Media Lies

I was a Political Science major as well as a history and education minor. Yes, I had dreams of being a Political Science professor in some liberal arts college somewhere. Alas, the real world took over and I ended up taking a different path. But I never lost my interest in politics.

One of the best classes I ever took was Politics and Mass Media. It was extraordinary to follow an election cycle and take note of the subtle and not so subtle ways the media (in those days, evening news, newspapers, news magazines, etc) tilted their coverage in the general direction of the political leanings of the newspaper. They used grainier pictures of the opposing candidate and reported more positively on their candidate even when both candidates had done the same thing. What determined the newspaper's political leanings? We were taught to follow the money (who runs the news organization), to question what we read and what we heard. HUMANS produce news which means even with the best intentions, untruths can sneak in. In the worst cases. online articles, news reports and articles are simply propaganda. And just because propaganda is repeated by a familiar name or face, doesn't make it true.

PLEASE do your research. Listen to news from at least three different sources that have different political leanings. No, FOX is not "fair and balanced" but CNN is not the "most trusted name in news". either. I'm so happy that people are taking a greater interest in politics but I've seen outright lies repeated over the last few days like they are facts and we Americans need to focus on truth not the fluff the media feeds us.

Is this a baby? Only if You Want It To Be!

So yesterday was election day.  I heard on the news that there was a referendum in the state of Mississippi about "Personhood".   Basically, the argument was about when life begins. Is it when a baby is born?  When it is conceived?  Somewhere along the pregnancy once it can be viable outside the womb?

I believe life begins when the sperm meets the egg which plants me firmly on the anti-abortion side of the argument.  The Catholic teachings on this are clear but my beliefs were confirmed wholeheartedly after our two miscarriages this year.  I had several early sonograms and was even able to see my baby's heartbeat at just 5 and a half weeks. To me, it was a child.  I realize that each person's experience will influence their feelings on this subject but in some ways, I think Americans are rather confused.

I hear many Americans demand "reproductive rights" for women and lots of women (who want to claim to be strong, powerful modern day feminists), jump on this bandwagon.  "It's my body no one can tell me what to do or not do with it!"  While it may be the woman's choice, I beleive your reproductive rights begin with choosing whether or not to have sex, not just what to do with the results.   We all have free will so of course we have a choice.  

I just wonder why women don't exercise their reproductive right not to reproduce if you don't want children?  Abstinence (shocking word for 2011.. I know!) or even contraception is not a better alternative to abortion? 

Even if you don't consider it a child, why put your body through the unecessary medical procedure, anesthesia, etc., when you could have used a condom or birth control pills or the always underused word "no"?   (No, of course I'm not talking about rape and incest.. yet).   

I think that much of the decision about whether a life is worth protecting is subjective when it shouldn't be. Life/Death issues like abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty debate come down to one single idea.  Is this life worth protecting?  Is it valuable?  Do you want this baby or do you not want this baby?  Here's are some examples of the incongruities:

• Life Is Not Valuable - If a woman accidentally gets pregnant (not possible btw...if you have sex, you can get pregnant.  It isn't an accident. It was a roulette wheel you chose to spin.), it is her reproductive right to have an abortion.  Those who would say she shouldn't kill her unborn child are trampling on her civil rights.
• Life Is Valuable- If a pregnant woman is murdered, her murderer can be charges with two counts of manslaughter, one for her and one for her unborn baby.  Is the baby's life valuable because someone else killed it when the mother wanted it?  What if the mother was killed on the way to the abortion clinic?
• Life Is Not Valuable - When a woman has prenatal testing done to determine that her child will be born mentally or physically disabled and she aborts the child.  Society is expected to support her decision because it is her body and because it is more difficult to raise and care for a disabled child.  The mother couldn't be expected to have to care for such a child. That's too difficult, too expensive, too much! 
• Life Is Valuable - When a mother who has been trying to get pregnant miscarries.  She receives support, condolences, etc from her family and friends on the loss of her "child".  No one tells her they are sorry for the loss of her "fetus" or "fetal tissue".

Aren't we humans supposed to love and protect those tiny beings that cannot defend themselves?  The same people who are vehemently against animal cruelty can call themselves pro-choice?  I'm not sure how a kitten rates higher than a human child.  For me, all life needs to be respected whether it is a human (like an innocent pre-born child) or a murderer or a puppy. 

