Recently a west coast radio shock jock, who will remain nameless as he deserves no more notoriety than he already has, took to Facebook to say an unkind and ignorant thing about Jamie Brewer, the actress with Down syndrome who recently walked in New York Fashion Week. Jamie Brewer has had to work twice as hard to get half as much respect as a radio personality whose humor is so low brow, he resorted to picking on an already marginalized group of people. If you look up ‘retard’ on Urban Dictionary the associated words are: stupid, idiot, dumb, moron, gay, tard, loser, fag, annoying, lame, douche, slow and fool. There are more but they are not appropriate for this particular entry. I can assure you that my daughter, Scarlet, is not retarded, stupid, annoying or lame. (Just as a side note: The top UD definition has done an excellent job of pointing out just why using the word ’retard’ is a stupid and ridiculous thing to do).
I cannot write this without acknowledging the fact there are some people who still use ‘retard’ to identify a characteristic about a person, without meaning anything hurtful. ‘Retard’ is no longer used clinically and is therefore, wrong. Scarlet isn’t ‘touched’ or ‘slow’ either. This kind of language isn’t right or Politically Correct and ’touched’ is just, well, weird. An example of appropriate language is ‘Cognitive or Developmental Delay’ or ‘Cognitive Impairment‘. ‘Intellectual disability’ gets thrown around too, but I’m not keen on it. We have very high hopes that Scarlet will be able to do all the things her peers do and we acknowledge it will be in her own time. Delayed, perhaps but there’s nothing she is not able to do.
Another important issue to note is that you will never hear Micha or I refer to Scarlet or any of her friends as ‘Downs babies’. She is not her diagnosis. She is a whole person with all of the same attributes as any other person. She thinks, she feels, both happy and sad, she relates to her peers and the world around her. Scarlet is easy-going and loves music and pizza. She is cute but that isn’t all there is to her. Scarlet is also very observant and a hard-worker. She is first and foremost, a person, our youngest daughter, who just happens to have Down syndrome.
I’ve heard Political Correctness called the ‘wussification of American‘. This disenfranchises and dismisses those who are facing real struggles with acceptance in this world. Those who are bullied and beaten for simply being who they are. When we use words like ‘tard’ and ‘gay’ or when we tell boys not to be such ‘girls’, what are we really saying? That no one should be special or different or, God forbid, female? That being those things is bad or annoying? Author Caitlin Moran calls Political Correctness the ‘formalization of politeness’. I feel this is a much better definition. Formally and politely asking people not to be dillholes in an organized and official way is an effective way of squashing hate speech and encouraging people to be more kind. And for the record, there’s nothing ‘wussy’ about standing up for others. So Scarlet and I are formally and politely inviting you to pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Ferguson Missouri
I grew up in a small, rural, Kansas town. A picture of diversity, we were not. It was not until I moved away and met people from different parts of the country that I realized this. People from places like Dade County, Florida and Gary, Indiana. Their faces gave humanity to places I'd seen in movies like Inglewood California and Crenshaw Boulevard. My new friends and acquaintances talked different, walked different and dressed different than anyone I'd ever met. It was then I realized how small my world was and how much about the rest of it I did not understand. Now my, like the nation's, attention is focused on Ferguson, Missouri. Some are outraged by the small number of looters and rioters but would the death of Mike Brown have caught the attention of the nation, the world, otherwise? There are people in Palestine tweeting suggestions on how to deal with being tear gassed to the demonstrators in Missouri. Palestine. As if they don't have enough on their plates. What is happening in Ferguson has sparked a national conversation and for every hillbilly blatantly using the N word, there are still more people whose bigotry is more subtle. You hear it and see it in comments like:
"Don't those people have jobs?"
What if there are no jobs? What if the jobs that are available are low-wage positions? What if the jobs are in another town and reliable transportation is an issue and there aren't affordable public transportation options? What if their jobs were sent to places like China and India and Mexico?
