I feel like pointing out something about abstinence-only programs, something like it "worked well for your family didn't it", doesn't even need to be said.
So I won't say it. No reason to state the obvious, now is there?
Well, look at the bright side. We already endured eight years of dangerous religious conservatism, so what's a few more if circumstances cause her to become president? We're already used to it.
The thing is, though, Bush was really half-assed at it. He wasn't driven by real conviction, just pandering. God help us if a true believer was actually at the helm.
I mean, even Bush never said that birth control for consenting adults in an exclusive relationship is inherently a bad thing.
Just curious, how many people went through an education that only taught abstinence? Texas is like that, and it's not a coincidence a bunch of girls I know have either had abortions or have kids now. Some of them more than 1 kid, too. Talking with my mom like a year ago, she was shocked that I had never heard even the CONCEPT of a condom in any type of sex ed class.
Then again, if I had just learned sex from what the school taught me, I don't think I would have any idea how sex actually happened, or anything involved with "private parts." All I would associate with sex is getting either horrifying STDS that will kill you, or gonorrhea. Point is, it might just be my experience with my school system that sucked so much. Even students from like a year ahead of me say they watched info videos like child-birth in some class over the years-- lucky me, I never witnessed any such program. Pretty much everything I learned about sex with either from my mom or from talking about it with friends outside of school.
Or urbandictionary.com, if all else failed. That site will teach you a lot of things.
I'm pretty sure that we had a sex ed course that taught contraceptives. I don't remember much about it.. but I think we learned about STDs and all kinds of birth control methods. I don't remember anyone getting pregnant at our school... I only heard of one rumored abortion.
I had a sex ed class that taught about contraceptives, but then immediately after they told us that having sex before getting married causes stress and means you don't love your partner as much as someone who was abstainent.
My school's sex ed classes were great, despite being taught about contraception by an Irish Catholic woman who clearly didn't believe in it, as she was always pregnant. Always.
Well, I lived in Plano (suburb of Dallas for those of you who aren't Mish) for my middle school years, and I don't remember what they taught us. I remember someone at some point in time teaching how to use condoms by rolling it over her fingers, but I can't for the life of me place what state that was in. I remember laughing at it, because I was very mature for my age.
I want to say that a long, long time ago, when I was in early middle school, that my school in Plano taught us to just say no. But that might've been to drugs, which was very relevant, given Plano had made Dateline NBC for being the nation's heroin capital. I am leaning towards thinking they taught abstinence, but I don't remember.
You know what, I'll ask my parents and see if they remember. I'm really curious about this now.
Edit: My old man memory is fading, so I changed what I wrote.
Ok I got in on this late, I know McCain was trying to steal the "first female VP choice ever" from the democrats, too bad he failed. Democrat candidate Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his VP in 1984. Whoa, that was fast.
Also on the subject of Palin, I don't see how she could help as a VP at all, here are some examples of the types of decisions she makes and opinions she supports. She doesn't think polar bears belong on the endangered species list, she doesn't think global warming is happening at all, caused by humans or otherwise, and she mandated a bounty on coyotes, you get the bounty by turning in their front legs after cutting them off. Plus she has absolutely no experience with anything she'll need, before being the VP pick she was the Governor of Alaska for a year, before that, the mayor of a town of 6000, before that the president of her local PTA.
Frankly, partially because of this choice and his reasons for making it, McCain doesn't stand a chance.
I wish I could say that surprised me, but by this point, I would disappointed by anything less from Tanya.
We had Health class in High-school. We learned about sex, drugs and rock and roll from a man who spent at least 20 years of his life doing field research on the subjects. He even gave us useful information like never double wrap with condoms because the lubricant won't stop the latex from rubbing against each other and will make holes in both condoms. So you're better off taking your chances with one. We also learned CPR and first-aid in that class.
I don't think anyone ever said McCain was trying to be first with his VP choice. If he's old enough to remember when the flag had 48 stars, he should be old enough to remember the first female Democratic VP too. At least, I hope so...
And Tanya, Canada is so funny. Don't ever stop being Canadian.
For someone who speaks of family values, Palin made some poor choices it seems. Knowing her daughter was pregnant, she should have turned down the nomination. Now one 17-year-old girl's pregnancy is international news, and I think that's just sad. I feel bad for her, and I refuse to read any articles about it. I implore you all to do the same. Plus, it could have given her some time to make her Vice Presidential resume longer than half a page.
