Author Archives: JenR

From HotAir:

“You win by giving people a choice. You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who’s just going to be a little different than the person in there. If you’re going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future,” Santorum told a crowd at USAA.

Really? It’s better to keep Obama than have Romney? That is really the stance he’s going to take?

Romney did respond by stating he’s “disappointed to hear that Rick Santorum would rather have Barack Obama as president than a Republican.”

That title sounds ridiculous. However, there are ridiculous people in this world who view their child as a wrongful birth.

On the June 2007 day their daughter was born, Ariel and Deborah Levy were overcome with excitement, then shock when hospital staff told them their daughter looked like she had Down syndrome.

The Levys filed suit against Legacy Health, claiming that Deborah Levy would have aborted her pregnancy had she known her daughter had the chromosomal abnormality. The lawsuit blames Legacy’s Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in North Portland and a Legacy lab for allegedly botching the test. The Levys — who dearly love their daughter, now 4 — want Legacy to pay for the extra life-time costs of caring for her. That is estimated at about $3 million.

How can anyone state that they “clearly love their daughter” when they are openly saying they would’ve killed her had they known about the challenges that would come with raising her?

My youngest daughter was born when I was 36 years old. I understood the risks and I had the tests done to determine if my baby had Down syndrome. Not because I would have ever killed my child, but so I could mentally and emotionally prepare as best as I could for the challenge. All children are a gift from God. I know people who have children with Down Syndrome who have said that while there are challenges, there are blessings and experiences that are wonderful and that these children are closer to Heaven than anyone else on Earth. While I understand that it must be difficult to have a child with special needs I cannot understand any parent having the mentality that they would kill their child because it wasn’t what they wanted.

I really like John Ziegler. While I don’t agree with everything he says I do find that he’s usually fairly accurate in his predictions. Yesterday on American Thinker he posted an article stating he believes Obama will win re-election and this will mainly be due to conservatives creating circumstances that will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the Republican candidate to win. His prediction:

A California federal court is to decide for the first time in US history whether amusement park animals are protected by the same constitutional rights as humans.

The suit, filed in October 2011, asked that the court declare that the orcas are “held in slavery and/or involuntary servitude by defendants in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

How is it that human babies have no right to life but these people think whales should be protected under the U.S Constitution?

Next up – PETA will seek reparation for all of the horses who have been cruelly used to transport people and their possessions for thousands of years.

Thousands of stadium workers set to serve at Super  Bowl XLVI have been trained by the Transportation  Security Administration (TSA) to spot terror threats at Sunday’s big game,  The New York Post reports.

Lesson #2: Anyone that looks like a grandma and can hardly walk is a suspect.

Lesson #3: Nobody of Middle Eastern descent is ever a suspect.

 The Green Party welcomed comedian Roseanne Barr as a presidential candidate Friday, following her Twitter announcement.

She’s showing that she really is understanding what the Green Party is about and support our positions and our values,” McLarty said of Barr. “It’s great that someone who is so well known is campaigning not just in the party but for the party.

It’s a good thing this former officer had a handgun with him.

Former police officer Chris Willden didn’t hesitate when he realized children were trapped in an upside down car in an icy Utah river. He pulled his handgun, pushed it up against the submerged windows and shot out the glass.

It is always nice to see that there are good people who will help others in a crisis.

From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website:

Good health is important to everyone. If you can’t afford to pay for medical care right now, Medicaid can make it possible for you to get the care that you need so that you can get healthy – and stay healthy. Medicaid does not provide medical assistance for all poor persons. Even under the broadest provisions of the Federal statute (except for emergency services for certain persons), the Medicaid program does not provide health care services, even for very poor persons, unless they are in one of the designated eligibility groups.

New York wants to make sure that poor people stay healthy by having their gender reassignment surgery paid for by taxpayers.

A state panel advising New York Governor Andrew  Cuomo wants taxpayers to foot the bill for transgender residents to get  “sexual reassignment surgery,” allowing them to change their physical  characteristics from a man to a woman or woman to man, The New York Post  reported Thursday.

You just aren’t healthy unless you get your childhood immunizations, your annual physicals, your cholesterol screening, and your gender reassignment surgery. These are all basic and necessary services.

