Edumacation

Same-day returns to sports games after a young'un gets a concussion aren't a good thing apparently. Who knew?

This Connecticut School District is getting rid of their math textbooks. But wait, it's a good thing.

George Tiller was recently killed over abortions. This story looks at the sad side of being an anti-abortion protester. Really? I don't feel bad for them one bit.

One of my loans got sold to the government. Is this win?

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Voted...

Father Jay Scott Newman from St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina, is requesting that people who voted for Barack Obama do penance before taking communion again:

Both Obama and Joe Biden, the vice president-elect, support legal abortions. Obama has called it a "divisive issue" with a "moral dimension," and has pledged to make women's rights under Roe v. Wade a "priority" as president. He opposes a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court decision.

At issue for the church locally and nationwide are exit polls showing 54 percent of self-described Catholics voted for Obama, as well as a growing rift in the lifestyle and voting patterns between practicing and non-practicing Catholics.

In a letter posted on St. Mary's Web site, Newman wrote that "voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

Catholics who did so should be reconciled to God through penance before receiving communion, "lest they eat and drink their own condemnation," Newman wrote, echoing a I Corinthians admonition for anyone who partakes "without recognizing the body of the Lord."

The response from parishioners has been supportive by a margin of 9 to 1, Newman said. He also cited Scripture in urging parishioners to pray for Obama and cooperate with him wherever conscience permits.

I can understand that church's stance on abortion interfering with the political stance that many people take. However, when most people vote for a politician, they do not do so based on one single issue. I'm sure that many Catholics who voted for Barack Obama do not like his stance on abortion, but agreed with his plans to fix the economy, Iraq, and other issues. Doing what is best for the country is not grounds for penance.

It seems like the majority of the Catholic Churches aren't too happy about this, especially given the fact that Biden is a Catholic himself. But really, the biggest issue, the article says, is that mass-attending Catholics voted for McCain - who opposed abortion. Those who don't attend mass... well, you can guess.

One of the commenters have listed the Rev. Newman's email address, which I'll list here only for posterity's sake: jayscottnewman@mac.com.

Politics Anyone?

I'm sorry, but Jesse Jackson should learn to keep his mouth shut. Honestly, if you're a self-proclaimed spokesperson for a whole race, you'd think that you'd watch your mouth a little better. I definitely would. He made a very rude comment about Barack Obama during an interview the other day after the camera had cut away and he "didn't know the mic was still on." He whispered to the person sitting next to him that Barack has been talkin' down to the black people and that he wants to just "cut his nuts off."

I'm sorry, but um, is that diplomatic? Is that going to help you out in any way possible, even if it's not aired? Is it going to win you the respect of the person sitting next to you? I think not. Moreover, even if the mic wasn't still on, there's still the camera mic which would've picked up that comment I'm sure.

Now he's apologized for his comment, citing that he is not jealous of Obama as some analysts would claim. However, he has also said that it's a part of his anger over Obama's comments that black men need to step up and be there for their children. I agree that Obama's comment there wasn't really one that I would've made on my run to the White House, but maybe if we took the race part out of it? I think fathers of all colors, nationalities, and socioeconomic backgrounds need to be there for their kids, need to man up and assume the responsibilities of being a father instead of just enjoying the niceties of making the babies.

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Ah, and on the other side of the fence, we have McCain dodging a question asked by one of his own campaign members:

"Let me give you a real, live example, which I've been hearing a lot about from women. There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth control medication. Those women would like a choice," she said Monday.

"I certainly do not want to discuss that issue," the Arizona senator said aboard his "Straight Talk Express" bus in Ohio, according to the Associated Press.

After praising President Bush’s efforts to expand faith-based programs, McCain pivoted: “I also think that we should do everything that we can, and one of those in my view is respect for human life both born and the unborn.”

So women aren't allowed to take birth control but men can get hard even when they're 85 and their heart is in no condition for sexual activities? That just simply makes no sense. I can understand not wanting to lose the conservative vote, but you gotta try to get the feminist vote a bit if you expect to 'reach across the aisle.'

In essence, I will always make less than my husband, my insurance will be less (thank goodness), I will be expected to work hard on my education and career AND do house chores and raise the children seemingly single-handedly, but I might not be able to get birth control on my insurance because the conservative party thinks I'll be killing babies?! Maybe the human life quote was a bad move. If the egg doesn't get fertilized or doesn't attach to the wall, I'm not killing babies by taking birth control because then I'll just have a normal period.

