who supports right to choose

[rodriguezequal 3]

Well said...I agree...Seperate State and Church right?

[BJean 16]

The problem with not offering sex education in school is that parents, in fact, do not properly educate their children about safe sex. This does impact the entire country. We have one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies.

It's a vicious cycle. We didn't allow sex education when the parents were in school and the parents don't have a clue when it comes to giving their children an open and honest education about sex.

It's perfectly fine if you tell your children to abstain from sex, but give them an education that prepares them for this all important biological function. Teach them about the conseqences of unprotected sex. Teach them about the raging hormones that are coursing through their bodies. Teach them about birth control in such a way that they completely understand it. Teach them that the sexual urges that they have are normal, and if they do not have those sexual urges they aren't normal. Because that is the truth. And if you tell them to abstain, also tell them that if they find out that they cannot abstain, you will help them get proper birth control and protection from communicable diseases. And then get it for them.

If people were smart enough to do that, and then did it, we wouldn't have such a disgraceful national problem with unwanted, unplanned pregnancies in young women and girls.

[BJean 16]

yes, rodriguez. That's the only way we can ensure that Americans have the freedom to choose their own religion. We can't have one religion calling the shots for everyone else and then claim that we have religious freedom.

[BJean 16]

Patty there are basic human rights that all citizens should have in this country. And it goes far beyond the fire department, the police and the military.

If we are to be the greatest country in the world, our individual citizens have to be the strongest and smartest people in the world.

We must provide a world-class education for every person. We must be sure that every person has access to quality medical care. And we can't disenfranchise our aging population and just toss them away.

We lose out when corporate lobbyists have so much power in Washington that pharmacutical companies and insurance companies actually control our medical care and make it impossible for many Americans to afford medical care and medical insurance. Your saying that people can get their own medical insurance just isn't the case. Not anymore.

Things have become so lopsided in this country, that we have been forced into a situation where we must put some controls where we hoped control wouldn't be necessary. Like oversight in the banking industry. Like oversight in the medical, pharmacutical and insuance industries. And in so many other places where the government should never have to be involved.

But the fact is, this is capitalism run amok. It is the very wealthy feeding breaking the backs of regular Americans. It's obscene greed at the expense of American workers.

We have to step in. We have no choice. We've found ourselves on the brink of disaster and we have to hope that it isn't too late. We have to hope that some government intervention can save it for all of us. We have to hope that the current White House and Congress can and will do whatever it takes to make things right again.

All the Republican idealism about free enterprise and capitalism can work as long as greed doesn't ruin it. I hope that one day we actually can go back to a time when people cared about each other and when employers cared about their employees and when our politicians had a conscience.

[pattygreen 5]

The religious right wants the government to do what's right in THEIR eyes. They've decided only they know what's right in God's eyes. They have interpreted it all for everyone else. And they are hell bent on forcing all Americans to worship the religion of THEIR choice.

BJean, it's not a matter of interpretation. Anyone can read the bible and know what's right or not. Whether you want to admit it or not, this country IS predominantly Christian, and always was.

This country was not founded by people who thought that all Americans should be Christians. They came to this country to flee from religious persecution.

Just read the peamble to the constitution. The religious persecution was from christian sects. They wanted freedom to worship God as the bible taught. Go read G. Washington's diaries.

The religious right in this country have gone off the deep end. They have decided that they are the only people who know God. What the religious right want for this country goes against everything that our founders fought to give us.

I don't feel this way. Many people know God. Our founders fought for us to gain religious freedom from the Roman Catholic church who wanted to be top dog. They wanted to be free to worship and follow the God of the bible their own way. The SAME God, just not the same people in rule.

Edited March 14, 2009 by pattygreen

[pattygreen 5]

The problem with not offering sex education in school is that parents, in fact, do not properly educate their children about safe sex. This does impact the entire country. We have one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies.

Just because some wont do their job right doesn't mean the rest of us should lose our freedom to do so and have to pay for others to get it right.

It's a vicious cycle. We didn't allow sex education when the parents were in school and the parents don't have a clue when it comes to giving their children an open and honest education about sex.

Parents have known how to talk to their kids about sex since the beginning of time. Who has the right to decide that since parents don't know how to properly tell their kids about sex, we should intervene? The government? This is not why the gov. was formed.

It's perfectly fine if you tell your children to abstain from sex, but give them an education that prepares them for this all important biological function. Teach them about the conseqences of unprotected sex. Teach them about the raging hormones that are coursing through their bodies. Teach them about birth control in such a way that they completely understand it. Teach them that the sexual urges that they have are normal, and if they do not have those sexual urges they aren't normal. Because that is the truth. And if you tell them to abstain, also tell them that if they find out that they cannot abstain, you will help them get proper birth control and protection from communicable diseases. And then get it for them.

