An Observation

You know, I find it telling that the pro-abortion arguments popping up on my social media news feeds are conveniently ignoring a few things:

1.  Abortion is murder.  Plain and simple.  You are killing, in many cases ripping apart, innocent babies.  It is modern day child sacrifice and it is horrific.  Go watch video of an abortion procedure then you can argue this point with me.

2. Many legislators bringing forward and voting for pro-life laws are women.  Many pro-life supporters are women.  They are women fighting to protect the most vulnerable human beings.

3.  There are men out there who would gladly step up and raise their babies but “her body, her choice” robs them of any choice in the matter.

4. Those saying “I wouldn’t get one but I support it for others so mind your own business,” let me reword that for you:  “I support the murder of babies as long as it isn’t my baby and I believe you shouldn’t stand up against evil unless you are personally involved or affected by said evil.” Sound right? No? Well that’s what you’re saying so if you don’t like it then you need to rethink a few things.

5. Legal, Safe, Rare.  That was the original pro-choice argument.  Yearly numbers tell you it isn’t rare.  There is big money involved and safety is easily sacrificed in the name of profit.  Look into it.  It happens.  So now we are left with legal; the pro-abortionists fight for no limits on abortion, legal at any stage of development.  That is disgusting.

There is no satisfying those who lust after evil.  For when they achieve one goal they are not satisfied and set out to achieve an even worse one.  And good people let them do it in the name of political correctness or choice or whatever you want to call it.  Take a stand now before it’s too late and you end up the one they are fighting for the right to kill.

Tell Us Who You Are

Justin Trudeau is now our Prime Minister.  Fine, I can't control that but I don't have to like it.  Media is so busy telling us who he isn't they aren't telling us who he is. He seems to prefer reminding us how he isn't like Harper yet fails to realize that some Canadians thought Harper was a good Prime Minister.  Unfortunately, the East tired of Harper and wanted a change, something they do every few years.  It doen't matter what the West votes if Eastern Canada decides to vote another way.  

     So we're stuck with a forty-something who thinks marijuana is harmless and should be legalized.  I guess I'm assuming he thinks it's harmless since he smoked it only a couple of years ago (see my first post on this blog).  We're stuck with a leader who won't allow pro-life candidates to run for his party.  We're stuck with a leader who claims to champion the middle class but has never been middle class in his life.  I am willing to give him a chance on that one but how can someone who hasn't lived it know what is best for it.

     We're stuck with a leader who is quick to point out the flaws of the Conservative government but has conveniently forgotten the flaws of the last Liberal government.  cough*Sponsorship Scandal*cough Yes, yes I know that was Harper's way of campaigning too but at least he was pretty straightforward in his "attack ads." (American attack ads seem nastier by far, folks and in his own way Trudeau was fear-mongering too.)

     We're stuck with a leader who takes his inspiration for budgetting from the current Ontario provincial government which is heavily in debt and seems to see nothing wrong with that.  Incurring huge amounts of debt is not a good idea.  If I as an individual citizen can't spend my way into prosperity how can the government?
     We're stuck with a leader who, in candid moments, has shown a disturbing level of immaturity.  He made a subtle sexual joke when discussing the Conservative decision to send fighter jets to aid our allies in air strikes.  (Google it! He really did.). He criticized Harper during the election campaign for wanting to be sure no terrorists snuck into our country along with legitimate refugees.  Umm..does anyone else feel safer knowing his stance on that?  Neither do I.  Don't accuse me of fear-mongering, it is a legitimate concern in this day and age.  If you think it could never happen here think again!
      We're stuck with a leader who said he would have an affirmative action cabinet and seems to have made good on it.  I don't know about you but as a woman I would rather get a job based on my qualifications than my sex or ethnicity.  How many of those ministers are wondering if they are really there based on their qualifications?  I wouldn't be surprised if they were too pleased with being a cabinet minister to really care.
    So here I am stuck wondering if Trudeau will be good for Canada as a whole.  He's so busy showing us who he isn't I'm left wondering who he is and why he seems so determined to distract us from it.
     