(sigh!)

I know I shouldn’t expect any logic from DC, but I continue to be surprised.

U.S. To Reportedly Sue Big Banks Over Mortgage Securities

Of course, this would happen in Chicago.

Raised in a $1.5 million Barrington Hills, Ill., home by their attorney father, two grown children have spent the last two years pursuing a unique lawsuit against their mom for “bad mothering” that alleges damages caused when she failed to buy toys for one and sent another a birthday card he didn’t like……. The alleged offenses include failing to take her daughter to a car show, telling her then 7-year-old son to buckle his seat belt or she would contact police, “haggling” over the amount to spend on party dresses and calling her daughter at midnight to ask that she return home from celebrating homecoming.

I read these things and just shake my head. How did our court system ever allow this to get as far as it did? I am glad to see it dismissed and I hope these “grown-up” children end up feeling humiliated over this. We are in serious trouble if children think they can sue their parents for being responsible.

Next week, children sue mother for making them eat their vegetables.

At least, Janeane Garofalo thinks that is the only reason why I could possibly be a female Republican. To her there just isn’t another explanation.

I have no idea if they’re nuts or they are opportunists or if they enjoy the attention or the money. Whatever it is. I would say the same thing for any female involved in conservative politics or the conservative movement or any kind of fundamentalist movement. If you’re supportive of it and involved in it or enthusiastic about it — is it Stockholm syndrome? Is it a self-loathing issue?” Ms. Garofalo wondered. “And believe me, I know what I’m talking about with self-loathing, but not to that degree.”

She has also figured out that Herman Cain probably has Stockholm syndrome or he wouldn’t possibly be a Republican.

He’s a businessman,” she said sarcastically. “Who ever pays him. And there may be a touch of Stockholm syndrome. There may be a touch of Stockholm syndrome in there because anytime I see a person of color or a female in the Republican party or the conservative movement or the Tea Party, I wonder how they could be trying to curry with the oppressors. Is it Stockholm syndrome or does somebody pay them?”

Here I thought I was a conservative because of the values that I support and for my ideas on fiscal responsibility. I guess the reality is that I am suffering from self-loathing. I should be grateful that she pointed this out to me so I can get some much needed help.

Why can’t people figure out that there is no such thing as free medical care?  Someone has to pay for it, and that someone will be us.  HHS has announced that all women’s preventive services and all FDA approved birth control will have to be covered 100% by insurance companies.  Of course, when asked how this would be covered the response was:

As for who is picking up the extra cost, White House advisors say they don’t believe the changes will impact premiums — but ultimately, that decision will be made by insurance companies.

There is no way insurance companies (or any smart businesses) are going to take a loss on this.  They will increase premiums on everyone to cover these “free” services.

Ogden is about 45 minutes north of Salt Lake City.  I think this school district may be paving the way for the rest of the state.

On June 30, the Board of Education sent a letter to teachers saying it would not negotiate the 2011-12 contract and teachers must sign and return the board’s “common contract” before 4 p.m. on July 20 — or their jobs would be advertised as open for hire. The board also has announced that, over the next six years, it plans to phase out raises based on experience, known as “steps,” and replace them with raises based on performance.

All but one of the teachers signed the agreement.  The rest of the article can be viewed here.  It is encouraging to see the district take a stand on this issue.  I hope more will do the same and look for ways to reward and incentivize good performance.

You may not want to watch this after eating as it may make you sick.

Let me start by saying that I think the Supreme Court made the right decision in this case.  Parents should be monitoring what their children watch and play, not the government.  However, I do find their reason for the decision a little strange:

“Video games qualify for First Amendment protection,” the opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, said. “Like protected books, plays and movies, they communicate ideas through familiar literary devices and features distinctive to the medium.”

The decision continued, “[T]he State wishes to create a wholly new category of content-based regulation that is permissible only for speech directed at children. That is unprecedented and mistaken.”

How is it that video game companies have First Amendment protection to advertise to children, yet fast food companies and cereal companies do not? 

Full article here.

I found this article on another blog and found it very interesting. 

The Dutch government says it will abandon the long-standing model of multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society within the Netherlands. 