If someone is making a choice that does not affect you but only themselves, then why protest that choice? So if I'm in an abusive relationship and I don't feel like I can get out, but I then get pregnant, I can't get an abortion and protect my unborn baby from the hellish life they'd live getting abused? Or if I'm raped and get pregnant, I can't get an abortion? Or if the baby is a product of incest? That's always a stickler in the states that require parental consent for children under 18 to get an abortion.

And homosexual people can't marry the ones they love in most every state because it bugs other people? I love how people cite the Bible for that, when it also says that slavery is good, as are polygamy and other cruel and gross things. I don't get why it really bugs anyone. It's not like people are forcing each other to be gay and get married, and it's not like it's bugging anyone at all. Britney Spears can get married in Vegas for mere hours or people can get married minutes after meeting, but people who actually love each other and want to be together for the rest of their lives can't get married because it gives other people the creeps. I'm sorry, but that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

I really hope that soon people can open their eyes and think about the harm that they're doing to other people by being so prejudiced. Maybe then the world can be a better place.

Like, Let's Totally All Get Preggers Together!

First things first, I just heard that the great George Carlin just died at 71 from heart failure yesterday. I think it would be interesting to find out his last words, though I doubt they were the terrible seven that you're not allowed to say n television. He was going to receive the Mark Twain award for American humor this November at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more on his life, click here.

So seventeen girls at a high school in Mass. have allegedly taken part in a pact to get pregnant together and help each other out all along the way. Sadly, had this been during later years in their lives, it might have been endearing, though obviously not on this large of a scale.

CNN has reported that the two main girls involved in the pact may have bullied others into joining. I'm sorry, but how can you be bullied into getting pregnant? "If you don't have sex without a condom and get pregnant by the end of the school year, we're kicking your ass?" If so, they severely underestimate the amount of time that it takes some women to get preggers. And really, what's worse - getting your ass kicked by your "friends" for not getting pregnant or getting kicked out of your house by your parents for the alternative?

Then there's another story that it happened after the fact, that only the two girls were involved, and maybe that it inspired others to get close like that with their bff. Awww, how sweet.

I went to a poor high school. There were plenty of girls who were pregnant during the four years I spent there. One girl was pregnant around eight or so times (the actual number is unknown really) since sixth grade. She decided to keep the one that she got pregnant with in our junior or senior year. Sure some of her friends got pregnant around the same time, but I'm sure that it was due to drugs, drinking, and not thinking as opposed to a pact.

Regardless of whether or not they're ready mentally for kids (which I highly doubt), they're not anywhere near ready physically for them. Your body isn't really done growing until you're around twenty-three, and therefore really isn't ready to support a fetus until that point. Look at how many teen births have been premature. And even more than that, I'm sure these kids also are into a party scene. Does anyone really think that they're not going to drink, smoke, do drugs? Do they care that those actions could do serious damage to their babies? Who knows, but somehow I doubt that they care about anything more than themselves, as is clearly shown by their actions.

And what about the kids? How are they gonna feel when they grow up and find out that they were the result of a pact between stupid teenage girls that don't even talk to each other anymore? I'm sure that they're not going to stick together forever like they claim. I don't even talk to my best friends from high school anymore. Sure, there's the occasional poke or wall post on facebook and, hell, maybe even a message or comment on myspace, but really we don't talk.

I don't support abortions in all cases. I do think that people need to understand the ramifications of their actions and deal with the consequences. However, I do believe that some people who are not ready for kids should have the right to not make those children suffer because of a stupid choice they made. There are other situations and circumstances where I also support abortions, but that's not relevant here.

Is this all a consequence of out abstinence-only education? If they really knew the consequences of getting pregnant so early, would that have stopped them? I volunteered for Planned Parenthood in high school and put in a lot of hours. While I did not work in the clinics, I did call people around our very liberal city of Eugene to get a feel for what people thought of the administration's stance on both sex ed and abortion. It was amazing to see how many people in the area were actually against the liberal views shared by most of the town. Yet, most of us had great talks about how many kids do not understand the ramifications of their actions and therefore get themselves into stupid situations.

Hopefully in the future, sex ed is better and more comprehensive. It won't protect against all teen pregnancies, but it will help lower them and give everyone concerned a chance at a better life.