Abortion and Voting

I am often asked, how I can be a Roman Catholic and a Democrat. The theory is, one cannot uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, while supporting candidates that would seek to keep abortion legal. Since my 53 years on this planet has convinced me that, if abortion were illegal, those who want one would simply go underground to get it, my vote doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this area.

In other words, making it illegal will not stop it. So, the killing will continue, no matter how I caste my vote. And, yes, I believe abortion is murder.

For those conservatives, ready to kill me, for being a baby-killing Democrat (and I have been called much worse by them), I want to say, loudly and clearly, I BELIEVE ABORTION IS MURDER. Once more, in case you missed it, conservatives, I BELIEVE ABORTION IS MURDER!!!!

I, also, believe we can actually SAVE more baby's lives with Democratic policies than Republican ones. Why? Because I know of several women in my life who told me they had abortions because they did not have the money to pay for the doctor bill. One woman looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I had to murder my baby because I had to choose between feeding the three children I already had, and paying the doctor for the one that was coming." Her deadbeat husband had left her with 3 kids. A few weeks later she found she was pregnant. I told her, indignant that I was at the time, "If abortion were illegal, you wouldn't have been able to get one." She replied, "It was." Nothing but free medical care was going to save that baby. She even told me she was prepared to give the child up for adoption, but there was no one to help her pay for the delivery. The horror, to me, of this is that she did not want an abortion, but felt she had no other choice.

Usually, when I relate the above story to conservatives, they get a very sympathetic look on their face. They genuinely feel sorry for her situation. But when I say that something like the "public option", or, horror of horrors, "universal health care" would save these children, one of two things comes out of their mouths: "That's socialism", or "We'd like to help, but we just can't afford it". Translation being, "I would let innocent babies die to prove a political point" or "I am too cheap to make sacrifices in my personal life so that babies can live."

Then, they go on to ask me if I believe that murders should go free. They talk about having the ability to prosecute women who murder their children via abortion. While I do not believe that murderers should go free, I also do not want to punish the aforementioned woman, or those in similar situations. Their nightmare is enough. Since I believe in an afterlife, and therefore, that all of us will be judged by God, I am not worried about anyone, ever, getting away with murder, or anything else, for that matter.

In my life I have also known women who had abortions because they could not pay for daycare, or food or whatever basic thing the baby would need. I have NEVER known any woman who had an abortion because she didn't want to be bothered with the child. Yes, some women have abortions for mind-bogglingly selfish reasons. Those women I would like to thrash, personally. But I believe them to be very rare. At least, I have never known one. And those babies are going to die no matter how I, any Democrat, or any conservative, votes. Because people that selfish, almost always get their way.

However, I can, by supporting candidates who will support universal health care, day care, food stamps and other social programs that twist the knickers of conservatives, enable more women to deliver healthy babies.

That's why I vote Democrat. To save the babies.

Leo McCarthy, Rest in Peace

Leo McCarthy passed away today. He was Lt. Gov. of California in the 1980s.

I went to college with his daughter, later she and I worked on the Dukakis campaign together. And during that time I had the honor of meeting Leo McCarthy.

I tend to judge people based on small things, not great ones. Leo was a man of great character, I think. He was not one to force himself into the limelight.

How do I know? During the Dukakis campaign in 1988, Leo attended a rally. I came with a friend who, unbeknownst to me, sometimes had panic attacks when in large crowds.

I was busy doing whatever I volunteered to do, and my back was to my friend. Lt. Governor McCarthy noticed my friend was not looking well.

Without fanfare, without making a big noise about his good deed, he simply guided her out of the crowd to a place where she could feel more comfortable. He didn't have an aide do it, he did it himself.

He did this without the media even noticing.

He was pleasant and wonderful to talk with, I only met him the one time, but I am glad he passed through my life for he added a positiveness to it which I never forgot.

His passing is a loss to us all.

Congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS, DEMOCRATS!

Now, don't blow it!

Out of the Political Closet

When I first began this blog, and other endeavors under "The Democrat Lady", I did so for three reasons:

1) I did not want to place my personal information on the Internet.

2) I have a very common name and I share it with someone who is very active on the Internet and has written some books on HTML and other similar subjects. As, I, too, have a website about HTML, I did not want myself to be confused with her. I felt that since this is a political website, it was not fair to her, as my opinions might be mistakenly thought of as hers, and that might lead to problems for her.

3) In 2000, I created some web graphics in support of Al Gore for President and placed them on my own free graphics site. The ensuing avalanche of email calling me a "baby killer" (the only thing I was called that I can post on a blog) for supporting Democratic candidates was overwhelming.

4) Because of #3 above, I feared that my own online endeavor, my CafePress shops, would suffer if some people knew who I was.

I have decided to no longer be a coward. I am simply going to place the links here, in this spot, to my sites.

AmeriYank's AmeriWear -- fun designs on T-shirts, mugs, gifts, etc.

Mary and Jesus Shop -- Designs to earn money to donate for hurricane & tsunami survivors

AmeriYank's Graphics Farm -- Free graphics for Paint Shop Pro, some "paybee" graphics to keep the site open

HTML Tutorial -- very simple and basic

AmeriYank's Holiday Place -- Just some fun pages for various holidays

AmeriYank's World -- Just stuff I didn't know where else to put

And, of course...
The Democrat Lady's Shoppe -- Designs for the Democratically Inclined

I have been afraid my shops would suffer if some people on the Internet knew who I was. Well, OK, maybe they will. But I do not like cowards, and it's time I stopped being one.

