"Legitimate rape," really?

Sometimes the media, politicians, or the public in general complain about the distractions that are intentionally used to take our focus off important matters. Matters that should be well covered in election campaigns. It seems to happen all the time. I would like to draw attention to one distraction that should be drawn, because it is very important for the present political environment. Usually I hate the distractions, but I see this as an important issue that needs to be brought out into the open. After one of the Republican Party faithful made an ignorant comment about rape, it set off a firestorm, detracting attention from the horrid economy. The issue is discussed in the video linked below. 

What the h*** did he just say?

I see this "distraction" as a way to get a very important issue out into the open, so there will be real discussion. Usually it would just be brushed under the carpet, like any other issue that politicians do not want to discuss. In my view, this should be taken out of the "distraction" category, and put in the "pressing issue of the day" category. 

Republicans like to say that democrats are just trying to distract us from the important matters of the tanked economy. The funny thing is they did not seem to be very concerned about the economy, outside the elections. Members of the Republican Party nationwide ran in 2010 on job creation, improving the ailing economy, and cutting spending. Yet they have focused, instead, on stripping women’s rights, cutting family planning funding, and other reproductive issues.  If the economy, and jobs were so vital for them, than surely they would have busted there rumps trying to fix these things. That has not happened at all. They have done anything they could to stonewall any legislation from the other side, on these issues. They have insisted on pushing legislation they know the other side will not agree on, and offer no real compromise. This tactic has intentionally barred any improvements from being made. That is why it is called stonewalling! 

So if they have done nothing to fix the economy, jobs, or anything like that, and have done everything to stop these very things, then what have they been doing? They had to be putting that energy into something, working towards some sort of accomplishments. Though you may believe that their only accomplishment has been to stop anything from coming through from the Democratic Party, you would be wrong. They have been working very hard, but not on what they claim the focus in this race (and the last race) should be on! They have been working at unprecedented rates on implementing, bills, legislation, and laws that strip rights women have worked long and hard to gain. Check this link to see some of the handy work in this issue. You can also take a look here, at this short article written back in April. Imagine how it is four months later! They have also worked very hard to de-fund and erode programs for family planning. So, while I do believe the economy and job creation are vital to getting our country back on its feet, I also believe we must take this issue, of the erosion of women's rights, very seriously! The comments that came out of Akin's mouth are reflective of the ideas and beliefs that are driving this push to erode reproductive rights. This issue is very important and needs to be discussed and brought out, in all its ugliness and all its distorted views. This is truly a necessary distraction!

If you want to comment, please do. There should be a link below that says, 1 comment, or something similar. I would like it to be easier to see all topic comments, but I haven't found an option on blogger to improve that. 

Get the door!

I want to write a lighter post today, since my head hurts and I don't really feel like talking about anything too heavy. Maybe I'll even take a little nap after this :-)

I wonder what it is that causes the reactions I have to simple things like, the phone ringing, or a knock on the door. Personally, I prefer an email or instant message to a call any-day. That is, unless it's for something long and involved or my husband is calling. Please don't make me type hundreds of lines back and forth for something that we can discuss much easier and with less confusion by talking in person or over the phone. That being said, even if you need a real discussion, I somehow prefer a quick text to let me know. You know, "Hey little miss priss (that's something my mom use to call me :-[ when she was angry), I need to talk to you, so I'll drop by in about 5 minutes!" or maybe, "I need your help with something, I'll call you so we can talk.". Just that little warning eases my mind. I guess it prepares me.

See how ecstatic I am to talk on the phone!

I was laying on my bed yesterday reading through some pamphlets when I heard the door bell ring. Almost anytime I hear the door or my phone my heart-rate seems to go up a little. I'm sure it doesn't help when the dog starts barking like crazy. No big deal, I tell myself, just look through the window and check who it is. So I pull my curtain apart just enough to see two missionaries at my door. Another thing that gets my heart racing. I know they mean well, but I don't want to talk to them. Most likely they are Jehovah's Witnesses, but the white shirt on the man indicates that they could be Mormon. Either way, I don't want to talk to them. I can tell them I already go to church, that I am Lutheran or, I attend at the United Church of Christ where I am quite happy. However, that isn't usually enough. In-fact it sometimes invites them to ask more questions. I want them to leave, but I often answer anyway. This would be ok, but it invites them to come back, bringing this whole uncomfortable situation again and again. This is very similar to getting calls or visits from sales people. If I do answer them it is uncomfortable. I don't want to talk to them, yet I seem to insist on being "nice," listen to their spiel and let them down gently. Great, now they push, and offer some "benefit" like lower the price, different offer, guaranteed satisfaction, or cancel within so many days. No, I don't want what you are offering, and frankly I don't want you to come or call at all! That's what I'd like to tell them, but instead I just hang up or send them on their way. I really hate the feeling that I get when I have to respond to these people. I truly do not want to respond to them at all.