Thoughts on Christianity

     As I've said in the past, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You might know members by the nickname Mormons.  Because of that nickname or because we believe in other scriptures along with the Bible, or because we don't use some of the same symbolism as other churches, some people say we aren't Christian.  We are as Christian as any other denomination and by that I mean we try to follow Christ's example as we understand it to be.  Some of us are better at that than others.
     I have read about, heard about & seen some truly Christian people and they were not all members of the church I attend.  Take Mother Theresa for instance, she was a beautiful example of Christian service and love, and she was a Catholic nun.  My sister was really sick one day when some Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on her door.  When my sister answered and the women saw how sick she was, they wanted to help her.  They even offered to go to the local store & buy her some groceries (which my sister graciously declined).  They didn't care that she was not a member of their church.  They saw someone in need and wanted to help her out.
     My sister has more experiences with people of different faiths than I do because for many years she was a newspaper reporter.  She has worked in a few different communities for weekly newspapers.  In one of her first communities she had a Baptist congregation praying for her.  In her last job as a reporter, she knew a Catholic priest who would bless her every time she saw him.  She adored him and wasn't bothered at all by the fact that he was Catholic and she was Mormon.
     What brought on this musing on who is Christian?  I read a recent post on Facebook.  It was a quote from the pope about how the cross teaches us a different definition of success.  Someone I know shared it and was appalled at the way the pope worded some of what he said.  I truly believe that this friend misunderstood what the pope was saying.  We aren't Catholic and some of our knowledge regarding the nature of God & Jesus Christ is vastly different than Catholic beliefs, hence the reason many people see us as non-Christian.  Still, even with those differences, I don't believe the pope was saying what my friend thought he was saying.  However, that wasn't what really got to me and prompted me to write this post.  One of the commenters on the post called the pope a joke and said he was not a Christian.  Excuse me!  Who are we to say who is or isn't Christian?  We, who are often denounced as non-Christians, should be the last ones to call anyone, especially the leader of another church, not Christian.  Heavenly Father looks on our hearts.  We don't know each others' hearts.  Yes, our words and actions show what is in our hearts but sometimes those can be misunderstood by others.  It is up to us to follow our own beliefs and try to be like Christ as we understand Him.  It goes against my beliefs to belittle another because their understanding is different.
     I will be the first to tell you that I can be judgemental but I am trying to be more Christlike especially as my circle of friends has grown to include more people outside my own faith.  I try to share my beliefs but I don't judge my friends & acquaintances by my beliefs.  It wouldn't be fair.  As I have grown and matured, I have learned that good people are to be found in all walks of life and we should not assume that we have the monopoly on true Christians.