The overarching concept for me is that life is to be respected regardless of the situation.  I just can't understand how some can respect life and demand protection for it in some situations but destroy it when it fits their whim.  What is the difference between aborting a disabled pre born child and killing a six month old?  Nothing. 

Even children who are products of rape and incest and children who are mentally or physically disabled have value. The are gifts from God.  As a parent, and yes if you ever conceived a child you are a parent, your basic human responsibility is to love and nurture your offspring. It seems so unnatural to me to choose to end the life of someone you created because it was an inconvenient time or it might be too hard to deal with. 

Anti-Catholicism

I'm not saying it is easy to follow any religion these days. You are called the "crazy" religious right if you are a Christian. If you are Jewish you are cheap and money grubbing. If you happen to follow Allah and Mohamed's teachings, you must be a terrorist. It isn't easy following any major religion these days.


But in most of the world religions, there is suffering and difficulty before you receive your other worldly reward. While I am certainly not being burned at the stake like St. Joan of Arc, every day assaults on the Catholic Church become more and more acceptable.

Why is it ok to make fun of the Catholic church? We have one group to blame for most of it. Disgusting, pedofile priests who give wonderful, faithful priests a bad name. The worst thing the Church could have done is to cover up any of it. However, even if every offender was defrocked and sitting on death row for their crimes, Catholics would still be trying to live down this nightmare.


It seems that these days, it's ok to make fun of Catholics more than any other religious group.  To be honest, I'm sick of it.  Those people who yell and scream about tolerance need to be tolerant of ALL people, not just those that they agree with.   Here is an example of what I'm talking about.


If you want people to have respect for another person's religion, you need to respect the ALL.

The Classic Invitation RSVP

Today's Warrior Woman Topic - The Classic Invitation RSVP

In the last six years, I've thrown about 50 parties of one kind or another including my own wedding, other people's bridal and baby showers, etc..  Some were house parties and others were held at restaurants.  Some were family only and others included friends and neighbors.  It never ceases to amaze me that people do not understand what an RSVP is!  RSVP actually stands for the French phrase, "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".  

 

So when you receive an invitation and it says RSVP by June 1st, it is a courtesy to the party host that you call them to tell them you will be attending.  I'm willing to bet that those people who don't reply to the host of a party HATE it when their guests don't RSVP for THEIR parties.  I hear that complaint all the time! 

 

Bottom line is, if you don't want to come, don't come.  But give me the courtesy of calling me to let me know so I don't spend money on extra favors, too much food, or get stuck paying for more dinners than I needed to.  Just some common courtesy would suffice.  Here are my tips for a proper and thoughtful RSVP.

- Call as soon as you receive the invitation if you are sure you can or cannot attend. Why wait?
- Don't call someone else other than the host to let them know you are coming.  People do this all the time.  They call my mom to tell her they are coming to my sister's shower that I am throwing.  Mom's name is not anywhere on the invite.  Why call her and expect her to pass the message along?
- Don't assume that the host will know that you are coming
- Don't assume that the host will know that you are not coming
- Don't miss the RSVP deadline.  It's there for a reason.  The host probably has to decide how much food to cook or how many dinners to pay for at some point.  If you call after the deadline, you probably just caused her some unneeded stress
- Don't wait till the last minute to see if a better offer comes along
- Don't be late to the party.  It makes people think that you would rathe rbe doing something else other than attending. 
- Don't feel bad about saying no.  It's ok.  There will be other parties! 

The Awesome Hubs

With all this talk about fire and fighting and defending, I should explain that I am only able to go out and fight in the world because I have someone who ALWAYS has my back.  My husband and I have been friends for 14 years and together as a couple for 10 of those years.  He gets me.  That simple sentence means more than I could ever write or explain.  Not only does he get me in the sense that he understands what makes me tick, but he LIKES what makes me tick! 

 

He actually likes the fact that I am Warrior Woman by day and his to protect by night.  The duality in my personality endears me to him.  Strong on the outside but mushy on the inside is his thing and I am his. 

