The White Papers

In this day and age much of the nonsense I see doesn’t surprise me.  People can be disgusting in the name of being funny and nasty in the name of standing up for a point of view.  Talking civilly with people you disagree with is a lost art form in this country.  We yell and curse and mock and spew hate.  Doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on either it seems sometimes.

Not long after it was announced that Glenn Beck would be leaving Fox News, an online site known as The Onion posted a satirical video titled “Victim in Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck”.  Amusing?  Hilarious?  Witty?  Not even close. 

Last week, in response to conservative commentator S.E. Cupp and her view point on Planned Parenthood, Keith Olbermann, a liberal commentator who spews hate as easily as most of us breathe made a reference to Cupp that seemed to indicate that he thought her parents should have aborted her.  When he was confronted with this, he seemed to backtrack and say that what he meant is that her parents should have used Planned Parenthood’s counseling services to prevent being pregnant at all.  Unapologetic and disgusting all rolled into one that guy.

But today’s story really tops it all for me.  On an online web site known as Wonkette, a story was written about Trig Palin.  You know who Trig is right?  He’s the little boy that was born to Sarah and Todd Palin and has DOWN’S SYNDROME.  In this story, they suggested that he might be a product of incest – because other nutcases have speculated Trig is actually Bristol’s child and this website said either way Todd is the father.  Then they went on to say things such as Trig doesn’t have dreams of any kind because he’s retarded and despite that he’s the smartest one in the family.

Ok, I know that stuff like this is posted to generate a negative reaction such as I have had.  That sick, filthy, disgusting pieces of slime like those that work for this website live and breathe to irk other people.  They twist the freedom that we have to say what we want to vomit out such garbage in the hopes of making people like me mad.  Well, it worked.  I’m falling into the trap, because despite knowing this, there are simply some things I just can’t watch on the sidelines and let slide.

I don’t know what it is about liberals or the nutcases like these that cause them to fear Sarah Palin so much.  I disagree with Barack Obama on pretty much everything he’s ever done or stood for.  I don’t fear him.  I don’t hate him.  I worry he’s bringing our country to ruin (and he is) but I don’t fear him.  And I would never, EVER, say something like this about his children.  He has what appears to be two beautiful young ladies that he is raising and I sincerely wish him and Michelle the best in raising their children – because as a parent myself, I know how hard that is to do and do well.

I see nothing wrong if you disagree with Sarah Palin, her politics or her in general.  But everyone, regardless of political beliefs should stand up UNITED in the fact that we never attack KIDS.  And a kid with Down’s Syndrome?  What kind of low life slug do you have to be to write something so repugnant?

I have a nephew with Down’s Syndrome.  He is such a wonderful boy who just turned 11 last week.  He is full of life and joy and is unbelievably special.  While I am saddened that he will face struggles his whole life that most of us don’t, I treasure him immensely.  And if somebody said something like this about him, let’s just make it clear right now, the conversation I and that person would have would be very unpleasant for that person.  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

I have heard people accuse Sarah Palin of faking Trig’s pregnancy because he was supposedly Bristol’s.  That floored me.  I’ve heard those same people mock the “Obama Birther” conspiracy (which I believe to be a joke as well) but say Sarah should prove Trig’s hers.  The hypocrisy of such a statement is lost on these vermin.

I have actually heard others say Sarah Palin should have aborted Trig because he had Down’s Syndrome.  My blood runs cold at this.  Looking at my own nephew, the idea that you should abort a child because of a handicap really makes me worry about the moral integrity of this country.

But this story?  Now we have a group of adults attacking a boy who has no understanding of why he’s being attacked simply because they fear his mother and what she stands for.  Those people are the lowest of any form of life I can think of. 

If you have read this story and not been disgusted or think it’s ok to write such a story or don’t care because you don’t like Sarah Palin, then shame on you.  I will tell you this now.  I will stand up for any child attacked regardless of political party or who their parent is or any other circumstance. 

As adults it is our job to take care of our young, not treat them as some sort of tool to hurt others with.  What these people did should make everyone sick to their stomach.

