Did you think I wouldn't jump at the chance to rant?

[primroseburrows]

In no particular order, off the top of my head:


1. I think that Americans need a wake-up call about finding alternative sources to energy. We're a country of SUVs and not enough caring that we're destroying our planet with fossil fuels. It would be a hardship, but I'm for Americans paying three or four dollars a gallon for gasoline. Wake up and smell the MBTE, people. And you, Dubya, should be ashamed of yourself.

2. Medical circumcision (graphic link here) is a Bad Thing, unless it's medically necessary (and it's usually NOT). Looking like Daddy or making washing up easier are no excuses for mutilation.

3. I subscribe to the Consistent Life Ethic, which makes me a persona non grata in most political camps, especially among the liberals.

4. Babies should be born at home unless there's a real medical reason for a hospital birth. Statistics continue to show that homebirths are safer.

5. Infant formula should be available by prescription only (this idea isn't really mine, it's patchfire's, but it was so good I stole it). That way a doc can determine if a woman is really unable to lactate properly. Breast pumps should be available free of charge for working moms who need them. I'd pay a tax to make that happen.

6. Marijuana should be legalised, so that the War on Drugs can spend more time and money chasing the cocaine and heroin dealers.

7. George Bush should be impeached. He's violated at least as many laws as Bill Clinton. His violations are worse, because what Clinton did had nothing to do with National Security, and what Bush has done has everything to do with it.

8. Except for people who had family or friends who died in the 9/11 attacks, Americans need to Get Over It, People, and stop using it as a reason to support American invasions and occupations and supression of our civil rights. There are plenty of other countries who have to deal with acts of terrorism every single day.

9. I don't care about Michael Jackson. Listening to/Reading/Watching stories about him and his lunacy is like watching a train wreck. It's interesting for a while, but afterwords just makes you feel awful inside.

10. I like Howard Dean because I like Howard Dean. I'm not "settling" because I don't think some other candidate couldn't get elected. I'm not going to vote for him for any other reason than he's my candidate of choice, and if any other candidate were frontrunner I'd still vote for Dean. I perhaps didn't think this at the beginning of my research, but after reading about his platform and watching the way he's conducted his campaign, he's my guy.


Okay, guys, don't go defriending me all at once, okay?

Comments

[dorrie6.livejournal.com]

I *heart* you.

Okay, I like Kucinich, but still. I love this entry.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I don't hate Kucinich. I just think he's a bit of a knee-jerk liberal (i.e. NAFTA. You can't just throw out NAFTA without some serious work!).

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

For most of these, even when I disagree I can see why people might believe in them (ie, the Consistent Life Ethic). But why forbid infant formula except for medical reasons? To my knowledge there are no decisive medical studies proving a huge benefit one way or the other (I may be wrong. I know public opinion is swinging back towards breast-feeding . . . ).

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

*borrows patchfire's icon*

Here's a good page with a lot of info on the benefits of breastfeeding.

One of the most important reasons is the antibodies in breastmilk that keep the baby from getting sick early in life. Also, there's a reduced risk of allergies and digestive upsets, it's cheaper, the baby's less likely to get cavities, it's better for the mother, etc. Lots of reasons.

Why forbid it? Because women do it for all the wrong reasons (oh, I can't breastfeed, I work, or, Oh, I can't breastfeed, I don't have enough milk [this is almost NEVER true; when it is, it's because she's probably supplementing breast with bottle and the milk supply is diminished because the baby's not nursing enough]) Also, poor women are apt to overdilute formula to stretch it, which can cause malnutrition. If formula were regulated, women would have to at least try to breastfeed, which would give babies the antibodies they need right after birth. Then the doc and the woman together could decide if there were a real problem.

[avariel-wings.livejournal.com]

In addition to all that, there's some evidence that a certain proportion of cot death cases are directly attributable to the baby being allergic to cow's milk.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't doubt it.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Why forbid it? Because women do it for all the wrong reaso

That sort of worries me, though. Because I do generally think that breastmilk is best and would definitely go for that if I were in the situation, but it seems very scary to not allow parents to feed their children the way they choose if they're not threatening their lives. That just seems like a different issue.

That said, I am of course not about to defriend you over it!:-)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

You have a point. *g*

I suppose my rant on that is more of a frustrating bit of rhetoric than an actual call to action. But still, I think there are far too many professionals telling women they can't breastfeed for some reason or another, effectively taking away their choice, and undermining their confidence in the natural workings of their own bodies.

