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A group of Pakistani clerics led by a pro-Taliban hardliner have said it would bestow a title upon al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in response to Britain's decision to grant knighthood to Salman Rushdie.
 
Allama Tahir Ashrafi, head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, said on Thursday that the group would give bin Laden the title "Saifullah" - which means "Sword of God" - for "serving Muslims by waging jihad against infidels".
 
 
 
 
"If Britain can give a knighthood to Rushdie, we too have the right to make awards to our leaders and heroes," Ashrafi said.

He said that while he was not in contact with bin Laden, the reward would reach the fugitive al-Qaeda chief "at an appropriate time".

Ashrafi, who has campaigned for the release of jailed Islamic fighters, said his group represented over 3,000 clerics.

However, Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, Pakistan's religious affairs minister, said he was not familiar with it.
 
Tensions

Ul-Haq has stirred tensions by suggesting the knighthood could justify suicide attacks and undermine Pakistan's effort against terrorism.

On Thursday, he said he would travel to Britain soon to meet with Muslim clerics and promote interfaith harmony.
Religious parties in Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim state of 160 million, have called for nationwide protests on Friday to condemn Britain for bestowing the honour on Rushdie.

On Thursday, about 200 people rallied in the eastern city of Multan chanting "We are ready to die for Prophet Mohammed's honour" and "Down with Britain".

Pakistan, a close ally of Britain and the US, has condemned the knighthood for Rushdie, who has been accused of insulting Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses.

Protesters have burned effigies of Rushdie and Queen Elizabeth II on the streets of Pakistani cities and demanded that Britain take back the award - a request London has refused.

Aljazeera News.  (btw..."The Satanic Verses" sucked!)
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posted by sumo211 on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 09:51 AM
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This is worth its weight in gold...not the pig...the subpoena!
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Topics: cartoon roundup
posted by sumo211 on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 09:20 AM
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Last November we voted the Democrats in position because they promised us the reward of working in our interests. Slaps head...we could have had a V-8! I think the reality is that we really in the end knew this would happen. Oh...we didn't want it to...hoped it wouldn't...despite our honest efforts to prevent it. Our situation with the leadership that we have is just a pus filled sore waiting to split open and dump its contents onto an unsuspecting multitude of good honest folk. We actually believed our leaders and trusted them to do right by us...for one, they said that they would. I'm cynical just about all the time...and even I bought into it...because I desperately wanted someone to genuinely care.


We've needed someone to care about 'we the people' for 6 years now and counting. I feel I've pathetically had unrealistic hopes of a better world, better America...better everything because I want it desperately for all of us. I'm not a selfish person...I'm willing to share the good times, the inevitable ups...the downs...the highs...the lows...it's second nature to us now...like breathing out and breathing in...we've grown accustomed to our life. (thank you My Fair Lady!) Yet we don't want out way of life at the expense of innocents dying in Iraq. I can no longer face the TV scenes when a car bomb has gone off and you hear the inevitable numbers of the tolling of the dead.


With so much going on we have to pause to take it all in...in smaller proportions to even begin to make sense (if there's any to be had that is!) The bottom line ~ if the Democrats do not vote down the blank check Iraq War supplemental bill they are proposing, they will be complicit in the war, and should expect to feel the consequences in monumental proportions. If you vote for it...you now own it! Russ Feingold said in March..."The realization is growing that the only way to stop this thing is to use our power." But, power is not always used for good...and I know you've read that in some fairy tales in your childhood somewhere.

Now here's a weird situation if I ever heard one. Some politicians are afraid to "take political ownership" of the war by using their power to end it. So, in the meantime as they focus on their particular brand of politics...while people are dying...it becomes clear that Feingold is right. "If the Democrats don't use their power, when we're in the majority in both houses, we're going to start owning this war." Russ Feingold who seems a man of integrity swimming in a pool of sharks also said, “It is George Bush’s war, but if we don’t get serious we’re going to start owning this war.” This is a critical point that many politicians are seemingly forgetting right now. The president may have started the war, and may own it politically, but he was also elected in 2004 just the same...or even in spite of it.


So this brings us to an uncomfortable realization about his being elected...he was elected on honest pretenses as pertaining to the war technically. The Democrats on the other hand...were put into office with a great deal of grassroots effort in 2006...drum roll...because they promised to end the war. So...by their betrayal (that's what it is to me) they've just turned around and become complicit in the very war they promised to stop...which by definition gives them a bigger chunk of ownership of the war than our Fearless Decider...because (and hang in here with me) they have broken their word to "us" and our country. Pure and simple.


