We are what we read -- and watch

I've been thinking a lot about how what we read forms who we are

particularly right now - I'm reading some wonderful child psychology books by Dr. Leonard Sax - and I can see how what I'm reading is seeping into my every day life.

eventually I will digest it

but for now - it's so strongly in my mind.
like a new religion I've taken up

I'm a bit zealous about it.

There was a time in this country when extremists were fringe people -- off in the distance -- they might be living off in a commune somewhere -- or in a cult

Now that we have the wonders of the Internet -- we are all exposed to so much information

and this information isn't filtered through anyone

I don't have an editor
neither do any of the blogs I read
on either side of the argument.

We're able to say what we want
substantiated or not

We're allowed to call names
We're allowed to be racist
and sexist
and homophobic

all we want

in the past -- extremists might get out a soapbox
and stand on it
and preach to anyone in earshot

who might or might not stop and listen
and might or might not agree

but now -- now we can search not only for the news we want
but in the version we want

You can read about how Komen bowed to the pressure of the religious right who is cut-throat in it's desire to send us back to the dark ages
or
You can read about how the leftist socialist hippie abortionists used political power to bully Komen into backing down from their just decision.

your choice

now you can feed your brain
with ONLY the message you want to hear

you can filter out your facebook friends so you don't have to see
messages you don't agree with

you can feed yourself with FOX if you so choose.

the end result is that we all become much more extreme in our views
because they are continually reflected back at us

Instead of the Internet being a window
it's a mirror

Yes -- I'll be blogging on 2/15
and every day before then
I think our message is simple
and yes
it's biased
it's our opinion
but it's without venom
and I won't call it NEWS.

Your God

Thanks to a great friend who found this for me

Whatever did happen to the God of love?

As I listened to this -- I realize there are some who would think that I'm not a good christian
that I don't believe
that I am making fun of Christianity

I am not mocking Christianity
just some of the Christians do in the name of Chritianity

as for whether or not I am a good Christian
well -- I'll leave that for God to judge

Blog with us about Women's Reproductive Rights on 2/15
Cheryl Would

WTF is going on with her?

So

I know that people who've known me for years are a bit shocked

shocked that I'm interested in anything
other than painting

or being a wise ass in general

where did all this come from?

It's been building up for some time

I have found myself getting frustrated
no

angry
about how things are going in my country

at the same time

I've had some new experiences
that have made me realize

that even though I am one woman alone

that

every person who ever made a difference

was just one woman
or one man

and this is what I think gets in our way
makes us complacent

is the idea that we're not important
that what we believe isn't important

that no one is listening
that what we can do is so small
that no one will care.

but you know what?

it's not true

because here you are

listening.

are you buying into it?

maybe
maybe not

but you're listening.

and that's why I'm doing it

someone has to say

stop
enough
no more

someone has to say that protecting
our liberty is important

that men and women who
fought for rights

didn't fight in vain

sometimes you have to protect what you value

so

think you don't have anything to say
that you can't make a difference?

well -- I'll tell you -- you don't have to change the world

you just have to reach out
and change one mind

Come blog with us about reproductive rights on 2/15 -- 

Go Forth and be Lobbyists?

And then Jesus said, "Go Forth and become lobbyists..."

no?

that's not what he said?

where's my bible.

oh yes

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men


I am a christian
I am a lost christian -- without a community


because here I am 
smack dab in the buckle of the bible belt

surrounded by churches too extreme for my taste

I am alienated

I often feel alone

Jesus wanted us to follow Him

emulate Him

reach out to others and lift them up

He wanted us to heal the sick

feed the hungry

comfort the grieving

I don't recall a passage where He encouraged us

to march on Rome

and demand changes to legislation

He wanted us to love each other

and 

all of this makes me sad.

I feel like He is lost

Where are Jesus' words?

not Paul

you can keep Paul -- Paul was a man

trapped in his own time

Paul's writings are filled with sexism that's been used

to control women for generations

but Where are Jesus' words?

where's the love?

I think it's time that we started to ask

ourselves

WWJD?

would He pressure foundations to remove funding that supports the poor?

would He bend to political pressure and be moved from his mission?

would He yell hateful messages to wounded girls seeking medical care -- even if he didn't agree with it?

Not my Jesus.

It's about Control

No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.
Margaret Sanger

it's interesting  -- this whole battle - isn't it?

for me? -- it's not about abortion

never has been

it's about control

control of my body

control of my sexuality

control of my own speech

I've noticed over the past few years -- that being pro-choice -- is something that's

what's the word I'm looking for

indelicate.

it's become a political statement that's too sensitive to mention

sure -- with your friends

but being pro-choice publicly

let's say

at work

GASP

it's subtly become a taboo subject

which is insane.

my right to choose is legal

what other legal right is a delicate subject about which we must not speak?

you'll hear me say this many times over the next few weeks while we focus on this project

I feel that my rights are being endangered by religion.

no

not true

I feel that my rights are being endangered by religious zealots

how is this different from religious zealots in other parts of the world who murder women for violating their rules

lol

well -- it's a bit different

but it's dipping a toe into it.

and that's how it all begins -- this diminishing of rights

the regulating of them

I have the right to protect my body

to own my body

I have the right to control what goes into it

and what comes out of it

I have the right to talk about my rights

we have it wrong

it's not freedom OF religion that we need

it's freedom FROM religion

Margaret Sanger was right

we are not free

if we do not even control our own bodies.

Join us and blog about Reproductive Rights on 2/15

Margaret would if she could

Barry Goldwater even hated the Religious Right

On religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both.
I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in "A," "B," "C" and "D." Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?
And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of "conservatism."

• Speech in the US Senate (16 September 1981)

Blog with us on February 15th about Women's Reproductive Rights -- Even Barry would do it.

Bloggers United for Human Rights -- Feb 15 event

It's been an interesting few weeks -- We've seen the Girl Scouts singled out for supporting Planned Parenthood and Pro-Life groups encouraging people to stop supporting the scouts in response

And most recently -- we see that the Susan G Komen Foundation pulling funding from Planned Parenthood endangering programs that provide free and low cost mammograms to women in need....all due to political pressure.

I ask myself -- why is this happening?

Is it because the majority of American society is following the religious right agenda?

no.

I don't believe it.

I believe that most Americans are somewhere in the middle -- like me.

but here's the problem with us.

We're not organized.
We're not vocal.

We're not passionate about defending rights
about being heard
about saying to the Susan G. Komen foundation -- "we will pull OUR support of your organization if you bend to the will of fundamentalists just because they are noisy"

so -- what can I do?

I'm one voice.

ah

I can reach out to all of you.

my fellow bloggers

and say -- Let's focus our efforts.

Let's not talk about recipes
or news about our kids
or our craft projects

or whatever else we normally blog about

let's talk about women's reproductive rights

all at the same time

February 15th

meet me here -- to share your views on your blog

it's Susan B Anthony's birthday -- let's show her we know how it's done -- let's join our voices

and show them how loud we can be.

Facebook event page