Friday, September 30, 2005

Abortion and Crime


Just when I think I can't hear or see anything much more reprehensible from the Republican Right, Moral Majority, Conservative Christian, whatever the hell the Republican party is about this week - I'm surprised. Compassionate conservatives my ass.

Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett says that if we aborted more black babies, crime rates would go down. This is a perverted permutation of the theory put forth in "Freakonomics."

Bennett says he has been taken out of context. Bullshit. Here's the "context."

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From the September 28 broadcast of Salem Radio Network's Bill Bennett's Morning in America:

CALLER: I noticed the national media, you know, they talk a lot about the loss of revenue, or the inability of the government to fund Social Security, and I was curious, and I've read articles in recent months here, that the abortions that have happened since Roe v. Wade, the lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30-something years, could fund Social Security as we know it today. And the media just doesn't -- never touches this at all.

BENNETT: Assuming they're all productive citizens?

CALLER: Assuming that they are. Even if only a portion of them were, it would be an enormous amount of revenue.

BENNETT: Maybe, maybe, but we don't know what the costs would be, too. I think as -- abortion disproportionately occur among single women? No.

CALLER: I don't know the exact statistics, but quite a bit are, yeah.

BENNETT: All right, well, I mean, I just don't know. I would not argue for the pro-life position based on this, because you don't know. I mean, it cuts both -- you know, one of the arguments in this book Freakonomics that they make is that the declining crime rate, you know, they deal with this hypothesis, that one of the reasons crime is down is that abortion is up. Well --

CALLER: Well, I don't think that statistic is accurate.

BENNETT: Well, I don't think it is either, I don't think it is either, because first of all, there is just too much that you don't know. But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky.

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I am so freaking fed up with the Republican idiocy in this country that I could scream. If you're a person of color or a person of conscience and are voting Republican, or not voting at all, what in the hell are you thinking?!?!?

This is the mentality you're voting for, with or without your vote. Yeah, the candidate may not be saying it, but it's a firmly held belief and every once in awhile, one of them lets it slip - just like Barbara did about the evacuees. (Yeah, I was cutting her some slack. That's over. I realize it was just another case of "true colors" creeping forward.)

The republican party/moral compass/conservatives/whatever the hell they are this week, has made a contract with America all right. And it's to get rid of all who aren't white, rich people - either by letting them die in hurricanes or aborting them first.

It's MY fault we had a president getting head in the oval office. I voted for Clinton twice and I'd vote for him a dozen more times if I could. But I voted for him the first time knowing he was likely to do something like that. So, it's my fault. I'll accept that.

I wish the worst problem we had in this country now was the president getting his rocks off with a 22 year old intern. Instead, we have people dying in the streets because we have a government that lacks compassion - again, completely foreseeable.

But, hey, this one isn't my fault. I didn't vote for any of these heartless people.

Bill Bennett's show airs on approximately 115 radio stations. If one of them is in your area, this would be a good time to call and complain to have the show removed from the airwaves.

Friday


I have new tile in the sunporch downstairs. It's not sealed or grouted, but it's down. I love the way it looks, but now realize that the walls in there have to be painted. I was tired of them anyway, so no big deal.

I did take some pix, and I will share them, but I'm exhausted. This has been a very long week. So, I'm headed up to bed. I will post pix of the past week as soon as I get a chance to do be at the computer for more than a few minutes at a time.

Happy Birthday to Terry


Monday night a number of us gathered at China Star, a local restaurant, to celebrate Terry's birthday.

I know I've mentioned Terry here before. He's an all-around good guy. I also joke that Terry is the reason you always want to stay on good terms with your exes. Terry and Greg were - and are - friends. Because Greg and I stayed on good terms, I got to keep Terry as a friend, too. Thank goodness!

Terry's family was there. His mom is in her 80s and she was having a good time.



Terry's sister and brother in law, and their son, were all there. I had met his sister before, but had never gotten to talk with any of them much. It was the first time I'd met his nephew and he's funny.







Terry has been taking tai chi for quite some time and Joya is his teacher. We've had lunch together before and she's a blast.




It was a really fun night and was capped off when the restaurant people brought Terry an ice cream dessert, complete with shrimp on the plate. None of us know what the deal was about that.




Did I mention Terry is a strict vegetarian?