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is that, when you're not in a developed country, feeding with formula does endanger the child's life in many cases. A lot of women are approached by formula saleswomen dressed as nurses, the mothers start formula, and then can't afford to keep feeding it to their children, and they dilute it with water. This can happen in low-income areas in developed countries as well, but at least our water isn't contaminated in the same way.

That said, I agree with you in principle. Restricting a parent's rights isn't a good thing. Something like making formula available by prescription would rasie awareness, though.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Good points as well. Hey, I remember that episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman where the baby was killed by formula (I think it was a problem with sterilization with the bottle or something). In general it's kind of awful that people have to fight about this at all--particularly people who have something to somehow gain by how a woman feeds her child, like a company producing formula or baby bottles.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

There's been a boycott of Nestle products for years for this very reason. It's hard to do, though, since Nestle products are so ubiquitous.

[tropes.livejournal.com]

OMG WAH THE CIRCUMCISION SITE. WAH WAH WAH.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I actually saw a circ when I was a nursing student. I had to physically force myself not to knock the doc to the floor to save the baby. Seriously, it was a completely visceral reacion. Afterwards, another student and I just stood there and cried. It was awful.

[meggitymeg.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting these. Even when I disagree, I respect your right to believe - and in some cases, you have given me the opportunity to learn more about an issue that I previously didn't know much about.

Re: the Consistent Life Ethic - I am pro-choice, primarily because I've met v. v. few people in this world that I'd trust to make decisions about my own body. Still, I particularly like this passage:

If one contends, as we do, that the right of every fetus to be born should be protected by civil law and supported by civil consensus, then our moral, political and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth. Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us: the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker.

This is exactly why I could never vote for (or be) a Republican, or even a conservative. I believe whole-heartedly in the support of the powerless. And I think that every self-righteous (Republican)bastard out there who decries abortion and welfare in subsquent breaths should be held to this standard.

On a non-related note: I got into a (rare) argument with my best friend this morning via IM, over the movie Love Actually and whether it was/promoted "anti-American(ism)." I love my friend - we've been friends for nearly 20 years - but we NEVER discuss politics, simply because she was raised (and continues to be) conservative Christian Republican in small-town Georgia, and I was the "freaky liberal hippies' kid" in that same small town. Anyway, our discussion/argument really left a bad taste in my mouth...and this is really a round-about way of asking, can I gack your "Dissent is Patriotic" icon? Because that's exactly how I feel right now.

I have more to say, but it's lunchtime. Maybe later. Thanks again.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

If one contends, as we do, that the right of every fetus to be born should be protected by civil law and supported by civil consensus, then our moral, political and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth. Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us: the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker.

Absolutely. We need to support the women who are having the kids. The amount of abortions in the country (far more than I think the people who wrote Roe v. Wade ever imagined) is a symptom of the way women, especially poor women, are treated in this country.

Feminists for Life say, "Every thirty-six seconds in America a woman lays her body down, forced to choose abortion out of a lack of practical resources and emotional support. Abortion is a reflection that society has failed women." That being said, I basically hate the pro-life movement, because they don't address the problems of women, but instead, cloak their narrow-minded views in the Bible. FFL seems to be the exception.

Yeah, you can gack my icon. I got it from the button page of northernsun.com. They actually have some great stuff.

I'll shut up now.

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

I think you've put your finger on why the abortion thing is such a hot topic for me. I *hate* the idea of choice being taken away from a woman regarding what is happening with her body. But at the same time, the "choice" to have an abortion is often not a choice at all, but the last refuge of a desperate woman. The support systems need to be instituted- and not just in the US, this is the case world-wide, IIRC- to give women the chance to make an informed choice on what is best for them and the fetus, not be forced by circumstance.

(Oh, and thanks for the link about the breast feeding)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

But at the same time, the "choice" to have an abortion is often not a choice at all, but the last refuge of a desperate woman.

Yep. I wonder how many fewer abortions there'd be if pregnant women were supported and treated like the living miracles they are. Dude, the mothers! We'd disappear without them. Yet the world as a whole treats young, poor, single pregnant women with disdain and contempt. It kind of makes you wonder what they'd make of Mary of Nazareth.

[muffytaj.livejournal.com]

Yet the world as a whole treats young, poor, single pregnant women with disdain and contempt.