"They need good education."
Agreed, wholeheartedly. The schools in Ferguson are unaccredited and teachers, much like police officers, go to districts where the money is good. No jobs means no tax revenue means no money to pay decent salaries.
"They need to stop having babies they can't pay for."
A recent study came out that found that the price of raising a child in this country is nearly $250,000, before college. I have three so that is $750,000 and my youngest had nearly that much in medical bills before she even turned one. Most people can't afford to have kids and yet, if you are white, no one is going to tell you not too. And don't get me started on the irony of the fact that a lot of the folks saying things like that are the same one's who would deny "those" women an abortion, close Planned Parenthood and limit birth control options due to religious beliefs she may or may not hold.
The truth is, the complexities of the problems facing places like Ferguson go far beyond what those of us living in our subdivisioned, suburban houses can understand. We can't possibly have the answers and to presume to tell the people who are living it everyday makes us arrogant and foolish. What we can do is listen and we can support the people of Ferguson who are trying to make their voices heard. We can stop referring to the people who live there as "them" or "those people", as if they are apart from us. Though we may be different, we are still part of the human family.
As for Mike Brown and Officer Wilson, I hope that Officer Wilson is just a guy who was put in a situation where he had to choose between two awful things. I hope Mike Brown was not a thug but just a kid making some bad decisions, though it is of little consolation to his mother, as she lost her son to the street either way. I hope that Mike Brown's death becomes a marker in time for an ongoing conversation in this country about race, poverty and what it means to live in urban America.
Friday, December 20, 2013
I don't care what Phil says and neither should you.
I saw a "friend's" post today that said something to the effect that if you don't agree with Phil Robertson of A&E's Duck Dynasty and you're celebrating Christmas then you're a big hypocrite. Now I have no idea what Phil said nor do I care. I don't watch the program and I'm not looking to a "reality" TV star for spiritual guidance or any other guidance for that matter. I don't need Phil or anyone else to tell me what I should or shouldn't feel about homosexuality, marriage, patriotism or guns. I have a perfectly functioning mind of my own and frankly, someone who makes part or all of their living trying to convince people that their "reality" show depicts their real lives is a liar and shouldn't be taken at face value. Still it's hard to not feel annoyed and a little hurt by attacks on my faith for simply not agreeing with a guy that few of us can claim to know personally. Maybe because this is not the first time being a Christian who also believes in marriage equality has put me in a position to have my faith questioned. I haven't made a fortune on duck calls and if A&E made a reality show about my life, it'd be called Snot and Poop, but here's my opinion for what it's worth. It comes from my real life experiences, not staged or scripted.
Once upon a time, I sold hearing aids. I happened to sell a set to an older gentleman I'll call Dave. Dave lived with another man, I'll call him Paul. Dave and Paul were the first gay men I'd ever met and only the second and third gay persons I'd ever met, the first being a friend from high school. I remembered when she came out, how painful it was. She lost friends and even her family abandoned her. After living a lie for years, she could be who she truly was but they couldn't love her as she truly was. Still, I wasn't sure how I felt about homosexuality. I still cared about my friend but wondered whether what she was doing was 'ok'? Biblicaly speaking I mean. Then I met Dave and Paul. They'd met later in life, sharing a similar taste in books and both living discrete lives. It was only by accident that I found out they were more than friends. I'd arrived at an appointment a little early and they were having a moment together. It was sweet and tender and endearing and definitely not a moment that two 'old friends' would have together. After an awkward few moments, Paul became particularly interested in sharing their story with me. Dave had been married, even had a son but the marriage ended years earlier. He'd lived a life of solitude until meeting Paul and they were grateful to have each other. I would make a point to stop in (even though Dave's hearing aids didn't need service) because they were such graceful hosts and seemed happy to have a visitor with whom they could be themselves. I kept in contact with them even after I quit my job to go to school. Then one day, I called and Paul told me the awful news that Dave had pasted. I drove to see him and he told me a story that breaks my heart still today.