I think you have the wrong picture of the conservative religious right. Most DO do that. I for one have taught my kids all of the above things you mentioned and more.

If people were smart enough to do that, and then did it, we wouldn't have such a disgraceful national problem with unwanted, unplanned pregnancies in young women and girls.

Even if the government were not involved, things would be the same. Statistics show that even with sex ed taught in school we have more teen pregnancies than ever, and the rates continue to go up, not down.

[pattygreen 5]

Patty there are basic human rights that all citizens should have in this country. And it goes far beyond the fire department, the police and the military.

If we are to be the greatest country in the world, our individual citizens have to be the strongest and smartest people in the world.

We must provide a world-class education for every person. We must be sure that every person has access to quality medical care. And we can't disenfranchise our aging population and just toss them away.

Education yes, but academics only. I don't agree with many of the things they teach our kids in school. The four basic subjects should be taught along with some choices of music, art, gym, etc. The gov. expects us to pay for more and more and more things. If parents want their child to learn a foreign language, say or hypnosis or country line dancing, they should pay for it as an after school activity. These should not be taught in school. School was intended to teach kids the basics of reading writing and arithmatic.

Every person has access to medical care already. Just like we all have access to auto or home insurance. Each state sets up medical ins. for those who can't afford it, and no hospital can turn away a person without ins., so why does the government need to get invoved with that? Most employers have med. plans for their employees.

We lose out when corporate lobbyists have so much power in Washington that pharmacutical companies and insurance companies actually control our medical care and make it impossible for many Americans to afford medical care and medical insurance. Your saying that people can get their own medical insurance just isn't the case. Not anymore.

Things have become so lopsided in this country, that we have been forced into a situation where we must put some controls where we hoped control wouldn't be necessary. Like oversight in the banking industry. Like oversight in the medical, pharmacutical and insuance industries. And in so many other places where the government should never have to be involved.

But the fact is, this is capitalism run amok. It is the very wealthy feeding breaking the backs of regular Americans. It's obscene greed at the expense of American workers.

We have to step in. We have no choice. We've found ourselves on the brink of disaster and we have to hope that it isn't too late. We have to hope that some government intervention can save it for all of us. We have to hope that the current White House and Congress can and will do whatever it takes to make things right again.

I think the government has instilled fear and a false sense of insecurity in people so they will feel that they are needed and so they can justify their atrocious spending spree.

All the Republican idealism about free enterprise and capitalism can work as long as greed doesn't ruin it. I hope that one day we actually can go back to a time when people cared about each other and when employers cared about their employees and when our politicians had a conscience.

I don't think that todays politicians will ever have a conscience. But I do feel that regular people do care about each other.

[green 6]

I am lucky that my parents were very open about sex and everything that goes with it! :thumbup: Not all kids are so lucky!

MY parents were also very very open about sex. They lived together for about a year before they got married. It was in England and the war was on and my father was a foreign national and my ma was afraid of losing her citizenship. He got his when he refused to invade Europe with the rest of the forces, he was afraid he would be snatched and wouldn't be allowed back, you see. This was real scary for someone who was Jewish. I grew up with no hang-ups about sex. MY dad told me to save myself until after I had finished my univ studies because I was bound to like it so much that my marks would drop. This was my facts of life lecture.

[Carrie_C 9]

"Every person has access to medical care already. Just like we all have access to auto or home insurance. Each state sets up medical ins. for those who can't afford it, and no hospital can turn away a person without ins., so why does the government need to get invoved with that? Most employers have med. plans for their employees."

Not every person has access to medical care! That is very wrong! Not all states have medical care just for those who can't afford it! It is very hard to get state health care here. The only way you can get it is if you are under 21 or a woman with breast or cervical cancer. And as soon as you are cured, they sure dump you fast! And there are plenty of employers who don't offer medical insurance. There are ones who keep employees just right under 40 hours so they don't have to give them benefits. I know, because I work for someone who does that. While it is true that no one can be turned away from an emergency room, hospitals can deny a surgery or procedure because someone can't pay.

[BJean 16]

I have never argued that the predominant religion in this country is not Christian. Why would I?

But many Americans are not Christians. And they are just as American as anyone who does believe in Christianity, whether you believe that or not.

And to follow the logic that you use from time to time: just because one religion dominates America, doesn't mean that it is right. (Or are you the one who said that just because the majority of Americans believe that women should have choice in the matter of abortion, that doesn't make it right?)