Jerry McNerney for Congress

Jerry McNerney for Congress.

While I am not in Jerry McNerney's district, I am very interested in helping him get elected. Why? Because we need people of integrity, intelligence, and innovation to lead us in the 21st century.

I believe Jerry McNerney is one of those people.

A mathematician, not an attorney. A writer, not a "politics as usual" politician. A Democrat with CEO experience, not a Republican out to fill his bank account. A true patriot, not a believer in silencing those who disagree with him. This is how I see Jerry McNerney.

I could go on and on with more and more reasons why I support Jerry. But, I think it is best to let you discover for yourself why he is good for California's 11th Congressional District, good for California, and good for the USA.

Visit his web site at:
www.jerrymcnerney.org

And, if you like what you see, make a donation to help a person of integrity, intelligence, and innovation get elected to Congress.

An Open Letter to George W. Bush

Dear Mr. Bush,

Tomorrow, June 28, 2005, you will address the nation regarding the Iraq War. It has been said you will ask America not to give up and to stay the course, so to speak. To do that, Mr. Bush, you need the respect and trust of the American people. And that, you do not have.

You have failed to lead.

While military recruiting ads are asking parents to counsel their military age children to serve, your daughters are noticably absent from military service. Yes, I know, Jenna is teaching and that is public service. Well, Mr. Bush, how many teachers have been pulled from that public service to fight your war in Iraq? Lots of other children are worried about their teachers. Why should your daughter's students be spared?

Yes, I know your other daughter, Barbara, named for your mother, is in graduate school. While I applaud her interest in higher education, how many reservists were pulled from their graduate studies to fight your war? Why should your daughter be allowed to continue her education when these brave men and women can not?

A good leader leads by example. The example you are setting, Mr. Bush, is reprehensible. Your example says, "We let the little people die for our beliefs." And no one trusts a leader that will not do what he asks of others.

You have a large extended family as well. Why are these prominent people not in the military? Your cousin, Billy Bush, of TV, movie and radio fame, is married with three children. How many families are home tonight worried about their mothers and fathers in Iraq? Why should the Billy Bush family be spared? He supported you in both your runs for the presidency. Is there no one in your family that has the courage of their convictions?

Your brother Jeb has children of military age. In fact, one is George P., often mentioned as someone with political aspirations. Yet, he does not serve in the military in war your family supports.

I have no children. And, at 48, I have long sinced passed the age where the military would accept me. You want me to encourage my cousins in their 20's and 30's to serve? You want me to encourage the children of my cousins in their 40's to serve? How can I do that when the entire Bush family sits comfortably at home?

Now, before you and your spin doctors get your knickers in a twist, NO, I do NOT think that any Bush relative should actually go to Iraq. Because you live in the White House, their appearance in any platoon, company or brigade, would endanger the lives of other members of the military unit. This would be blatantly unfair to the unit. This I understand.

This is a different war. Insurgents would target members of prominent American families, and, in trying to capture them, would endanger the lives of those in the military unit. That is just simple reality.

But there is NO EXCUSE for your family to be allowed to lead their lives as though nothing is happening. They should and must be in military , police, or firefighter's uniform. They can serve as file clerks, drivers, etc. They can serve stateside, on European bases, and other areas safe from Iraqi insurgents. This is the benefit they will get for being related to you. The least they can do is put their lives on hold, same as the rest who are serve in your war.

Conservatives sometimes liken you to FDR, who led this nation in World War II, because he never served in active military duty. Yet, Mr. Bush, President Roosevelt sent all his sons to war. One of them died. And FDR mourned the loss, like others who lost sons, father, and brothers.

What made FDR great was he did not ask America to take a risk he was unwilling to take. That cannot be said of you, Mr. Bush.

You are not leading, so no one is listening.

Respectfully,
The Democrat Lady

Iraq and the Aftermath

Many people are calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. And there is plenty of reason to do so. There is not a rush of men and women running to military recruiting stations to sign up to fight for Bush and Rumsfeld's war. Noticably absent are the Bush twins, who should be setting an example for their peers.

In fact, those people of military service age who voted for Bush and Cheney are, also, noticably absent in supporting the war for which they voted. Some people claim that this is reason to pull out. I would tend to agree. Except for something no one seems to be talking about. That is, the mess that has become Iraq due to the actions of the Bush administration.

At this point, it no longer matters which Americans supported the war in the beginning. What does matter is that we now have a responsiblity to keep the Iraqi people safe. We created this mess.

No, I did not vote for Bush. I would rather stand in cold water and hold a live wire in my hand, than ever vote for the likes of that group. So, no, I do not feel that anything I did brought this devastation to Iraq. But I am an American. Like it or not, Bush has acted in my name. Legally, Crawford's Village Idiot lives in the White House, and, acts in my name.

In my name, and the name of all Americans, he has torn apart a country. My fear is for what will happen to the Iraqi people if we pull out before the country is stable. There were no Islamic insurgents there before we marched in to free them from Saddam (rather insure we controlled some oil in the Middle East).

Now, they are torn apart and no one lives without fear of their lives on a daily basis. And we are responsible.

Leaving will not end our responsiblity. But I do not have a solution. Part of me thinks we should leave. Part of me thinks that to leave now is the ultimate act of cowardice. We created this mess, we have the responsiblity to clean it up.

Bush is not the person to lead us out of Iraq in a moral way. Those who put huge profits and tax cuts above the future of the American people, and invade countries for oil, are unfit to lead. But we are stuck with this bunch until January 2009. We can hold out, but can the Iraqi people?