A lot of people are bystanders walking way round this issue and say they do not have the ability to stop the war...which of course makes them innocent mostly in their own hearts and minds...but we know the truth about the shape of their spines. November was a heady time of joy and elation that lasted several days. We thought we'd gotten our country back and would soon get it moving toward a better understanding of what the American people wanted and needed. And some of what we wanted and needed was to get out of Iraq and leave those poor people and their families alone. They'd endured enough destruction and death to last a lifetime. And we knew we'd spend a lifetime making it up to them if given the chance. But...Nancy Pelosi said she would vote against the blank check bill...but she won't use her power to actually stop the bill from moving forward. Does that sound like a person with no power?


I've said this myself...and many lawmakers say it also...that the war is Bush's responsibility...not mine...not theirs...he must develop a plan to end the war. But it certainly doesn't mean our lawmakers don't have many ways at their disposal to force him to develop a plan. Through timelines tied to funding is a good example. If our Congress had the guts to brandish its Constitutional power of the purse strings and cut off funding by a certain date...it should force Bush and his so-called military commanders to furnish a much needed redeployment plan.


I guess that is whistling in the wind for what that's worth. But we can hope...there's always that. But I don't see the future as a bright presence any time soon. I think we have far more hurdles to jump before we land on good solid ground with this situation. It would be so wonderful for the Dub to wake up one morning...smell the fragrance of the flowers blooming outside of his bedroom...and turn to Laura and say..."you know Pickles...this war has gone on long enough, and too many people have died over it. It's time we brought our people home." She'd sit up and look at him...reach for her glasses...and say..."Who are you and how did you get in here?"
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Topics: politics as usual
posted by sumo211 on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 04:54 PM
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Holy Smoke...James Dobson
Conservative chairman of religious group Focus on the Family, said he will never vote for Rudy . Sumo spews her soda on keyboards...damn!

Religious leader James Dobson will sit out the 2008 presidential election (if need be) if former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani is the Republican presidential nominee. Isn't that special?! In a piece published on the conservative Web site World Net Daily, Dobby wrote that Guiliani's support for abortion rights and civil unions for homosexuals, as well as the former mayor's 2 divorces, were a big fat downer for him.


He said he cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy in 2008. It is an irrevocable decision. Well...la de freakin' da! Okay Dob...so you don't agree with Rudy...so what! He said if he were given a choice between Rudy and the Hills or Barack...he'd either cast his ballot for an also-ran--or if worse comes to worst...(and you know it always does)...just not vote in the election for a president for the first time in his adult life. Apparently...he has a conscience and moral conviction...because it won't allow him to do anything else. Is it high on that pedestal Dobby? He is doing this as a private citizen and not on behalf of any organization or party. Yeah right! And of course the first time he endorsed a presidential candidate was in 2004...and you know who that was right?

Okay...so this guy can reach lots of people...he has a daily radio program (don't they all?) with gobs of listeners...and a the Family magazines have over 2 million subscribers. Big deal...so there are over 2 million numbnuts on the planet...as if we didn't know. Me...even so...you've got to give ol' Rudy credit for supporting a woman's right to abortion. He's been criticized up one side and down the other for it...and for a time tried to be ambiguous...but in the end...still came out and said he supports abortion rights. Thems hard waters to navigate these days. But that doesn't mean he gets a presidential pass from me in Sumoland for that. Shoot...I hate abortion but I still stand for women's rights. I haven't needed one...but if I did...I'd sure want to have the right to consider it for myself. It's not other people's business. I hate lima beans...but I have no right to go to your house and stop you from eating them.


So Dobby says that Rudy isn't presidential timber. What's up with that? Since when did a president have to be a tree. I know George Washington chopped one down when he was a kid. I know that Abe Lincoln logged or something for a time. Dobson said..."Can we really trust a chief executive who waffles and feigns support for policies that run contrary to his alleged beliefs?" This sounds like the man of the cloth is getting a tad judgmental to me...and I thought these Bible thumpers knew their good book. So he's troubled by what he already knows about Rudy. So the right and brotherly thing to do is spread gossip about someone that you disagree with. Way to go God Guy Dobson.

Dobby says there are moral concerns about Guiliani's candidacy that other conservatives should find troubling. Well Dobson...I find your morality a concern and very troubling mister! People should think twice and then think again before they listen to a gossip monger and a judgmental religious leader that more than anything likes to listen to his own voice. Dobs...we don't give a rat's behind what you think or have to say about anything...except while I was expounding on your bad qualifications as a religious leader for this post that is. Heh heh! Have you been to the doctor to have your arteries checked lately? There seems to be a decline in the health here lately...just dropping dead almost like flies.