I think that's caused by two main things:

1. Leftover Christian values about sex only in marriage.

2. The view the media puts up of those girls being crackwhores and sluts.

I've heard so many stories (hell, I know people) who've been celibrate and had sex once, only to get pregnant. Or have been dumped.

If you're married and get pregnant, all the congradulations and applaud and love you get showered on you is nice, but not really needed because you have a partner and a stable life or at least an income. The girls who really need some sort of support are the single girls without money etc and they're the ones who get avoided and shunned.

I agree with most of your stuff too ^_^ And the sad thing about some of the stuff (like how Bush is fucking things up with power etc) is that I don't think it's ever going to be fixed. Not unless something drastic happens.

[meggitymeg.livejournal.com]

Abortion is a reflection that society has failed women.

Not that the women have failed, but the society itself.

I love that quote.

And thanks for the icon gack-age. :D

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

No defriending here, I agree with a lot of this. Especially Number 1. Unfortunately we don't have decent public trans here like you guys do in New England. I wish we did, it's a pet peeve of mine that everyone out here has to have the status symbol car. For that matter living in California is difficult if you don't drive. IF the price of gas went sky high then maybe people would finally start pushing for a better public trans system.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

IF the price of gas went sky high then maybe people would finally start pushing for a better public trans system.

That's why I'm for it. Sometimes you have to shock people into action. There are so many people who only do what's good for them. Raising the price on gas would make it personal.

[ackonrad.livejournal.com]

Homebirths are safer? *curious* I don't see the difference here. What does it matter whether I'm going to give birth at home or in the hospital? I far as I know, very few women give birth at home - it's not common.

This circumcision link was horrible. I completely agree with you on this issue.

I disagree about the anti-abortion thing, because I happen to know families with too many unwanted children and how they're treated at home. As for the infant formula thing... I'm one of these children who haven't been breastfeeded and I don't see anything wrong with mothers who don't want to do that.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Homebirths are safer? *curious* I don't see the difference here. What does it matter whether I'm going to give birth at home or in the hospital? I far as I know, very few women give birth at home - it's not common.

Rather than drone on and on at the virtual mouth here, I'll reference you this page has a lot of citations on the safety of homebirth v. hospital birth.


The World Health Organisation says, "There has never been a single scientifically valid study which shows that the hospital is safer than the home for low-risk woman. Anything in print to the contrary is simply not true."

WHO also says,"Many complications that develop in a hospital would not have occurred in the home and can be attributed to the altered state of the woman and a self-fulfilling prophecy of having trouble."

I disagree about the anti-abortion thing, because I happen to know families with too many unwanted children and how they're treated at home,

I know families with wanted children who are treated badly. I've never read anything that says that unwanted children are statistically treated worse than wanted ones. *looks fondly at own product of an unplanned pregnancy* Also, adoption is a pretty readily available option. I think what we need is more support for women who do make the choice to give their babies up, because gah. That's got to be a really hard thing to do.

I wasn't breastfed either. My mom was told she was "too nervous" to breastfeed and that her condition would "get into the milk and make the baby nervous". *rolls eyes* She wishes she hadn't listened to the doc today, and so do I. I might not have had as many infections as a child.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Heheh.

[greenapricot.livejournal.com]

1 and 8. YESYESYESYESYES! And I agree with everything else too (except 3) but those two just make me grind my teeth in frustration and want yell at people to. Wake up already.

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I mostly agree with you, just a couple of comments:

1. Why do you think the Consistent Life Ethic makes you unpopular in liberal camps? I'd think it'd make you a lot more unpopular in conservative camps. I'd fall under the same thing except that I'm pro-euthanasia. IIRC, the first year it was legalized in...was it Washington?, over a hundred people received prescriptions for the drugs and virtually nobody used them. It just gave them a feeling of security that if the patient felt too bad, he or she could take them.

2. I agree with the home birth as well, but some of those statistics were a bit misleading. Of course midwives will have lower infant death rates--do you think high-risk patients will choose a home birth over a hospital? And they're the ones more likely to have the baby die. The ones just looking at low-risk patients were fine, I thought.

3. A friend of mine got to talk to Howard Dean a while ago, and I really like him too, especially after he told me some of the conversation. Because he's--OMG--he's consistent. Dean said he only supported civil unions for homosexuals because he thought marriage should be a religious institution, and so my friend asked him if he thought the same about heterosexual couples. Dean said yes, that any couple married by the state, regardless of orientation, should have only a civil union. I don't know what he'd do about the laws favoring marriage, then, but still. A consistent politician.