Dave had a stroke. Paul took him to the emergency room and the doctors did their best but he was on life support. When the staff asked about next of kin, Paul did what he thought was the right thing and gave them the names of Dave's ex-wife and son. That was the last time he was allowed to see Dave alive. The son and the ex-wife arrived, along with a brother, all people who had turned their backs on Dave when they found out the true nature of his relationship with Paul. Dave did not have a living will but he and Paul had spoken about what to do if something like this ever happened. Paul insisted the hospital keep him on life support to see if his condition improved but the doctor's hands were tied. The ex-wife, brother and son wanted him taken off life support and for Paul not be allowed anywhere near Dave, themselves or the hospital. What they did not know was that even though Dave did not have a living will, he did have a legally binding will and trust that left his assets to a few charities, and his 'dear friend' Paul. He did leave something for his son, but it was not the fortune they expected when they told the doctors to pull the plug. As Paul sobbed his regrets at not being able to say goodbye, I found myself weeping with him.
I know what Leviticus says but I also know that God put these experiences in my life for a reason. He opened my heart. I could've forgotten about my friend. I could've sold Dave hearing aids and gone on with my life but these people, their experiences, have made indelible impressions on my life. That cannot be mere chance. So yes, I was disgusted with Miley's performance. I may be Liberal but I'm also a feminist and a mother with good taste. And no, I will not change my profile pic to support Phil because the truth is, Phil will be fine without me and does not care about me. And yes, I'll celebrate Christmas and keep Christ in my heart, whom I need and who does care for me, not Phil.
Once upon a time, I sold hearing aids. I happened to sell a set to an older gentleman I'll call Dave. Dave lived with another man, I'll call him Paul. Dave and Paul were the first gay men I'd ever met and only the second and third gay persons I'd ever met, the first being a friend from high school. I remembered when she came out, how painful it was. She lost friends and even her family abandoned her. After living a lie for years, she could be who she truly was but they couldn't love her as she truly was. Still, I wasn't sure how I felt about homosexuality. I still cared about my friend but wondered whether what she was doing was 'ok'? Biblicaly speaking I mean. Then I met Dave and Paul. They'd met later in life, sharing a similar taste in books and both living discrete lives. It was only by accident that I found out they were more than friends. I'd arrived at an appointment a little early and they were having a moment together. It was sweet and tender and endearing and definitely not a moment that two 'old friends' would have together. After an awkward few moments, Paul became particularly interested in sharing their story with me. Dave had been married, even had a son but the marriage ended years earlier. He'd lived a life of solitude until meeting Paul and they were grateful to have each other. I would make a point to stop in (even though Dave's hearing aids didn't need service) because they were such graceful hosts and seemed happy to have a visitor with whom they could be themselves. I kept in contact with them even after I quit my job to go to school. Then one day, I called and Paul told me the awful news that Dave had pasted. I drove to see him and he told me a story that breaks my heart still today.
Dave had a stroke. Paul took him to the emergency room and the doctors did their best but he was on life support. When the staff asked about next of kin, Paul did what he thought was the right thing and gave them the names of Dave's ex-wife and son. That was the last time he was allowed to see Dave alive. The son and the ex-wife arrived, along with a brother, all people who had turned their backs on Dave when they found out the true nature of his relationship with Paul. Dave did not have a living will but he and Paul had spoken about what to do if something like this ever happened. Paul insisted the hospital keep him on life support to see if his condition improved but the doctor's hands were tied. The ex-wife, brother and son wanted him taken off life support and for Paul not be allowed anywhere near Dave, themselves or the hospital. What they did not know was that even though Dave did not have a living will, he did have a legally binding will and trust that left his assets to a few charities, and his 'dear friend' Paul. He did leave something for his son, but it was not the fortune they expected when they told the doctors to pull the plug. As Paul sobbed his regrets at not being able to say goodbye, I found myself weeping with him.