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posted by sumo211 on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 02:08 AM
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Jerry's punishment from his Lord...
to be resurrected like the flying Nun that just happens to look like Elvis...
Oh well...








Heh heh...gang...it's Lucifer here...just thought I'd drop in and say howdy to you all out there in the land of the living...for now that is. Yeah I've got some plans up my sleeve that you'll find interesting...you always do! Yeah...ol' Jer was taking too much of the limelight lately...so I recalled him. That's right I called him back home where he is needed to help keep the other crooks and liars in line while I go out looking for more worthy candidates. I still have levels in the Inferno that haven't been inhabited yet...some that Dante (that little devil) never was privy too...though he thought he was in the know...if you know what I mean!

You know...Jerry keeps the conversations going around here real good. People just are never at a loss for things to yell at him across the void of roiling flames. Tempers get a tad short around here sometimes...but I try to be understanding. Jerry is the new celebrity for now...or however long that lasts...because...see...I have this other guy on the hook and I'm about ready to reel his old ass in too. This guy hasn't got an excuse in the world for staying up there after some of the many...and I mean many...uncool things he's done...and some of it was to his friends no less!
His snarl alone will get him a good spot on the hottest level I guarantee you that! I know you think I'd be doing the world a favor...but actually I am thinking of all the many creatures of the Lord out in the forests and such. I do care about woodland critters you know...don't believe all the hype you hear about me...a lot of it isn't true...no really...seriously it isn't true. But...let's get back to the Big Dick again. You know? He makes me shiver in my red tights sometimes too...I've even lost the grip on my pitchfork a time or two. Betcha thought I was going to say sanity...come on...that's what you thought...you know you did! No...this guy really has done some damage in your world...and right now I am having a special down stairs...kind of a bargain basement kind of thing if you know what I mean? So send me those letters and emails and tell me how you really feel about this wanker...so I can make an informed decision. I don't want to be red in the face with embarrassment if I were to be too premature about it...if you know what I mean. Thanks...tah tah!

PS...just so's you know...Pat Robertson is looming large...if you know what I mean?

And thanks to the people that let me steal their pics...I'll take it into consideration when your turn for the worm comes...no really...I will!
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posted by sumo211 on Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 01:57 AM
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I know everyone is absolutely stunned at the passing (?) of the only fat mortal to denigrate the Tink of Wink...better know as TinkyWink. Sad times surely lie ahead for us all...being the degenerates that we are...or perhaps just me. I did not hear of Jerry's passing (?) with anything resembling melancholy...no sir...not me. I rejoiced in it...reveled in fact that at last a terrible discordant voice had at last been stilled.

How does one describe a man of the so called cloth that held the amount of bigotry in that empty black heart...a man of the Lord? One doesn't...because he held secrets...dark secrets in his breast that he cloaked in religion...and the Lord's work that he was compelled to perform. If there really is a God...s/he should really look into the people that claim to represent his/her Godness...because so many of them make a mockery of the very diety they claim to represent.

I'm sure on one hand he presented his God as a merciful and loving God...one that loves all people and creatures of the earth...after all...s/he created them...right? That sounds rather like the intent to treat people and creatures equally to me. Oh...I know man has the dominion over the animals and the fishes of the sea...I know the drill. But if man were created in the Divine one's image...(love, faith, intelligence and mercy...or something like that...it's been a long time for me)...then why would a professed religious leader have such hate in his heart for others that God would automatically love equally?

That brings us to Jerry's selection of his choices for evil doers. Gays, Lesbians, anyone not white and a fundamentalist, democrats, same sex marriage, abortion...and a little something called free speech. He took it into his mind that free speech guaranteed by the Constitution...and written by some of the best minds in generations before and to come...that free speech wasn't such a good thing. Of course...he was completely free to say whatever he chose about others. He called Desmond TuTu a phony. That one really sticks in my throat. But one day he thought he'd tangle with Larry Flynt of Hustler fame and found that being the God Guy didn't seem to work for him this time.

Jerry tried to sue Larry for printing an advertisement for Campari (an apertif) that talked about a person's first time. It was a light hearted attempt with celebrities in mind. It lead people down the path that ol' Jerry had done IT with his mother-in-law in an outhouse. It was a parody. Well Larry got a fine...and then took it to the Supreme Court...that's right... Flynt appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled UNANIMOUSLY for him in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell. The opinion, written by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, found that creators of parodies of public figures are protected against civil liability by the First Amendment, unless the parody includes false statements of fact made in knowing or reckless disregard for the truth.