Okay, that's not missionaries, it's just us and Craig's brother Zack :)

I chose to stay in my room that day, not answer the door, and let the dog bark. I feel like I'm hiding out in my room, so they won't know I'm there, or will at least just go away. Why do I do that? Why do I feel that way? A little anxiety, I know, but why does this cause anxiety? I know I'm not the only one, others have the same or similar reaction. It's almost like I see them as intruders, intruding into my private life, but they mean no real harm. I even did a little search on this after the well meaning missionaries finally left my doorstep. I found a video of a women asking similar questions about her reactions to missionary visitors. Her reactions and feelings were more severe than mine, but along the same lines. I understood where she was coming from, even if I felt her reaction was a bit heavy. The replies, to her very honest post, were quite harsh for the most part. Especially replies from our very loving caring evangelicals, who want nothing more than to save the souls of every sinner they claim not to judge.

There, I found a missionary in my pics. Wonders never cease! 

So, what do you all think? Why do I react this way? Why does anyone react this way? And please do not put in any comments about it being the devil, or some demon inside me. That's the kind of thing people were posting to the lady in the video I described in the previous paragraph. I just find these kind of comments to be every bit as "demonic" or "possessed" as the reactions those comments are referring to. That probably didn't make a lot of sense, but I never claimed that everything I say makes total sense. 

Sikh temple massacre

Today I was watching a Democracy Now video clip. It was about the person that recently committed the Sikh temple massacre. It also discussed his involvement in the white supremacist movement while in the military, and after leaving the military ranks. 

Here's a link: Sikh Temple Massacre is the Outgrowth of Pervasive White Supremacism in Military Ranks.

In the video, journalist Matt Kennard, plus academic and author Pete Semi, speak to Amy Goodman about the influence of the white supremacy movement within the military. I was not in the military during the war on terror, but I do not recall a lot being done to discipline or discourage this involvement in white supremacy, even absent active wars. I do remember seeing allot more skinheads when I was stationed in Korea than I did when I was stationed in Fort Lewis WA. I knew of several skinheads that were in tanker units, and other combat units, while in Korea. When I was stationed in Fort Lewis I was almost always around other soldiers in communications, which was our line of work. So it makes sense that I did not see a lot of skin heads while state-side, if they tend to be in a different line of work. 

Korea was my first duty station right after basic training and AIT. It was also my first time out of the country. The first time I met any skinheads in Korea, I will admit that I was a bit intimidated. I wasn't scared, mind you, just a little intimidated. After hanging out with a couple of them  for a while, I got over my intimidation. I will never agree with their kind of extreme mentality, insistence that we are somehow superior to others, and exclusion of anyone not like us. I remember having a discussion with a skinhead from the local tanker unit on Camp Hovey. We all went down range that evening and came back in a group of about five. We had been drinking. After we all got back on post the others went "home." I had been talking to, I believe, the only skinhead in the group that night. We kept walking and talking, I think he had a lot on his drunk mind. I don't remember all of our discussion, but I remember he tried to convince me of the importance of keeping our race "pure" and that minorities were taking over. He didn't exactly use those words, but that was the idea. I speak my mind, it's just how I am, so I explained my disagreements as tactfully as I knew how. At some point he asked me, an obviously pointed hypothetical. "What if, some day after you have kids, your beautiful daughter tells you she's in love with a "ni**ar?" My reply, "So what if she does?" "What does it matter, if they love each other and care for each other?" He tried to convince me of the error of my thinking, but I don't care. I know who I am, I know what I believe, and I know how I feel. 

That hasn't got much to do with these horrifying murders, it's just a little I remember of one person I knew, who was a skinhead. That conversation will always stick in my mind, unlike much of the rest of my tour in Korea. Wade Michael Page brutally killed several innocent people out of sheer hatred. I don't know if I can ever understand that kind of hatred. It so totally feels like sheer ignorance, total complete ignorance. Than again maybe people like this are missing any real sense of love, kindness, or compassion. I don't know, What do you think? Watch the video if you can find the time, it discusses some very important matters. Post in the comments section if you like.

Book ideas

Yay! I turned on my mobile blogger and it finally synced all my posts. I thought I was going to have to look for the settings myself, to get it to sync. Now I don't have to :-P