than Caucasian babies and children. I have personal experience with the foster care system in America, both as a volunteer who has cared for the children and as a child in that system. I feel that I can say with authority that no child wants to be born unwanted.

When these children go unadopted they often end up on the streets or in prison. The book, Freak Economics, found evidence that crime drops when abortions are legal. In 1990, the number of unwanted children in America was a little over 190,000. By 2007, after too many years of Republican reign, that number rose over half a million to roughly, 700,000.

I once did a study in which I asked 500 women the same question: "Should abortion be legal?" 50% said, "Yes." And 50% said, "No." I then asked them "Have you ever had an abortion?" 80% said, "Yes." So you see, it's just as important to keep abortion legal for those who believe in it as it is for those who don't.


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• reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2152279720080821
• davethomasfoundation.org
• adoptioninstitute.org
• adoptuskids.org

Politics 101: Sarah Palin

Politics is not a popularity contest. As long as the lowest common denominator of people are voting with the candidate that emotionally resonates with them, the lowest common denominator will be emotionally running this country.

I want a woman in the White House, but I don't think Sarah Palin should be that woman. My choice has nothing to do with Palin's personal life. My choice is based on her politics.
I support any woman with a desire for both family and career. I am one of those women. But a Vice Presidential election is not about supporting one woman's personal freedoms, it's about choosing the best person to represent the greatest number of people and all our personal freedoms.

Sure, I saw the likeability factor in Sarah Palin with her "The only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick" comment. Most women can relate to that kind of mama bear mentality. But when I take that into consideration with her support of killing wolves for sport* it gives me an uneasy feeling. Pair that with the pit-bull/lipstick remark and it gives a whole new meaning to a wolf in sheep's clothes. This is not the particular feminine influence I was hoping for with a woman in the White House.

When I contemplate McCain's anger issues and Palin's raw readiness to fight I see red flag danger, more war, and bad cop — bad cop. Who is the peace keeper in this duo?
I implore all women who plan to vote to make sure they are standing up for the greatest good and not just a politician they can finally emotionally relate to.

You can like Sarah Palin as a person and support her as a woman without voting her into office and jeopardizing your and others' reproductive and personal freedoms, environmental protections, health care, children's education, foreign affairs, economy, and world peace**.

Source
*http://www.alternet.org/environment/97207/sarah_palin's_big,_sleazy_safari/?page=1
** http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-steinem42008sep04,0,2288253.story

Originally Published by BettyConfidential.com October, 2007