Why I Think Marijuana Should NOT Be Legalized

     After watching what has occurred in Colorado in the aftermath of marijuana legalization, some people in Canada are calling for legalization.  They claim the drug is harmless and not highly addictive.  They claim it is not a gateway to harder drugs.  They claim that legalizing it will not cause an influx of users.  They also claim it will greatly benefit society by allowing the government to collect taxes on the sale of it.
     To claim marijuana is harmless is like saying smoking tobacco is harmless.  We know smoking can lead to cancer including cancer in individuals who don't smoke themselves but are exposed to the smoke from other people's cigarettes.  I don't know if smoking marijuana can lead to cancer like cigarettes but marijuana does alter your brain.  Any substance that alters the way you perceive things or the way you think is dangerous.  And how does long term marijuana use affect brain functions?
     According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse website (http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana), marijuana affects brain development and if used heavily by youth it can affect thinking and memory for a long time or even permanently.  "But youth won't be allowed to buy it," the pro-legalization camp counters.  Really?  How many of you know kids who started smoking cigarettes in their teens, or drinking alcohol, or using illegal drugs?  I knew of kids that did and I grew up in a sheltered small town where most youth avoided those substances.  Do you really think a teen won't find a way to get marijuana?  They are getting it now and it isn't even legal yet.  There were children in Colorado who took marijuana from their parents or grandparents and tried to sell it at school and they weren't even teenagers yet.  According to a Denver Post article from November 2013 ( http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24501596/pot-problems-colorado-schools-increase-legalization) school officials are seeing an increase of infractions involving marijuana among students of middle and high schools.  Colorado law prohibits marijuana for anyone under twenty-one.  Just because the law says they can't have it doesn't mean a determined youth won't be able to get it.
      The National Institute on Drug Abuse website also states that heart rates increase immediately after smoking marijuana and that smokers have an increased risk of heart attack especially if they are older or already have heart issues.  Using marijuana also causes mental health issues.  It can cause an increase in problems for those with certain mental illnesses like schizophrenia and long-term use can lead to psychosis.  And don't even get me started on what it can do to a baby if the mom uses it while pregnant.  We already have so many babies affected by alcohol and drugs while in utero do we really need to add to the problem?
     Some claim that the police no longer want to enforce laws regarding possession and I understand why an officer does not want to go through the time and paperwork to arrest someone with one joint but that doesn't mean it should be legalized.  I think they can come up with some kind of alternate way to deal with this kind of infraction without legalizing marijuana.
     And what about the hazards imposed on others by marijuana smokers.  Does secondhand marijuana smoke cause problems for those who happen to inhale it?  I'm not sure but it is proven that driving while high from marijuana increases your chances of being in a collision and that can certainly have a negative impact on the other drivers on the road.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse website states that marijuana mixed with alcohol increases impairment more than either substance on it's own. Can you imagine the danger posed by someone who goes to a party, has a few beers, smokes a joint or two and then decides to drive home? 
     In conclusion, I believe the dangers of marijuana use far outweigh any perceived benefits claimed by the pro-legalization supporters.  Legalization will open up a Pandora's box that we will not be able to close again.
    

What Are Your Kids Really Learning?--A Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,
     This is not a letter to tell you how to be a better parent but simply an observation I've made over the past month that is worth thinking about.   Some of my children are involved in dance and they love it.  The oldest of these attended an out of town festival at the end of March.  It was a good experience and she really enjoyed it.  Some things that occurred at this festival prompted me to write this letter.
     The first day of the festival my daughter's lyrical class performed.  Due to the small size of the festival, there were different age and dance levels being adjudicated together.  I have no problem with that as long as the adjudicator appears to be keeping that in mind when comparing the numbers.  However, as my daughter and some of her friends were congratulating the other dancers, the kids from one of the other studios completely ignored them.  Few things seem more rude to me than not acknowledging someone when they offer their congratulations.  A smile, a nod, a simple thank you or even a reciprocation of congratulations is all it takes.  You don't have to become best buddies afterwards.  I don't know if this is a result of teacher instruction or some kind of competition mindset but it's a dance festival not the world championships.
     The other thing I observed is that the aforementioned dance studio liked to put a whole bunch of younger dancers in with a few older star dancers and then compete in a lower age and level category while showcasing the star dancers.  That's not to say their younger dancers weren't good but showcasing the great dancers all the time is not doing the other kids any good.  One older boy would do a series of fouette turns or other such move while a bunch of younger girls would do simpler moves in the background.  I was infinitely more impressed by a number from my daughter's studio that had five or six girls doing fouette turns at the same time and staying in sync, for the most part. The reason they could have choreography like that is because the girls were all at a similar skill level.
      That is the thing that annoyed me the most, the obvious deception being perpetrated by the other studio in purposely putting their dancers together in such a way that they compete at a lower level and therefore have a better chance of "winning" against other kids who actually belong in the lower level.
     I ask you parents: What are your kids really learning?  When their dance studio or sports team pulls stunts like this what are the kids learning?  Are they learning to do their best win or lose and to always be a good sport?  Or are they learning that a little lying and deception are okay as long as you win?  It's something to think about.
                                                                                                    Sincerely,
                                                                                                           Me

Why this is what it is and the Putin Problem.