 

He's a pretty amazing person.  He's patient and kind and more than a little protective of me and our furbaby.  I think he fights his own battles all day but coming home to us makes it all worth while.  In a sense, he is my rock.  Did you ever play tag as a kid?  When you run around with everyone chasing you from all directions and all you want to do is get to "base" to catch your breath.  Base was usually a big oak tree or a car or some other large sturdy object where no one could tag you.  You were safe.  Well, the hubs is my "base" and I think I'm his. 

 

All becomes right in the world when I get a hug at night and I forget about the battles of the day.  He kisses the scrapes and reminds me of how awesome I am and I feel refreshed and ready to head out the next morning.  Behind (no... NEXT TO) every good Warrior Woman is a man strong enough to love her in spite of herself.  Even when the tip of the sword tilts toward him, he knows her and knows she is only fighting because she is hurting.  He knows he can heal her. 

 

He is awesome. 

Catholicism - Not for the faint of heart!

Being a Catholic in the United States in 2010 is not easy. Everywhere you go you are assaulted by the media encouraging you to do what feels good. Catholicism is not about giving in to your desires and always doing what makes you happy. It is about realizing that God has a plan for your life. The ultimate plan is for you to join Him in heaven.

Unfortunately, if you do most of the things American society thinks is ok, a trip upstairs to meet the heavenly Father is probably not in your future. You are much more likely to need shorts and some air conditioning where you are headed! Sex, drugs, alcohol, cheating, lying, adultery... All ten commandments are broken in the first five minutes of the evening news, prime time TV shows or movies.

I was talking to my mother recently about teen pregnancy. She grew up in New York City in the 1950s. She didn't know anyone who got pregnant in high school. Why? Because people would have been horrified, embarrased, guilty, ostracized. You were sent away to have the baby. Sometimes it was put up for adoption, other times the grandmother would raise it as her own child. Many times the family moved out of town to avoid the whispers and stares. There were a million punishments for an unmarried girl who got pregnant in the 1950s. Society did not tolerate it well and that was a lot of incentive to avoid it. Too many people were following the Catholic Church's rules back then and didn't accept it well when someone decided to step out of line.

Fast forward to today when phrases like "baby momma" and shows like "16 and Pregnant" don't even raise any eyebrows. Why has teen pregnancy risen astronomically over the last 50 years? Because enough people started to accept it. Now, it's a slight inconvenience not a scarlet letter.

So many of the church's teachings center on the strength of the family and the importance of following God's rules. What is the purpose of these rules? Why does the church think it is so important to raise a child in a home with a mom and a dad who are married? I think their rules are in place simply to keep people on the straight and narrow as much as possible. They are intended to be an external moral compass to compliment your internal moral compass. You can choose to follow the rules of the Church, or not.

Personally, I choose to follow (or try to follow since I am NOT perfect) the Catholic rules. This does not make me stupid or old fashioned. It simply means that I believe in Jesus and want to follow his teachings to the best of my ability. But society wants me to go to the movies instead of church, to cheat on my husband if the sex isn't good, to cheat on my taxes and to lie about anything that is inconvenient.

I think it's harder to be Catholic in 2010 than it was for mom and dad in 1950. Few people around me go to church so if I want to sleep in, I can. No feeling bad, no guilt, no neighbors saying, "We missed you in church on Sunday. Are you feeling alright?"

The warrior woman comes out in me when people make fun of Catholics or discourage me from following my faith. I fight to be Catholic every day. My sword is my determination and faith that if I live as Jesus wants me to, I will have rewards in heaven beyond all imagination.

I'm willing to fight myself and the influences around me on earth for a chance to spend eternity in heaven. To me it's a fight worth winning.

Square Peg, Round Hole

I told you that I consider myself a warrior because I feel like I am always fighting everything in my life. What I believe, how I live my life and what I find interesting always seem to be at odds with everyone around me. Generally, I feel like a square peg in a round hole most of the time.

My first problem is that I am relatively conservative. I don't think that there's anything wrong with identifying as a conservative, moderate or liberal. I do find it offensive that I am asked to accept everyone else's opinions and told that my conservative leanings are old fashioned or out of touch. Not true. My beliefs are different, not wrong. In fact, I find it funny that people who consider themselves intellectually superior cannot understand this. If you want the freedom to express yourself, you need to allow others to do this too, even when they don't agree with you.

More on this later...