No one could believe that Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, William Rehnquist and others would side with what was considered a pornographer vs. a preacher. The rule of the day was for free speech. It wasn't that Larry won that day...it was that the 1st Amendment won that day in all its glory...free speech stood alone in that moment in time...and ruled the day. Falwell was the detritus left at the side of the road of truth and right. You and I won that day of days...I'll never forget it. The Justices saw what was really at stake...and did the right thing. That must have clogged at least one of Jerry's arteries that very day from disappointment...and his lack of understanding how a righteous Dude like himself could possibly lose...but lose he did...and it was a marvelous thing to behold.

So we still had years to go listening to his judgments and pronouncements on people and their lives and what abject sinners they were. Being a bigot, homophobe, hate monger, glutton, man of avarice about town, I'll throw in liar, certainly greed (because we all know the preachers always need money for God)...not sure about lust...but he sure did talk about it a lot...so I'm suspicious I admit. Now by his girth alone I think he may have had a Henry the Vlll complex or something. Let's face it...the guy was a tub of lard! I think he enjoyed a little too much steak and lobster and maybe throw in a lot of alfredo sauce...some wine...and you have a major heart attack in the making.

Now I figure that he spent most of his religious life helping to fill people's heart with hate for others not involved in their fundamentalist views...even to the point of putting down Martin Luther King Jr. So for preaching hate to his followers and intolerance of others (in soooo many ways)...I nominate Jerry for a turn with the worms of eternity. May he not rest in peace...with the kind of body fat he carried around I'd say that he'll keep the creatures of the underworld gnawing happy for some time to come.

And during that time...he might reflect on his mistakes to his fellow man...equal in the sight of his God mind you...and suffer the pangs of the damned as according to his bible...he should be tormented for not following in the footsteps of his Christ who led a simple and pure life...and looked upon all men as worthy of love and kindness...something our Jerry was not capable of...ever. Was there not a commandment of the 10...that said love thy neighbor as thyself? He must not have liked himself. People look to denigrate others in order to make themselves look good...what a very sad day for religion that is indeed.
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posted by sumo211 on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 01:28 AM
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These are two quizzes to help determine which candidate best reflects your views.  Good luck...I didn't care for my results as it turns out.

http://www.speakout.com/Vot...

http://www.selectsmart.com/...
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Topics: Quiz
posted by sumo211 on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 09:52 AM
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Have you been scratching your head trying to comprehend what in the world is going on in this country, look no further. I kept seeing more and more internet chatter about Ron Paul, Republican candidate for President and finally took the time to listen to his famous "We've Been Neoconned" address. It's lengthy, sobering and to me, is like someone slapping Americans in the face and yelling, "Wake up, Wake up!"

Here is a link to the video of that now banned by the mainstream media
, especially Fox News and feared by the Neocon community.

Here is a link to the transcript.

Here is a link to Congressman Ron Paul Archives of other speeches
.

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Topics: political theater
posted by sumo211 on Monday, May 14, 2007 at 05:21 PM
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"To the world you might just be one person, but to the one person you might just be the world"...

Mothers have been recognized in special ways for thousands of years. It's celebrated in over 40 countries around the world. An exact date and the reason it is celebrated, however, varies from one country to another since Ancient Greece. Here are some examples of today's Mother's Day celebrations done worldwide.

In the United Kingdom...

In England it is more popularly know as Mothering Sunday, the origins of the holiday date back to centuries when it was considered important for churchgoers to visit their home or "mother" church once a year. During Lent, the practice became quite popular, and in a society where children were often sent off to work in other villages at a very young age, it quickly became a time for family reunions and celebrations that were cherished. A special cake was usually provided for a festive touch to the celebration. Later, Mothering Sunday became a day when children and domestic servants were allowed a day off to see their families. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Mothering Sunday remains a time to pay mothers homage for all their love and encouragement with flowers, candies, cards, and other tokens of appreciation.

In America...