Also, word on the street is that Palin went back to work 3 days after giving birth in April. Either she's a bionic woman, or she places work much higher up than the family values she so proudly stands for.
Adam, would it surprise you that the class voted for me to do that demo, of all the girls.
But I too am kinda disgruntled by her trying to do it all. I know, feminism rah rah, but there are also some great feminists who go out, get their women's studies masters, then realize through all their studies that they indeed belong at home raising the kids.
Why should women work if they don't have to? Look at Japanese women! Ryan, Adam, did our host moms not have the rockingest deal? And to think, we work instead of going to cake making class, or playing mahjong all day. And our teacher who used to put on her husband's socks for him? Yeah. That was hot. And the neighbours thought she was getting a raw deal... heh. Americans.
Well how involved was she in Alaskan Independence? I saw one video of her giving an opening greeting to a party convention. It sounded to me like she was just encouraging multiple values and opinions to be expressed freely. I didn't get an impression of anarchy or anything. But I only watched one video.
Adam, would it surprise you that the class voted for me to do that demo, of all the girls.
But I too am kinda disgruntled by her trying to do it all. I know, feminism rah rah, but there are also some great feminists who go out, get their women's studies masters, then realize through all their studies that they indeed belong at home raising the kids.
Why should women work if they don't have to? Look at Japanese women! Ryan, Adam, did our host moms not have the rockingest deal? And to think, we work instead of going to cake making class, or playing mahjong all day. And our teacher who used to put on her husband's socks for him? Yeah. That was hot. And the neighbours thought she was getting a raw deal... heh. Americans.
...Sorry, but all jokes aside, that mental picture really doesn't sound all that great. Putting on someone's socks for them is not hot, it's like a mom tending to her kids. I'm definitely not a feminist, but I do have some self respect, and (will have) respect for my husband. Hearing about someone putting on their husband's socks is similar to hearing about a women wiping her husband's ass. It's just not necessary! Definitely a difference in cultures, and one that I do not agree with. I'm sure they're happy and good for them, but I really do wonder if the women would want more independence if they ever experienced it.
On a different note... this Palin choice was kinda lame. I was likin McCain, and I was just figuring "Well, he probably won't die, but I guess it is a very big possibility." But knowing that, in the off-chance he DOES die in office... we'd be fucked. Has John McCain offered any respectable reasons for why he chose her? I don't keep up with the news as much in my dorm, and all I've heard is that they had talked a bit, and he 'liked' her for the choice.
So, I had a random question this morning: If McCain dies BEFORE the election; does that mean that the republicans won't have a nomine? Or will they take a runner up?
In my own opinion (key word), the foundation of feminism is this: being able to choose. The core of anti-feminism is, conversely, telling a woman she can't do something solely because she's a woman—taking any choice away from her specifically because of her gender. "You can't be an astronaut, because you're a woman. You can't be president because you're a woman. You can't run a company because you're a woman." All of those oppressive "can't"s.
One of the weird things about modern feminism is that some feminists seem to be putting their own limits on women's choices. That feels backward to me. It's as if you can't choose a family on your own terms and still be considered a strong woman. How is that empowering? Are there rules about if, when, and how we love or marry and if, when, and how we have kids? Are there jobs we can and can't have in order to be a "real" feminist? To me, those limitations seem anti-feminist in basic principle.
If McCain dies before the election, I forsee two scenarios:
A) If it is still far enough away from the election, they can hastily appoint someone else to be the nominee. I'm not sure if they would ask Palin to do it (God help us) or if they would ask someone like Romney or Huckabee who were second and third in delegate totals, respectively. I'm not sure when the window for this sort of thing closes, but I assume it will be soon.
They proceed with McCain on the ballot anyway, and if he wins his electoral college votes would be controlled by the party and they can just give them to Palin for President (remember, technically the Electors from each state can vote for anyone they want, they're just usually chosen by the party of the candidate who won the state's popular vote so that their loyalty is assured). She would appoint a new VP (which would have to be approved by both houses of Congress) after she was sworn in. What she could do is pledge to resign after she and the Congress select a new VP so that that person could be the President, having the support of elected representatives of the people or somesuch. I doubt this scenario based on what I have discerned about Palin's power-hungry personality.
Comments
as a sidenote, this video is inaccurate. Sarah Palin is opposed to the use of the birth control pill and other contraceptives.