Today South Dakota passed a bill into law that requires that a woman who is getting an abortion must wait 72 hours and speak to a counselor .  It puts South Dakota into the unique position of being the state with the longest waiting period in the entire country.

I don’t have a strong opinion on this bill overall.   We require counseling before filing for bankruptcy (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit/debt.shtm); in Montana they are considering a bill to require couples with children to undergo counseling before getting a divorce (http://www.charlotte-divorce-lawyer-blog.com/2011/02/montana-considers-requiring-co.html).  And let’s not forget that depending on whom you believe, our wondrous new Government Health Care plan may or may not require end of life counseling.  So requiring counseling before major health decisions or other major life decisions are made is not that abnormal.

But I also don’t think the wait is going to do much to dissuade someone from having an abortion if she decides she wants one.  So like I said, I don’t really have a strong opinion on this particular bill.

What I do take exception to is the idea that there is a belief that because I am a man, I have no right to even voice an opinion on this issue.  That’s garbage.  I know that many women would like to make this an issue about women’s rights only but it simply is not just an issue of that.  There is a LIFE involved that is being terminated who gets absolutely no say in what happens to them.  My opinion on the taking of that life is just as important as any woman’s. 

This abortion counseling bill was not decided by men, it was decided by a group of representatives we voted into office of which five who voted for it were women.  So it’s not men trying to force women to do something.  Ironically, I never hear this argument when we stop and think that the Supreme Court – who decided abortion was ok way back in the 1970’s – was a group of men at the time.  At that point it was ok that men had a say but apparently not now.

I do not apologize for the belief that abortion is quite simply murder.  We have legalized the extermination of a life form and covered it up in terms of “pro-life”, “pro-choice”, women’s rights”, etc.  It is a human rights issue on a grand scale.  Since 1973 we have ended the life of nearly 46 million people.  That simply blows my mind.

The arguments for and against abortion have been hashed out ad nauseum.   I hear all the time about the “rape” and “incest” arguments and to be honest, I am hesitant on my beliefs on abortion when it comes to these two types.  But I can get absolutely no one to tell me the percentage of abortions that are done based on “rape” and “incest”.  I am guessing that it is not a high percentage but it is the most used argument by people who are for abortion.

I also do not buy the argument that because I don’t make a special point of helping those in need that I have no right to take a stand on this issue.  I do not believe that we should take a blind eye to spousal abuse, but this doesn’t mean I take every abused spouse into my home or provide for them.    I abhor the idea of pedophilia but that doesn’t mean every sexually abused child is now going to be taken care of by me.  I think it’s a great idea to help people out who are in need but if you don’t it doesn’t negate your beliefs even a little bit.

I am all for helping people, I am all for educating and trying to do whatever we can to make the need for less abortions necessary.  I think those are good things.  But I also think that people need to take responsibility for themselves.  If you enter into a consensual sexual relationship you do so at the risk of becoming pregnant.  If this is not something you are ready for, then don’t have sex!  I don’t understand why this is a difficult thing. If you get pregnant, then you and your partner are now responsible for the life you have created.  No one else should be responsible.  Sure people can help, but it was your choice and terminating that life because you can’t handle the decision you made is in my mind very wrong.

Abortion for me is a very big issue.  I won’t vote for a politician who supports it – ever.  I will fight any attempt to make me pay for it.  I will resist in any way being involved in it at all.  It may be legal but it is in no way moral.  So while I may not think this particular bill that South Dakota has passed today will be of much help, I applaud South Dakota for being in the forefront of the Abortion fight.

I need to admit up front I am a fan of Sarah Palin’s.  I have admired her since John McCain picked her in 2008 to run as his running mate.  A popular Governor of Alaska who believes in many of the same things I do.  A woman with a Down’s Syndrome child which has its own special challenges and yet she was still able to have a successful career.  This reminded me of my sister who has a Down’s Syndrome child of her own yet is able to be both a good parent as well as a great professional in her chosen career.