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

Ack, bad grammar. It just gave them a feeling of security that if they felt too bad, they could take the drugs.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

1. Why do you think the Consistent Life Ethic makes you unpopular in liberal camps?

Because I've experienced it. Mention that maybe abortion's not a miracle to some people, and they toss you out on your arse. No, it's not true of everyone. But there are knee-jerkers in the liberal camp as much as in the conservative one.

[peacey.livejournal.com]

<< Except for people who had family or friends who died in the 9/11 attacks, Americans need to Get Over It, People... >>

You have GOT to be joking. I respect your opinion Kel, but you're so far off the mark on this one as to be orbiting Pluto. Your way of thinking on this subject is JUST AS DANGEROUS - no, moreso - than the way you imagine those in positions of power use the trajedy of 9/11. I'm not going to say any more on the subject.

<< There are plenty of other countries who have to deal with acts of terrorism every single day.>>

And we damned well may be one of them some day. I believe that's what we're fighting for. Sheesh.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

People are using a national tragedy for their own agendas. I believe that a hundred percent. I'm not dumping on the people who lost loved ones or denying that this was a national tragedy. I'm just saying that a national tragedy isn't an exuse to make war. Or sell T-shirts with flags on them. Or think we're holier-than-all. Having said that, what happend on Sept.11 was a horrible, awful thing. I'm not belitting it, although I think a lot of Special Interest Groups are, indeed.

And we damned well may be one of them some day. I believe that's what we're fighting for. Sheesh.

I think that maybe the tactics we're using will cause us to be. I hope not with all my heart.

Love you, darlin'. I promise. *hug*

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

Actually, sadly, we are having to deal with acts of terrorism every day, just not on our own soil. Our soldiers are having to deal with it instead, fighting a war that had/has nothing to do with terrorism and everything to do with oil and family vendettas. They're dealing with it because the supposed Commander in Chief of the military stood up and said 'Bring it on,' when he's no where near the fighting. To quote John McCutcheon, "These guys who’ll never face a risk/ Are quick to draw the sword." It's a complete and utter tragedy and, unfortunately, if we're at a higher risk for terrorism now, it's because of George W. and his Iraqi war. We had a real chance to finish the job in Afghanistan, but now that's falling apart because of troops being diverted to try to maintain some sort of order in Iraq. On top of that, the National Guard is being used as combat troops, when they are supposed to be our first line of defence against any terrorist strikes on American soil. We're dangerously without that backup to the 'first responders', however, and I think that has a huge potential to blow up in our faces. We don't need to ignore the threat of terrorism, but we need to meet it as Americans, standing up for what our flag's always stood for - freedom. If we can meet the challenge of terrorism without restricting our rights or breaking international law (as a member of a Pentagon Advisory Board recently admitted we had done in invading Iraq), then we've sent a far stronger message.

[jessindistress.livejournal.com]

(((hugs)))

Hon, you weren't around on Mamatron when it was happening, were you? You'd have fit in there very much if you were... ;)

I'm totally with you on the tax for breastpumps- that would be an AWESOME idea.

And I agree with you pretty much on your views... and even if I didn't- d00d, I wouldn't defriend you- you have every right to think differently to me on things. ((hugs))

Oh, and I adore your icon. Brilliance in the extreme.

~Jess

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

What's Mamatron?

[jessindistress.livejournal.com]

Aw, d00d... Mamatron rocked.

It was an online community for mamas who didn't swallow the usual garbage parents are expected to- basically it ran through messageboards... but it was more than BabyCenter or whatever- we were mamas who thought about stuff... who were activists... it was brilliant... I think the best way to have described it was 'a radical parenting board'- although we didn't agree on everything, we did have the general consensus that just because we'd had kids, we hadn't lost our ability to think for ourselves... It was the one parenting community I've felt I could fit into and be myself on- not like everywhere else where you mention you've got tattoos and you're vegetarian and bisexual and people freak out and call you irresponsible...

It came about after the HipMama boards went- but there were issues beacoup in MT and it went under at the start of 2002... :( But it was awesome while it lasted... a lot of my non-fandom buddies on LJ are ex-MTers... ;)

~Jess

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

boob_nazis is a good community, from what I've seen. It's not as general as the other ones seem to have been, but.