I know what Leviticus says but I also know that God put these experiences in my life for a reason. He opened my heart. I could've forgotten about my friend. I could've sold Dave hearing aids and gone on with my life but these people, their experiences, have made indelible impressions on my life. That cannot be mere chance. So yes, I was disgusted with Miley's performance. I may be Liberal but I'm also a feminist and a mother with good taste. And no, I will not change my profile pic to support Phil because the truth is, Phil will be fine without me and does not care about me. And yes, I'll celebrate Christmas and keep Christ in my heart, whom I need and who does care for me, not Phil.
Friday, October 25, 2013
An open letter to Governor Brownback and the Kansas State Legislature
I had abandoned this blog as having my children had rendered my heart considerably lightened. But as I lay awake wondering what the future holds for my family, I can't help but think these guys are real dillholes.
Dear Governor Brownback and the Kansas State Legislature:
My family's story begins at Pittsburg State University where my husband and I met and fell in love. After graduation, we moved to Olathe to start our big awesome careers and big awesome lives but it was 2008 and well, the economy was in the crapper. My husband, being a smart man, went on to achieve an advanced degree in hopes it would improve our chances. We bought a modest home in a smallish suburb, we married and grew our family by two more, Charlie and our darling Scarlet. With my husband and I and my daughter Taylor, we make five. We attend church. Our cars are almost 9 years old and we don't have cable. We recycle and we eat most of our family meals at home, around our table. I'm telling you all of this because I thinks it's important to know what kind of people we are. We are average Americans and Kansans and we are on the verge of financial ruin. Our very own fiscal cliff, if you will.
You see, almost three months ago now, our sweet Scarlet was born. We knew from prenatal tests that she would be born with Down Syndrome and another condition needing immediate surgery. She came almost five weeks early and was immediately transported to Children's Mercy. Scarlet had surgery the next day and spent the next seven weeks in the Intensive Care Nursery. Luckily, I had insurance through my job. Unluckily, it was a high deductible plan because some right-winged radio show host convinced my employer that if he didn't shop for cheaper insurance now, the rates would be astronomical down the road. Worse yet, Scarlet also has a heart defect that will require surgery. This defect makes her more vulnerable than most babies. An illness would almost surely mean another hospitalization. So I made the difficult decision to leave my job. I couldn't have afforded the child care anyway. The only problem is we can't afford COBRA and my husband had only recently started his new job. After five months of unemployment, he got a job. My husband has a MBA and he installs television and internet service, but that is a whole other tragic story. We aren't eligible for benefits through his new employer until February. So all five of us are now part of the 48 million Americans without healthcare coverage. 48 million and five.
I applied for coverage through the State of Kansas and was denied. I applied for supplemental coverage before, when I was pregnant and my husband was unemployed and we first knew all of this was coming, and was denied. We applied for mortgage modification and were denied. We applied for WIC and were denied. When the hospital social worker first spoke with us about applying for disability for Scarlet, who medically qualifies, I took one look at the financial qualifications and said "Why bother? We'll only be denied." In some cases, we miss the financial qualifications by $20 a month. So here we stand, on the edge of our fiscal cliff, below us is the safety net of public assistance, and in order to save ourselves, we must now swan dive into it. But what if our cliff was at the edge of a canyon and all we really needed was a bridge to get to the other side? A finite amount of help for a finite period of time. And what if you could build that bridge for us and the Federal government was going to give you money to build it, effectively making our swan dive totally unnecessary all while not costing you a penny? Well, we don't really have to ask "What if?" We already know the answer. You'd say "No." You already did. Under the Affordable Healthcare Act, Kansas would have received money to expand Medicaid coverage in order to cover the working poor and you said "No thanks."