I don’t always think she does the right thing.  I think she can ramble a bit much when she speaks.  But in some respects, that’s part of her charm.  She’s not “rehearsed” like some politicians are, she seems more real to me than most.  I didn’t originally think the reality show she did was a good idea but changed my mind after watching it.  I thought she let her daughters’ ex-boyfriend get under her skin way too much. 

All minor things overall but I don’t think she’s a perfect person.  I think she has her flaws. 

I have been confused though on the level of pure hatred espoused by people against her almost from the beginning.  I remember being startled by accusations that her youngest son wasn’t hers and that she supposedly faked the pregnancy.  I  was then revolted to find out that similar people than chastised her for not aborting the same baby.

I remember talking with a very liberal colleague of mine a few years back and while he mocked those who felt Obama may not be a natural born citizen, he in the very same breath felt that Palin should “prove” her youngest kid was hers and not her daughters.  ???  Who thinks like that?

Palin has been between a rock and a hard place from the beginning.  She gets home from the Presidential campaign and is bombarded (oops, a violent term, I should watch myself) by lawsuits to the point where she couldn’t do her job.  So she resigns.  And they give her grief for quitting.

She launches a pretty successful campaign to get Tea Party Conservatives into political power and uses a map that uses target symbols – something that has been done by others – and when a congresswoman and others are brutalized by a psychopath she is blamed.  Because of a map.  That the lunatic more than likely never saw. 

If this was the Wild, Wild West she would have been strung up and hung by people last Saturday night – that is the sheer hate I saw while watching what was going on.  No proof, just innuendo.  It’s like the age-old question: “Have you stopped beating your wife?”  There’s no good way to respond to what was happening.

So as the days go by, people start clamoring, “Why hasn’t she spoken?  Is she afraid? What’s she hiding?”  Blah, blah, blah.  And I knew that no matter what she did she’d be doomed.

And I was right.  She posted a video last night that I thought hit all the right notes.  She did not take responsibility (because she was not to blame) but offered condolences for those who suffered a loss.  She called out the lame media that is determined to destroy her reputation.  I thought it was probably one of the best speeches she’s given in some time.

But she used the phrase “Blood Libel”.  I had never heard the phrase before so it slipped right by me.  Until the media went into their fanatic mode, that is.  The term apparently refers to an accusation made against Jews that they would sacrifice Christians for their blood in sacrifices.

I agree, it has a serious overtone in a historical context.  It also appears to be something that is used by some to refer to false accusations made against you.  Which in this case fits!!  She was accused of something she had no part in!  What is wrong with this country that we let our dislike of a political point of view feed our animalistic desire to see someone’s life and reputation ripped to shreds?  Is that who we really are?

Take a look at the next two phrases:

“Man, my boss crucified me when he found out I didn’t get the work done!”

 “Jesus F&@!ing Christ!”

I wonder how many people use the phrase “crucified” without realizing that the term refers to the horrendous, torturous way that Jesus Christ – whom I consider my Savior – was MURDERED.  Should I be offended every time the phrase is used – or should I have the common sense to look at the context?

The other phrase is a way some take my Savior’s name and turn it into a curse.  This is offensive.  Yet, it is used ALL the time.  But see that’s ok right?  After all, Christians have no right to be offended when their religious leaders, symbols or practices are maligned.  They’re supposed to just take it.

Sarah Palin was maligned this week.    Her name should have never been brought up in regards to this situation.  People have exploited this horrible story to attack a woman who had absolutely no reason to be attacked.  It’s sick and twisted.

I watched the memorial today that was in Arizona and watched in admiration when President Obama paid his tribute to those who died.  I shed several tears as I watched him talk about the little girl who died.  I saw him hesitate and choke back a couple tears himself and I didn’t feel like it was fake, I felt like he too was sincerely mourning the loss of such a sweet innocent little kid.  I commend him for his tribute – despite the fact I typically am not a fan of his.

I only wish those who are not Sarah Palin’s biggest fans would also give her some credit when it’s due.  But for a group who claims they want less vitriol and hatred in political conversation they sure have not practiced what they are preaching.