AMERICA'S FIRST MOTHER

It's said that Mother's Day was first suggested in the United States by Julia Ward Howe* in 1872 as a day dedicated to peace after the Franco Prussian War. The holiday gained its popularity mostly due to the efforts of Anna M. Jarvis. With the help of friends Anna began a letter-writing campaign to gather support for a national Mother's Day holiday when her mother passed away in 1905. She reached out to influential leaders, including William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Wannamaker...sending out solicitations for support of the idea. She believed mothers deserved their own special day and that it would help strengthen a families bonds. She persuaded her mother's church in West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the 2nd anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state, and flowers quickly became a lasting tradition to express love on that occasion. In 1914, Congress passed a resolution designating the 2nd Sunday in May as Mother's Day..."a public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of our country." President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making it an official U.S. holiday.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on the 2nd Sunday in May include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan and Turkey.

In India...

Like the West, Indians also take Mother's Day as a time to reflect on the importance of their mothers in their lives. This day is the time to say a big thank you to Mother. The Hindu people celebrate for ten days in October in a festival they call Durga Puja. Durga is the name of a goddess who protects the people from evil and is also known as The Universal Mother. People send cards to their mothers, invitations for a meal so that she can have a days rest from the kitchen. They also enjoy giving out "goodies"...many tasty treats to be shared by all.

In Spain...

The holiday in Spain is more centered around religion, people respect and remember the Virgin Mary on December 8. Children also honor their own mothers on this day too.

In New Zealand...

This day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in the month of May just as in America. And since the idea of celebrating Mother's Day has come from the United States, the manner of their celebration is much the same. On Mother's Day people of New Zealand thank their mothers and recognize their efforts in bringing them up and caring for them. There is much excitement over the day and people celebrate it by going out for picnics and dinners. It is a very busy shopping time for Vendors...because the people make a point of buying gifts much like we do in America.

In Yugoslavia...

Their Mother's Day is observed two weeks before Christmas. The children sneak into their mother's bedroom and tie her up in bed. When she awakes she promises to give the children gifts that she has hidden in order to be untied.

In South Africa...

It is celebrated on the 1st Sunday of May. They celebrate their Mother's Day in its spirit by acknowledging the importance of mothers in their lives and thanking them profusely for all their love and care. Mothers receive flowers and cards as an expression of their heartfelt feelings of gratitude and affection.

In Japan...

Young children draw pictures called "My Mother" and enter them into an exhibit. This exhibit then travels to many different countries around the world.

In Canada...

Mother's Day is the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. It too is celebrated like America on the 2nd Sunday of the month of May. People pay tribute to their mothers on this day and thank them for their constant support and love. Cards and flowers are the most commonly used methods of expressing love for moms.

In Sweden...

They sell little plastic flowers before Mother's Day. They then use the money they they make from these flowers to send the mothers with many children on a vacation. They celebrate Mother's Day the last Sunday in May.

In Mexico...

Mother's Day, or Dia de las Madres, is May 10th in Mexico. It's a very popular occasion celebrated throughout the country, with special events sponsored by schools, churches, cities, and civic groups. The family tradition is for sons and daughters to come to their mother's house on the eve of Mother's Day. Festive Mother's Day masses, handmade gifts, flowers, cards, and children's school presentations are also often part of the nationwide observance.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on May 10th include: Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.

In Ireland...

Ireland's Mother's Day is celebrated on the 4th Sunday in the Christian fasting month of Lent. This corresponds to the day on which Mothering Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom...of course very close to Ireland. And just as in may other countries, people in Ireland honor their mothers on this occasion for all their love and affection.

Other Nations:

Similar holidays are common throughout the world, including Argentina (2nd Sunday in October), France (last Sunday in May), Lebanon (1st day of Spring), Norway (2nd Sunday in February), and Serbia (2 weeks before Christmas). The festival of Mother's Day is based on the emotions shared between mother and a child.

* And as far as Julia Ward Howe...being considered as an advocate for a national observation of Mother's Day is clearly denied by her own writing. In her "Reminiscences"...Howe states that she was in great opposition to Louis Napoleon from the period of the infamous act of treachery and violence, which made him Emperor. She wondered, "Why do not mothers of mankind interfere in these matters, to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone bear and know the cost?" She felt if she sent an appeal to womanhood throughout the world that the waste of human life in war could be prevented. Howe's document referred to as "Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation" was not a proclamation about motherhood or her own mother in the sense that Mother's Day is expressed today but rather it was an anti-war movement. There is a photo of Howe dressed in black holding up a sign that reads..."Give peace a chance"...as we saw many do during the Vietnam War. And we find this happening now in this generation with the Wars in the Middle East with thousands protesting loud and clear about war.