A new integration bill, which Dutch Interior Minister Piet Hein Donner presented to parliament on June 16, reads: “The government shares the social dissatisfaction over the multicultural society model and plans to shift priority to the values of the Dutch people. In the new integration system, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society.” 

The letter continues: “A more obligatory integration is justified because the government also demands that from its own citizens. It is necessary because otherwise the society gradually grows apart and eventually no one feels at home anymore in the Netherlands. The integration will not be tailored to different groups.” 

The new integration policy will place more demands on immigrants. For example, immigrants will be required to learn the Dutch language, and the government will take a tougher approach to immigrants to ignore Dutch values or disobey Dutch law. The government will also stop offering special subsidies for Muslim immigrants because, according to Donner, “it is not the government’s job to integrate immigrants.” 

It’s about time!  How long will it take before the U.S. comes to the same conclusion?  As long as we are unable to use terms like “Easter Eggs” and “Merry Christmas” because it might cause offense then we are on the wrong track and will see multiculturalism destroy our nation.

I hate to hear people say that I’m not “pro-choice”.  It gives the impression that I don’t believe a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body.  I am pro-choice.  I believe a woman does have a right to choose whether or not she has sex.  However, as with all choices, a woman must be accountable for any consequences that come from that choice.  If you choose to have sex you know that pregnancy might be an outcome, even if you use contraception.  If you still choose to engage in a physical relationship then you must be willing to deal with a potential pregnancy.  Unfortunately, laws have been passed that allow a woman to terminate an unwanted pregnancy and choose her wants over the life that belongs to that child. 

Some people have different thoughts on how to handle rape cases.  While it would be an extremely difficult decision and one I pray to never have to encounter, I do believe that any woman who becomes pregnant due to rape should have the choice to terminate her pregnancy.  The emotional scars that come with rape are difficult enough to handle and that woman knows better than anyone else if she is capable of handling a pregnancy resulting from such a violent act.  However, according to a fact sheet provided by the Guttmacher Institute in May 2011, 1% of the women who had an abortion had one due to forced sex.  If only 1% of abortion cases are due to rape, then 99% of women who chose to have an abortion willingly engaged in sex, knew the consequences, and chose not to deal with them appropriately. 

Some of the reasons given for choosing to have an abortion are simply shocking and show that many in our society feel they should not have to be accountable for their poor choices. 

• The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
• Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users report correct use.
• Forty-six percent of women who have abortions had not used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Of these women, 33% had perceived themselves to be at low risk for pregnancy, 32% had had concerns about contraceptive methods, 26% had had unexpected sex and 1% had been forced to have sex.  More below the fold…

It’s always nice to see someone finally open their eyes and face reality.  This blogger recently attended an education rally and figured out that these teachers who supposedly are in it “for the children” are really just in it for political purposes.  He makes some excellent points as to why this rally turned him against teachers and their requests for more funding for public education:

• As you can see in the many photos illustrating this essay, their demands for more money were accompanied by many ancillary leftist slogans like “Tax the Rich!” and “Workers’ Power!” and “Cutting Education Is Class War” and so on. So this wasn’t just about requesting more funding for education: The content of the rally itself revealed that increasing school funding is just a component of a larger leftist agenda — school funding is being used as a lever to penalize the rich, increase power for unions, and so forth.

• The demand that unwilling taxpayers fund more government services is in and of itself a cornerstone of liberal ideology.

• The very act of having a street protest demanding handouts is essentially a leftist tactic, so the simple existence of teachers at the rally means that they embrace leftist ideology.

• As at other union rallies documented in earlier essays, socialist and communist groups mingled freely on May 13 with the teachers’ unions, their messages blending into a unified ethos.

• And the clincher: At both rallies, teachers brought entire classes of their students (this was held on a Friday, a school day, remember) to join in this overtly leftist behavior.

The pictures he took are priceless and support his points.  I continue to be so glad that my kids are in a charter school and out of the public school system.  I think this blogger may have an excellent point – the system needs to be destroyed in order to save it.

President Obama’s solicitor general, defending the national health care law on Wednesday, told a federal appeals court that Americans who didn’t like the individual mandate could always avoid it by choosing to earn less money.