Did I mention that I am a Republican? I voted for Obama this last time though. I don't ordinarily come right out with that but I think it's important that you know. I voted for AHA, I wanted AHA and we needed AHA. I know it probably isn't the perfect solution to this country's health care crisis but there are families, Kansas families, who cannot afford to wait until it is.
Sincerely
Kirstin Johnson
Dear Governor Brownback and the Kansas State Legislature:
My family's story begins at Pittsburg State University where my husband and I met and fell in love. After graduation, we moved to Olathe to start our big awesome careers and big awesome lives but it was 2008 and well, the economy was in the crapper. My husband, being a smart man, went on to achieve an advanced degree in hopes it would improve our chances. We bought a modest home in a smallish suburb, we married and grew our family by two more, Charlie and our darling Scarlet. With my husband and I and my daughter Taylor, we make five. We attend church. Our cars are almost 9 years old and we don't have cable. We recycle and we eat most of our family meals at home, around our table. I'm telling you all of this because I thinks it's important to know what kind of people we are. We are average Americans and Kansans and we are on the verge of financial ruin. Our very own fiscal cliff, if you will.
You see, almost three months ago now, our sweet Scarlet was born. We knew from prenatal tests that she would be born with Down Syndrome and another condition needing immediate surgery. She came almost five weeks early and was immediately transported to Children's Mercy. Scarlet had surgery the next day and spent the next seven weeks in the Intensive Care Nursery. Luckily, I had insurance through my job. Unluckily, it was a high deductible plan because some right-winged radio show host convinced my employer that if he didn't shop for cheaper insurance now, the rates would be astronomical down the road. Worse yet, Scarlet also has a heart defect that will require surgery. This defect makes her more vulnerable than most babies. An illness would almost surely mean another hospitalization. So I made the difficult decision to leave my job. I couldn't have afforded the child care anyway. The only problem is we can't afford COBRA and my husband had only recently started his new job. After five months of unemployment, he got a job. My husband has a MBA and he installs television and internet service, but that is a whole other tragic story. We aren't eligible for benefits through his new employer until February. So all five of us are now part of the 48 million Americans without healthcare coverage. 48 million and five.
I applied for coverage through the State of Kansas and was denied. I applied for supplemental coverage before, when I was pregnant and my husband was unemployed and we first knew all of this was coming, and was denied. We applied for mortgage modification and were denied. We applied for WIC and were denied. When the hospital social worker first spoke with us about applying for disability for Scarlet, who medically qualifies, I took one look at the financial qualifications and said "Why bother? We'll only be denied." In some cases, we miss the financial qualifications by $20 a month. So here we stand, on the edge of our fiscal cliff, below us is the safety net of public assistance, and in order to save ourselves, we must now swan dive into it. But what if our cliff was at the edge of a canyon and all we really needed was a bridge to get to the other side? A finite amount of help for a finite period of time. And what if you could build that bridge for us and the Federal government was going to give you money to build it, effectively making our swan dive totally unnecessary all while not costing you a penny? Well, we don't really have to ask "What if?" We already know the answer. You'd say "No." You already did. Under the Affordable Healthcare Act, Kansas would have received money to expand Medicaid coverage in order to cover the working poor and you said "No thanks."
Did I mention that I am a Republican? I voted for Obama this last time though. I don't ordinarily come right out with that but I think it's important that you know. I voted for AHA, I wanted AHA and we needed AHA. I know it probably isn't the perfect solution to this country's health care crisis but there are families, Kansas families, who cannot afford to wait until it is.
Sincerely
Kirstin Johnson
Thursday, January 31, 2013
I am what the political world calls a RINO, Republican in Name Only. I've been a registered Republican since 1998 and voted with my party in every election since then...except the last one. So disappointed was I in my party, that I voted the other way in nearly every single race.
What would it take for me to start voting Republican again?
1. Why is conservatism reserved for Christians? Isn't it plausible that Muslims, atheists, and Buddhists can all believe in strong families, fiscal prudence and small government/state's rights? Our country was founded on religious freedoms, shouldn't our party be?
