Who are you to decide for me?

I am currently watching my DVR from last night. How they could schedule a presidential semi debate on the same night as Gold Medal attempt #8 for Michael Phelps, I don't know, but I digress. I am actually listening to McCain's answers before I dismiss them. That's hard for me, but as I mature, I've learned to not fly right off the handle when I hear something I don't like. I waited at least three minutes after hearing McCain's Pro Life spiel before getting on and blogging about it. And now he's going on about what he thinks 'rich' is. Man, did I ask for my blood pressure to be raised today?

So here we go - Abortion or Pro-Choice - Don't take away my right to determine my future. You are talking about doing away with Roe v Wade which would allow me to safely and legally terminate an unwanted pregnancy because you think life begins at conception. That's like saying I believe that the moon is made of cheese and so no one can have pizza anymore. It's so easy for men to make these decisions based on their moral superiority while for women it's a heart wrenching decision to go down one path or the other. Don't tell me that it's equally difficult for a man to make this decision since men walk away from unwanted pregnancies left and right. Yes, some of them stay by the mothers of their children, but an unwanted pregnancy does not a happily ever after make. Where is the survey on that? Yes, they love their children, but is it a perfect love or is there some regret there? The what could have been. For a woman, she either has a child whom she will sacrifice for or a memory of a difficult decision and what if that will live with her for the rest of her life.

I firmly believe that there should be more education, more programs for teens that will keep them from getting into situations that end up in unwanted or even underage pregnancies. Why do teenage girls or even young adult women get pregnant when they don't want to? Because they don't have enough respect or responsibility for themselves to either say no to sex or take the right precautions to ensure that they don't end up pregnant when they don't want to be. I remember getting in an argument on the night of my cousin's wedding with my two uncles and my ex-husband about welfare. They were all against it and said they were just having babies to get a bigger check. I was so fucking pissed off that I gave them my tirade. Of course this was years ago, but the point is still relevant.

Double standard #1 - don't send two messages by covering a man's 'help me get it up' pill by health insurance as a NECESSARY drug, but not cover oral contraception in full because it's an optional choice. That's like saying it's ok for the man to get help when nature so clearly says it's time for him to hang up his spurs, but that if a girl doesn't want to get pregnant then keep your fucking knees together.

Double standard #2 - remove the stigma of abortion when the very people that are making those rules have benefited in some fashion from someone they know having an abortion. If anyone thinks that the movers and shakers haven't partaken of that little bit of legality to ensure their future while still calling it immoral and unethical they are more naive than I am. Women shouldn't have to run a gauntlet or hide their faces after making one of the toughest choices of their lives. Mothers and daughters are typically the ones that are there taking care of business while men are entrenched in their pulpits saying how these women are of loose morals, lazy and taking advantage of the system.

Double standard #3 - Don't make television shows, ads and corporate messages scream SEX, SEX, SEX and then not teach children to responsibly make those decisions. I mean if we have to put warning labels on alcohol and cigarettes, then we should probably put the caveat on what is 'acceptable' during the family hour to say that while it's on TV, the movies, the radio...it doesn't mean that everything works out that way. If everyone is so concerned about sex and who's having it, then don't make it verboten to children until we thrust them out into the world on their own!

I realize that parental input is an important part of this, so if we want to break the cycle, someone needs to step forward and make a difference. Sometimes I think that the people that welfare, abortion, poverty, and all the dark parts of life upset the most really wish they could still wall off communities like a leper colony and let them fend for themselves until they die off.

I am venting all of this here since I know no one will read it, know it's me or care that yet another blogger is expressing themselves about the political situation in this country. I do hope that I take the energy that this topic has generated in me and use it to make a difference in the world versus just rolling over and being bitter and futile. If I make enough noise, I will be able to make my own decisions and not have them made for me without input. That's what this is all about, right?

Well, it's time for the Olympics for tonight....go team USA!

Until later....

Annie M.