I received this with the title “YOU MUST TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS!” in my inbox.

Please take just a few to watch an extremely well done video.

Take a look at this video on Obama’s support of infanticide:
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

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I feel like I’m supposed to give a preface to my reply for blogging purposes…but no, I think this says it all. My reply:

(first name),

I am an Obama supporter. One who’s informed enough to realize that this is entirely misleading propaganda. One who’s also donated a sizeable amount to his campaign and very strongly hopes he will become our next President, because he will do very well for our country.

If you are honestly interested in learning Senator Obama’s record and position on this issue, here is a link where the details are presented in their entirely. The campaign’s summary of this issue:

STATEMENT
“Senator Obama strongly supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose. He believes that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue, and he believes that women do not make these decisions casually, but wrestle with them in consultation with their doctors, pastors and family. Senator Obama understands that some will disagree with him and choose not to support him, and he respects those with different opinions. But the recent attacks on Senator Obama that allege he would allow babies born alive to die are outrageous lies. The suggestion that Obama — the proud father of two little girls — and others who opposed these bills supported infanticide is deeply offensive and insulting. There is no room for these kinds of distortions and lies in this campaign. What Senator Obama’s attackers don’t tell you is that existing Illinois law already requires doctors to provide medical care in the very rare case that babies are born alive during abortions. They will not tell you that Obama voted against these laws in Illinois because they were clear attempts to undermine Roe v. Wade. They will not tell you that these laws were also opposed by pro-choice Republicans and the Illinois Medical Society — a leading association of doctors in the state. And they will not tell you that Obama has always maintained that he would have voted for the federal version of this bill, which did not pose such a threat. The bills Senator Obama voted against in Illinois were crafted to undermine Roe v. Wade or pre-existing Illinois state law regulating reproductive healthcare and medical practice, which is why Senator Obama objected to them.” (emphasis added by Allison)

Yes, Senator Obama is pro-choice. So am I. When I learned that I was quite unexpectedly pregnant with Maya, I was shocked at how quickly I began to contemplate termination. No one would have ever known, other than my absolute closest confidant — my cousin whi is more like a sister to me. I would have “looked” completely responsible (sexually) to anyone who saw from the outside. I put serious thought into it, and in the end, I decided that for me, termination would not have been the right choice. In the end, I have Maya.

It would be easy to look at Maya and say, “See? Abortion is wrong; it would have kept you from having this amazing little girl!” I don’t see it that way at all. What the availability of termination did for me is made my choice to become a parent just that; a choice. I can never, ever look at Maya and motherhood as someone/thing forced into my life. I decided to become her parent, and I am a better mother because of having the option to choose to not be a parent in the first place.

I know this is long, and I hope you take it as it’s intended — not as an attack, but purely as a window in the minds of people who think differently than you do. I am not evil. People who support “the other guy” aren’t evil. We’re also not blindly following someone who’s supposedly-vacuous speeches make us feel good. We’ve put thought into our decisions.

Back to the original video, it’s worth taking a look at the context in which decisions are made. Reality is rarely as simple as it appears on the surface

With much love,
Allison
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The average person thinks he isn’t.
- Father Larry Lorenzoni

It is no surprise that good things follow the bad. Anger, depair, frustration, and fear (especially fear) can crack your armor and open you up so that you can really really feel the good stuff. (Eep, in comment to today’s post at Ask Moxie)

There’s something about this statement that is so simple, yet so profound. What would it take to allow myself to be that open more often so that I really CAN feel the good stuff? And how much do I have to keep myself closed up just for protection’s sake?

Edward Kennedy is speaking. As expected, he ends a paragraph with the refrain, “YES WE CAN!”

Maya jumps up and down. “YES WE CAN! He said it!”

… (wait for it) …

“Just like Bob!”

(I saw it coming, but it still made me giggle.)

Perhaps it also said something about the amount of political discussion in our house that Maya sees pictures of the Democratic (presumptive) nominee and says excitedly, “Look! It’s Obama!” It might also tell you something that when we started watching the convention on MSNBC (we’ve since switched to PBS so we have high-def), she said hi to Keith.

Adventure is just bad planning.
- Roald Amundsen

In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be.

- Hubert H. Humphrey

Thoughts?

~~~

I’m off to Colorado (yet again) for a few days — Mike has a conference in Denver, so we’re joining him, then spending the weekend with my folks.

I’ve been trying to tease out what I should do with my blogs, and in the meantime, they suffer.

To get me back into writing — even just until I decide what changes to make — here’s a quickie meme from It’s Not All Mary Poppins:

What is your salad dressing of choice?
Balsamic Vinaigrette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
There are so many I like (and NONE where I live, grumble). I’ll say Saigon Cafe (mmmm, summer rolls and noodle bowls!) in Colorado Springs.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Anything Asian. Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai…perhaps I could pass on Korean, though.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Mushrooms, spinach, feta cheese, garlic. Man, I miss pizza.

What do you like to put on your toast?
Cinnamon spiced apple sauce

What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A deserted beach in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica — from my honeymoon in December 2006.

What color cell phone do you have?
Black. They tried to sell me a pink one. Black.

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Tonsils. I believe I was seven? Wisdom teeth the summer after my first year in college.

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
I hit the gym this morning. Does that count?

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
I don’t suppose drinking myself into oblivion is what you mean? Eh, it’s been a while since that one, too.

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
Absolutely not.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I’d change the spelling of my middle name — almost did it when I signed my marriage license, but signed my regular middle out of habit. Oops.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Depends. Picante? Bring it on. Sriacha? Hmmm. That’s tougher. Habanero? No way in hell. I like my tastebuds where they are, thanks.

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
One, but they’re the wrong size, so I never wear them. Anyone want some nearly-new size 9 Earth Shoes?

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Interesting.

Favorite Season?
Oh, I love-love-love Fall. That one week in September when the aspen leaves turn up in the mountains is the best hiking weather, ever.

Favorite Holiday?
Thanksgiving. All the family togetherness, none of the gift-buying stress.

Favorite Day of the week?
Monday. Sounds crazy, huh? Keep in mind that I’m a SAHM to two kids, and the elder is at school on MWF — after two long weekend days on duty with two kids, it feels like a vacation!

Favorite Month?
September and April. I love the months when the seasons change!

Missing someone?
DH is at a conference, but since he just left yesterday, I’m still enjoying being alone.

What can you not wait to do?
I’d say grad school — but considering how I COULD have started and haven’t yet…that doesn’t work.

What’s the last movie you saw?
Hauru no ugoku shiro (Howl’s Moving Castle). We’ve been on a Miyazaki kick lately — Maya seems to really dig his work. Since she’s not reading yet, we stick to the dubs.

Do you smile often?
I’m an ENFP. What do you think? (That would be YES.)