2. Speaking of families, stop trying to so narrowly define what is and isn't a family. Blended families, families of mixed ethnic origin, grandparents raising grandchildren, same-sex parents, adoption, surrogacy and single parent homes all exist in today's world. Shouldn't we celebrate the fact that our unique culture allows these families to not only exist but to thrive? Isn't it our diversity that makes us great? If we don't all look the same, why should our families all be the same?
3. Roe v. Wade, let it go. It's been upheld for more than 30 years. Please stop wasting resources on trying to overturn it or passing legislation to circumvent it. Instead how about putting those same resources into helping women avoid having to make that kind of decision in the first place. Start by making sure that women have access to affordable contraception, including the Plan B pill. Allowing women and families to determine the timing and number of children is to empower women economically. No politician, doctor or pharmacist should be able to impose their religious beliefs on patients. Additionally, we need to work to ensure that women and young girls know their worth and have the confidence to take control of their sexual health. Rape victims should be protected while offenders need to be prosecuted swiftly and to the fullest extent of our laws. Sex education needs to be part of the curriculum in health education, not because it encourages sexual activity (which it doesn't) but because it's useful and important information for people to have. Just as a final note: not voting to pass an inclusive version of VAWA and saying incredibly insensitive and inaccurate things about rape, do nothing to dispel the War on Women accusations. Rapes do result in unintended pregnancies, they do occur on college campuses and they are not blessings form God.
4. Speaking of the War on Women, Pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the ERA. How can the U.S. reach it's full economic potential if over half of the population has one hand tied behind their backs?
5. Climate change is real and it's a problem, admit it. As much as we all hate to say it, Al Gore was right. I have no idea who said it first but "The great thing about science is, you don't have to believe in it for it to be real." Believing in science and religious faith are not mutually exclusive of one another. Lots of people have figured out how to rationalize the two within their own minds. I invite you to try and do the same.
6. Stop legislating for Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Oil, the NRA, ad nauseam. Seriously, the gig is up. We know about lobbyist and how that works and we have a vague understanding of how campaign finance works. We also know there are politicians on both sides of the isle taking fat campaign checks to get elected and then returning the favor at the expense of the American people, the environment and sometimes the world at large. Citizens United is a horrifyingly bad piece of legislation. It undermines the very notion of the people's representation in government and democracy. At some point, someone is going to figure out how to win and election rather than buying it and then where will you be?
What would it take for me to start voting Republican again?
1. Why is conservatism reserved for Christians? Isn't it plausible that Muslims, atheists, and Buddhists can all believe in strong families, fiscal prudence and small government/state's rights? Our country was founded on religious freedoms, shouldn't our party be?
2. Speaking of families, stop trying to so narrowly define what is and isn't a family. Blended families, families of mixed ethnic origin, grandparents raising grandchildren, same-sex parents, adoption, surrogacy and single parent homes all exist in today's world. Shouldn't we celebrate the fact that our unique culture allows these families to not only exist but to thrive? Isn't it our diversity that makes us great? If we don't all look the same, why should our families all be the same?
3. Roe v. Wade, let it go. It's been upheld for more than 30 years. Please stop wasting resources on trying to overturn it or passing legislation to circumvent it. Instead how about putting those same resources into helping women avoid having to make that kind of decision in the first place. Start by making sure that women have access to affordable contraception, including the Plan B pill. Allowing women and families to determine the timing and number of children is to empower women economically. No politician, doctor or pharmacist should be able to impose their religious beliefs on patients. Additionally, we need to work to ensure that women and young girls know their worth and have the confidence to take control of their sexual health. Rape victims should be protected while offenders need to be prosecuted swiftly and to the fullest extent of our laws. Sex education needs to be part of the curriculum in health education, not because it encourages sexual activity (which it doesn't) but because it's useful and important information for people to have. Just as a final note: not voting to pass an inclusive version of VAWA and saying incredibly insensitive and inaccurate things about rape, do nothing to dispel the War on Women accusations. Rapes do result in unintended pregnancies, they do occur on college campuses and they are not blessings form God.