But the real point is, this is America. People are allowed the freedom to practice their own religion, no matter what it is. Setting the laws up just to satisfy one doctrine, whether it is Christianity or any other religion, is wrong. That is why we need to ensure that America is a not a theocratic nation. Surely we learned something from the Pilgrams.

[BJean 16]

Carrie is absolutely right. Medical insurance is not available to everyone and that problem is getting worse by the day.

We have medical insurance through a very large corporation that my DH used to work for. It is a very expensive plan and we pay huge premiums every month to keep it. However one by one our doctors are informing us that they will no longer accept that insurance (a primary health care provider in the United States.)

Also, we recently received a form letter from our internists office telling everyone in their practice that when their patients become eligible for Medicare, they will no longer accept them as patients. What?!

I made an appointment for my husband to see a dermatologist last month. The earliest date available was in late May. At the same time that the clerk told me that, she also informed me that the doctor also does not accept our insurance and that he will be a self-pay.

We recently decided to offer medical insurance to our employees because we know what a huge hit they are having to take each month for the various insurances they have now. We also thought it might be an option for us if we decide to drop our medical insurance through my DH's former employer at some point in time.

We had to jump through hoops like you wouldn't believe just to get our people covered. We were turned down flat by Blue Cross and Blue Shield and others because I had a colon resection surgery last July. Now understand that we were not applying for insurance for me or my husband. But they told us that even though we were willing to sign off on it and agree not to try to get B.C.B.S., they refused to cover our employees.

We eventuallly (after 2 months of trying with an insurance agent) found someone who would agree to cover them. Turned out to be Aetna. And we were not shopping for a low-priced company. We were looking for the best coverage available for our people. Cost could have been an issue, but we never even got to that point in the process of getting all the turn downs.

I'm sure that this experience is not exclusive to us. I'm sure that other people are having the same difficulties with medical insurance and coverage by their insurance companies, so we have to hope that President Obama is able to sort this mess out before we are simply thrown to the wolves when we get seriously ill.

[rodriguezequal 3]

All emergency departments have to do is make sure you are stable and then they can release you...

[pattygreen 5]

I have never argued that the predominant religion in this country is not Christian. Why would I?

But many Americans are not Christians. And they are just as American as anyone who does believe in Christianity, whether you believe that or not.

I never suggested they were not Americans if they weren't Christian. But I am suggesting that this country was founded as a christian country, that many people with different beliefs are welcomed into. It's also an english speaking country, and if you want to talk french or spanish while you live here, so be it. But don't expect us to change our national language to suit you.

And to follow the logic that you use from time to time: just because one religion dominates America, doesn't mean that it is right. (Or are you the one who said that just because the majority of Americans believe that women should have choice in the matter of abortion, that doesn't make it right?)

But the real point is, this is America. People are allowed the freedom to practice their own religion, no matter what it is.

I agree. People are allowed to have any belief they choose. Just don't try to change what we stood for from the beginning which is a foundation on the word of God. Remember In GOD we trust is on our money, Presidents take their oath on the word of GOD, Our declaration of Independence states that these 'rights' we all seek are endowed to us by the Creator (GOD), we state before a judge that we will tell the truth so help me GOD, Each president ends his speech with "And may GOD bless America", He's in our pledge of Allegiance, Our National Anthem, there's a church on just about every street, etc. This is not Allah or Mohammad or Buddah we're talking about here, but GOD who is Jesus Christ. The Christian religion. So, yes I believe our laws also must stem from GOD. Just because some have come to this country and have a different belief than those who founded it, doesn't mean they aren't Americans. They just choose to believe something else, and that's their right. But they shouldn't attempt to change our laws to suit them.

Setting the laws up just to satisfy one doctrine, whether it is Christianity or any other religion, is wrong.

I disagree. as I've stated above.

That is why we need to ensure that America is a not a theocratic nation. Surely we learned something from the Pilgrams.

.....................................................................

[rodriguezequal 3]

What about the Natives that lived here before it was "discovered"? They definately were not Christian! Also, did you notice that Spanish is spoken every where and a lot of places will only hire if you are bilingual. We have adapted our ways of life and our beliefs for the beliefs of others living here! Things change...back in those days it was also okay to take a 13 year old as a wife, but we don't follow that anymore...our laws and the way things are done have to change as time goes by. It has to adapt, we have to adapt!

[rodriguezequal 3]

The word/name God is used in other religions besides Christianity...Our Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Christian...of course people who believe in God are going to include him into their speeches and songs...Just like people who don't believe will not include "God"...