So I won't say it. No reason to state the obvious, now is there?
I mean, even Bush never said that birth control for consenting adults in an exclusive relationship is inherently a bad thing.
Then again, if I had just learned sex from what the school taught me, I don't think I would have any idea how sex actually happened, or anything involved with "private parts." All I would associate with sex is getting either horrifying STDS that will kill you, or gonorrhea. Point is, it might just be my experience with my school system that sucked so much. Even students from like a year ahead of me say they watched info videos like child-birth in some class over the years-- lucky me, I never witnessed any such program. Pretty much everything I learned about sex with either from my mom or from talking about it with friends outside of school.
Or urbandictionary.com, if all else failed. That site will teach you a lot of things.
I want to say that a long, long time ago, when I was in early middle school, that my school in Plano taught us to just say no. But that might've been to drugs, which was very relevant, given Plano had made Dateline NBC for being the nation's heroin capital. I am leaning towards thinking they taught abstinence, but I don't remember.
You know what, I'll ask my parents and see if they remember. I'm really curious about this now.
Edit: My old man memory is fading, so I changed what I wrote.
Also on the subject of Palin, I don't see how she could help as a VP at all, here are some examples of the types of decisions she makes and opinions she supports. She doesn't think polar bears belong on the endangered species list, she doesn't think global warming is happening at all, caused by humans or otherwise, and she mandated a bounty on coyotes, you get the bounty by turning in their front legs after cutting them off. Plus she has absolutely no experience with anything she'll need, before being the VP pick she was the Governor of Alaska for a year, before that, the mayor of a town of 6000, before that the president of her local PTA.
Frankly, partially because of this choice and his reasons for making it, McCain doesn't stand a chance.
Same Here!!!
...
and coyotes keep down cat populations, which in turn is good for songbirds!
We had Health class in High-school. We learned about sex, drugs and rock and roll from a man who spent at least 20 years of his life doing field research on the subjects. He even gave us useful information like never double wrap with condoms because the lubricant won't stop the latex from rubbing against each other and will make holes in both condoms. So you're better off taking your chances with one. We also learned CPR and first-aid in that class.
My school district sucked. On the plus side, a ways into the class in middle school the teacher went over contraceptives anyway.
And Tanya, Canada is so funny. Don't ever stop being Canadian.
For someone who speaks of family values, Palin made some poor choices it seems. Knowing her daughter was pregnant, she should have turned down the nomination. Now one 17-year-old girl's pregnancy is international news, and I think that's just sad. I feel bad for her, and I refuse to read any articles about it. I implore you all to do the same. Plus, it could have given her some time to make her Vice Presidential resume longer than half a page.
Also, word on the street is that Palin went back to work 3 days after giving birth in April. Either she's a bionic woman, or she places work much higher up than the family values she so proudly stands for.
...wow, she is really getting me angry.
Alaskan independance anyone?
And her stance on the issues... well I'd sooner elect another bush
But I too am kinda disgruntled by her trying to do it all. I know, feminism rah rah, but there are also some great feminists who go out, get their women's studies masters, then realize through all their studies that they indeed belong at home raising the kids.
Why should women work if they don't have to? Look at Japanese women! Ryan, Adam, did our host moms not have the rockingest deal? And to think, we work instead of going to cake making class, or playing mahjong all day. And our teacher who used to put on her husband's socks for him? Yeah. That was hot. And the neighbours thought she was getting a raw deal... heh. Americans.
On a different note... this Palin choice was kinda lame. I was likin McCain, and I was just figuring "Well, he probably won't die, but I guess it is a very big possibility." But knowing that, in the off-chance he DOES die in office... we'd be fucked. Has John McCain offered any respectable reasons for why he chose her? I don't keep up with the news as much in my dorm, and all I've heard is that they had talked a bit, and he 'liked' her for the choice.
Also on the subject of feminism: That’s my opinion in a giant nutshell.
A) If it is still far enough away from the election, they can hastily appoint someone else to be the nominee. I'm not sure if they would ask Palin to do it (God help us) or if they would ask someone like Romney or Huckabee who were second and third in delegate totals, respectively. I'm not sure when the window for this sort of thing closes, but I assume it will be soon.
I. Marioists will try to keep him with his same body, then the US would have its first zombie President.
II. Geokoists will put his brain into the body of a robot machine. Awesome.