So those in countries whom are not torn by the strife of war are able to enjoy the freedom of celebrating Mother's Day. Some mothers in America and it's allies will not be having a happy Mother's Day. Their children may have already lost their lives or become maimed permanently by a useless war. The mothers in the war affected Middle East also will lament the passing of their own children...and in turn comes the day when there will be children in pain from the death of their mothers from a useless...needless war. "All we are saying...is give PEACE a chance!"
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posted by sumo211 on Sunday, May 13, 2007 at 01:31 AM
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KelleyThis brilliant editorial retort was sent in to the Columbus Dispatch by Kelley Wenzlaff.  Kelley as you all may know - is running for the Ohio State Legislature.  Her campaign is called “Mom for the House” – and I am her Media Director.  I cannot tell you how proud I am of Kelley for writing this.  How many candidates do you know have the intestinal fortitude to state their true opinion with such clarity and compassion?  Kelley is a very rare bird indeed.  I think we need many more just like her.


David Brooks editorial of Tuesday April 24, makes a compelling, one sided case against late term abortion, while missing the point entirely.  He outlines the babies’ stages of growth in the womb, as he leads the reader into an impassioned pro life position.  Then he makes the outright lie that “when you look at the statements of the abortion rights forces, you find they can’t even look this matter in the face.”


I ask anyone who believes that to read the complete testimony offered to State Legislature by the Julia, the mother of baby Thomas, available on the web at: Uncommon Misconception. 


She says “I am the face of Late Term Abortion,” and her story is heart wrenching.  She and her husband were happily expecting their first child, but 22 weeks into the pregnancy their dreams were shattered.  Baby Thomas had a condition known as arthogryposis.  Their baby had a chromosomal disorder.  He had clubbed hands and feet.  His legs were fixed in a bent position and his arms were permanently flexed straight.  He had a cleft palate and swelling of the brain.  This poor dear child was in severe pain from the constant and excruciating muscle contractions which racked his little body, day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute.  Believe me Mr. Brooks, his mother felt this child’s pain with every tremor of her womb.  She suffered for her baby in a way you will never comprehend. 

The abortion rights “forces” you speak of are not a brutal army of baby haters.  We are mothers, fathers, and doctors, filled with love and compassion for all human life. Where we differ from you Mr. Brooks, is through our personal experience and depth of understanding on this issue.  We understand the complexities involved because we HAVE “looked this matter in the face.” We are offended by your cheap shots, moral indignation, and attempts to focus societal shame on grieving mothers like Julia.


We differ because we trust our doctors more than your politicians.  We differ because we also trust women.  We trust them to be moral, and ethical, and intelligent, as they face these issues head on, and we certainly don’t need uninformed people like you telling well trained doctors what to do. 


As for Thomas, his mother and father made the choice end the suffering of their beloved child.  They did this with heavy hearts, after many days of deep contemplation and prayer.  They did this on the advice of their doctors, and they did it with the welfare of Baby Thomas as their primary concern.  They wanted more time to decide, but were forced to move fast because of late term abortion laws. They discovered Thomas’s condition at 22 weeks, and were told the late term abortion law of 24 weeks was their deadline.  They wanted more time to consult with medical professionals and clergy, but people like you prevented that.


Julia writes: “In a procedure very similar to an amniocentesis, Thomas’s heart was stopped with a simple injection.  In that moment, as I held my husband’s hand, I met God and handed him my precious boy to care for, for all eternity.  Over the next 17 hours I labored to deliver Thomas’s body. It was a painful experience, but the only option given to a woman at 24 weeks gestation. Thomas Stephen was born into this world just after 6:00 a.m. on November 27, 2002 – the day before Thanksgiving.  The loving nurse who’d helped us through labor cleaned his fragile body and brought him to us. We held our boy for the next hour as we said goodbye. Our own eyes confirmed what our hearts had already come to know: that Thomas was not meant for this world. Thomas’s life and death have changed our lives in ways we will never fully comprehend… Through him, I’ve grown closer to God, who understands what it is to sacrifice your only begotten son in the name of mercy.”


That Mr. Brooks, is the face of late term abortion, and no matter how many essays you write about cute little heartbeats and hands, YOU SIR, have no business in that hospital room, unless God forbid, the child you speak of is your own.


In conclusion, I ask the editorial staff of The Dispatch to consider the personal pain inflicted on real people like Julia and her husband when a one sided article like this is printed by a pundit with credentials from The New York Times.  I hope in the future The Dispatch will work hard to ensure that both sides of every issue are presented fairly, in the unbiased manner expected of professional journalism.

cross-posted fromThe Fat Lady Sings...

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Topics: women's rights
posted by sumo211 on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 at 01:04 AM
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