  I realized today that I haven't posted anything since before Christmas.  It's not for a lack of topics, believe me.  I could talk about Vladimir Putin and how I don't trust a guy who manages to stay in power by becoming Prime Minister when his term as President is up and then as soon as the next election comes along, becomes President again.  Obviously the guy likes being in charge or he wouldn't stick around so long.  Makes me wonder if he's going to become a dictator.  He's already trying to take over parts of the Ukraine under some of the flimsiest excuses I have encountered since learning about what led up to WWII in Social Studies.
     I didn't really intend for this blog to be my take on current events but if I didn't write about things like that you would just see post after post about my kids.  Don't get me wrong, I think my kids are wonderful but there are enough blogs out there about the joys and hardships of motherhood.  That's just not my thing.  I have always been a strongly opinionated person when it comes to politics and current events.  I get that from my dad. In fact, my high school Social Studies teacher commented to my mom once about how obvious it was that politics and current events were discussed in our home.  So you can thank, or blame, my upbringing for this blog.
     Back to Putin, like I said I don't trust the guy.  He didn't even crack a smile during the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, at least not on camera.  How can you not smile at the Olympics?  Maybe he's just not the smiling type but it just seemed weird.  Then all this stuff with the Crimean Peninsula occurred and I was not surprised.  Those who think Russia is not a country to be wary of are very wrong.  How many times did the UN Security Council try to take action over different things only to be vetoed by Russia?  I can't believe Russia disagreed for any other reason than that it didn't suit their purposes to have the proposed action take place.  Maybe the United States has done the same thing too but not recently that I've heard.
     So what is the rest of the world supposed to do about this development?  Are we just supposed to roll-over and let Russia have the Crimean Peninsula?  Sure there is going to be a referendum over it where the people living there are going to vote on the issue but can we really trust that the election will be fair and honest.  How do we know the election won't be rigged in Russia's favour?  And if Russia gets the Crimean Peninsula then what?  Will they next decide one part of the Ukraine is not enough and take over the whole thing?  Is this scenario starting to sound familiar?  If not, you need to go study the events that led up to WWII starting with the appeasement policy of other countries in regards to Hitler's actions before he decided to take over Poland.
      Do I think we are headed into another World War?  I don't know.  I really hope not but at the same time we can't just let Russia waltz in and take over its neighbours.

The Consequences of a Litigation-happy Society

     A twelve year old Ontario boy died last year due to a severe asthma attack at school.  His inhaler was kept in the office and he was not allowed to carry a spare one.  His teachers continually confiscated any inhalers he brought to school.  He was only allowed the one inhaler in the office but what good did it do him on that fatal day?
     I have a cousin who has suffered from severe asthma her entire life.  She always had an inhaler on hand and whenever she started having the slightest trouble breathing she would use it.  At school, at home or playing around the neighbourhood she always had it with her.  This led to her losing it on occasion but she never went anywhere without an inhaler.  I would often end up carrying it for her if she didn't have any pockets in her outfit but I didn't mind too much.  It felt a little bulky in my pocket but it was life-saving medicine for her.
     I mention this because my cousin could have died had she not been allowed to always have her inhaler on hand.  A member of the Ontario government has put forward a private member's bill to allow asthma-suffering students to carry a spare inhaler with them at school.  Why does this even have to be legislated?  Because we have become such a litigation-happy society that schools are faced with liability issues if somehow something bad happened as a result of a child carrying around his/her life-saving medication.
      Society as a whole needs to stop looking for someone else to blame every time something bad/unforeseen happens.  If your child takes someone else's medication whose fault is it really?  Is it the fault of the school? the child who had the medication? his/her parents?  The true answer, none of the above.  It is your child's fault for getting into something that is not his/hers and if you didn't teach him/her not to touch other people's belongings without permission then you are to blame too.  
     It's time for the legal system to crack down on irresponsible lawsuits and throw out ones that a little common sense would tell you are absolutely ridiculous.  The reason some of these lawsuits happen is because some lawyer sees a chance to make some money and the person suing wants someone to blame for something that may in fact be his/her own fault.
      What is the result of all these frivolous lawsuits?  Schools are so afraid of being held liable for things that they come up with policies that killed an innocent twelve year old boy.  Shame on all you frivolous people whose lawsuits led to this sort of thing.  I hope you are so proud of yourselves for making such a difference in this world that a little boy is no longer in it.