4. Speaking of the War on Women, Pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the ERA. How can the U.S. reach it's full economic potential if over half of the population has one hand tied behind their backs?
5. Climate change is real and it's a problem, admit it. As much as we all hate to say it, Al Gore was right. I have no idea who said it first but "The great thing about science is, you don't have to believe in it for it to be real." Believing in science and religious faith are not mutually exclusive of one another. Lots of people have figured out how to rationalize the two within their own minds. I invite you to try and do the same.
6. Stop legislating for Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Oil, the NRA, ad nauseam. Seriously, the gig is up. We know about lobbyist and how that works and we have a vague understanding of how campaign finance works. We also know there are politicians on both sides of the isle taking fat campaign checks to get elected and then returning the favor at the expense of the American people, the environment and sometimes the world at large. Citizens United is a horrifyingly bad piece of legislation. It undermines the very notion of the people's representation in government and democracy. At some point, someone is going to figure out how to win and election rather than buying it and then where will you be?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Lethal Weapon
Living in in the suburbs of Kansas City has taught me a few things about the rules of the road. Foremost, that here there really are very few rules that are actually observed. People ignore posted speed limits both for the maximum and minimum speeds. Turn signals and lanes of traffic; Who needs 'em? Signs cautioning drivers are disregarded like yesterdays bologna sandwich. How can anyone be expected to pay attention to all those signs and flashing lights when we are so busy talking, texting, typing addresses into our GPS', downloading apps to our iPhones, trying to find an HD station, putting in a DVD for the kiddos and eating a Big Mac? I've even seen people reading books and one guy practicing his trumpet. Suits driving Land Rovers, Lexus', Infinitis or some other luxury car brand, who assume that whatever it is they're doing is far more important than whatever everyone else is doing so therefore traffic should part before them like the Red Sea? Then, there's the Mom in the SUV who blows through a construction zone 15 mph over the posted speed limit while on her phone. I'm sure her kids are safer because they are strapped in the huge gas-sucking beast but how much therapy do you think the kids will need if they witness Mom mow down a construction worker?
We are driving what is potentialy a 2,000+ lb lethal weapon. Would we weild a gun around with such carelessness? No of course not because someone could get killed. So why the hell are we driving around like we haven't got the sense God gave us?
We are driving what is potentialy a 2,000+ lb lethal weapon. Would we weild a gun around with such carelessness? No of course not because someone could get killed. So why the hell are we driving around like we haven't got the sense God gave us?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Pledge of Allegiance dispute results in Md. teacher having to apologize - washingtonpost.com
and this was a comment from another fan:
What?! Really?! Has this person ever heard the phrase "You know better, you do better"? We didn't use to require child safety seats either. And how on Earth is a child going to learn what it really means to be an American and what the Bill of Rights IS if they are being "seen and not heard"? Lady, you want something cute to look at? Buy one of those kitten calendars or something. DO NOT run out and procreate because quite frankly, there are plenty of little robots running around. And what do you mean "...rights and all?" Children aren't people? Citizens? Worthy of civil liberties? So by that logic is would be perfectly acceptable to call a child a racial slur, as long as you didn't call the child's parent the same thing. Seriously! And how does promoting activism equal permissive parenting? I suppose Civil Rights activists and Women's Lib activists were just disrespectful brats as well. They didn't appreciate the soldiers that fought and died to protect their rights either? Oh wait, they didn't have any rights! And what good are rights if you're never allowed to exercise them?
Once again, overwhelming proof that not all people who can procreate, should. Kudos to the student's Mother who, it seems, is trying to raise a child who has critical thinking skills and for defending her child's rights.