Priorities for our Children's Well Being?

around in circles with no stops

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness.                              Jeanne-Jacque Rousseau

The liberty of thought is the life of the soul.                                                          Voltaire

I've been continually stewing about this. I'm sad and angry that there is so much silliness that's being bantered about in our country when the real and serious issues are neglected, ignored or worse---the opposite, hatred is championed. There is one outraged parent after another, especially in some states, that are infuriated that their little children might have a book read to them by a person in an outrageous costume.  Isn't that called art? Doesn't that happen constantly in theater? These are people who bring joy and have a good time and are filled with joy of being able to read a book to little ones. This brought terror into the hearts of the truly narrow minded who suspect danger. 

Interestingly these are the same people who are terrified of books. Rather than allowing freedom of expression for books they are swiping, burning, obliterating the books they disapprove of. The mentality is "if I don't like it, no one should". Hence we currently have books being removed from our public schools and libraries at an alarming rate. They are also terrified that teachers might show a 600 year old statue of David by Michelangelo, OMG who is -gasp- naked. What's next, cupids? They are terrifyingly naked too and babies! So scary for children, to view the naked body. 

These puritans talk about banning everything they don't like and yet attack the "left" for cancel culture. Really, has no one made the connection that they are perpetuating, "do as I say, not as I do". 

If we are going to truly create a more reasonable list of things to be terrified or fearful of--- especially for children, let's look at what really is most dangerous. If you Goggle 'most lethal for children' here's the list:

1. Firearms- kill nearly 5 in every 100,000 children.  Read it again, please.

2. Motor vehicles  

3. Cancer

4. Congenital malformations

5. Assault

6. Heart disease

So, I humbly ask you where is the deep concern about our children? Certainly there must be some interest in curbing death in childhood by firearms, assault, car accidents or cancer? Where is the outrage that we've allow all these guns to proliferate, and that we don't adequately fund scientific research? I don't hear any screaming about that. No, the screams are reserved for the Drag Queens reading books, or taking away the murderous assault weapons, or the books that these puritans find offensive, or that their children might see a naked human being. To me that is immoral and outrageous. Let there be logic and rational thinking, says naïve, foolish me. Think! Homosexuality is not killing our children, it's the guns stupid. 

I sometimes despair that common sense will ever come to this country. Those who have been swaying public opinion are responsible for outlawing weapons bans, the very bans we desperately need. Then they consistently cry fowl if  the 2nd amendment isn't strictly adhered to, the one that was written in the 1791.  By that measure only muskets should be allowed and I, for one, am all for it.

Imagine with muskets: "I'm going to shot you but don't move--- first I have to load this musket and you hold still while I fire a shot... hey you're running away. I cry foul!" Strictly speaking for the 2nd amendment that is the truth. No, instead we allow guns that allow mass murder, for what? To protect exactly who? 

If we can't end our differences at least we can make the world safe for diversity. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Can't we celebrate people who come in every shape, color and orientation in this great country? If we are serious about loving and protecting our children it would be from the maliciousness of the supporters of the assault weapons. Vote them out of office, you know they're just in it for the money.

 Hope springs from love. Loving is doing. Protest for our children's lives and help to ban assault weapons. At the very least it makes good sense. 

susansmagicfeather 2023 Susan R. Grout  

Small Town Therapist on Advice to Men, Really

If you are loving and diligent you can do whatever you want.                         Saint Augustine

A woman's work is never done.                                                                    Anon 

How dare I, right?  Give advice to men as a mere woman?

Many years ago I gave informative talks in the local high school to the teens about drugs and alcohol. I, at the time, worked for the Community Drug and Alcohol Center, which does sound like a joke now. But at the time this was a new concept, an agency focused on helping people and their families who had issues with alcohol and drug abuse. Alcoholism was roaring through our community and many individuals and families needed help. Today they have better names for these agencies and there is still a crisis involved within small towns as well as the big cities. The pay was appallingly bad then and I believe that's sadly still the case. 

In my talk I took to telling stories about compromising situations like the following:

It was their first date and she was so thrilled to be chosen by this attractive hunky male and all her friends seemed envious of her. He said, "let's go casual" which translated to no dinner out at a fancy restaurant but burgers that they'd bought "Dutch". Still she didn't mind but was somewhat disappointed. He suggested that they go hang out at his apartment and she meekly agreed. They ate their burgers in silence and then he started to put his greasy hands all over her. She stood up and said, 'are you crazy!' and went for the door. He blocked the door and pulled at her clothes. "I'm not okay with this!" He said, "so what" and she added "I'm not on the pill" and that didn't stop him. After he raped her he went to his bathroom. She fled and went to the police station where the first questions was, "did you voluntarily agree to go with this man to his apartment?"

Needless to say, no test was given and unfortunately a pregnancy ensued. The states at that time didn't seem to care about the circumstances and she was bewildered by the lack of concern about her attacker. The young woman could have an abortion if she chose because this happened the late '70's. Not the case today especially in the state of Texas  and many other states.

Do I have to say this happens every day with disgusting frequency. A young naïve woman impregnated by a violent narcissistic male. Who is to blame in this fictitious scenario? In some states you know the answer to this---the young woman. 

Hard to believe that some men who can't even have babies complain bitterly about pregnant women and the children of the poor. Many impoverished families have no males as head of the household and their circumstances make it impossible to get out of the poverty cycle. In most cases this is not because of divorce but abandonment. Interestingly, men have the ability to impregnate women, as many as they desire, thousands of times in any given year. As pointed out over and again a woman can have a baby only once a year and those men that are loving and responsible will study up on this phenomena prior to having sex with a woman. Yet this is sadly not always true. Willy--nilly [pun intentional] often the male of our species pays no attention to the consequences of unprotected sex. These careless men also know by and large our society is completely unsympathetic to a pregnant women.  In fact many solely blame the woman for any pregnancy-- despite the circumstances. Rape? Ah well, one politician was sure that "the women could absorb the egg and prevent a pregnancy". If she didn't, that stubborn woman should face the consequences. 

the male seahorse giving birth

Where are the males in the above scenario? Who cares? Certainly not the right to lifers. I've often suggested that the 10K bounty on pregnant women trying for an abortion [currently in Texas suggested in Idaho] should shifted to the impregnators. Really. Round 'em up bring them in and fine them the 10K.

When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities.                                           Matt Groening

I how I wish we had an adaptive mechanism like the seahorse or the Emu. In both instances the male of the species has repercussions for their off spring. In Seahorses the males actually carries the fetuses and in the Emu's case it's the male who incubates the eggs and often takes care of more than 20 of the the ensuing chicks. Then, if this were true in the males of our species, despite the circumstances, bingo-- the male would immediately be forced to deal with the results of the pregnancy to the scorn of the nation. Oh, the poor man! I love this "what if"....

An example of one loving man

I know that by and large there are absolutely wonderful men out there who are loving and caring and responsible for their actions. That's why when I talked all those years ago to the teens I made sure we also talked about the consequences of unprotected sex, which tends to go hand in hand with alcohol and drugs. Goodness knows I'd be arrested in today's climate for discussing sex in the school. Interestingly, not one teen ever complained to their parents about my talk. My favorite quote was the statistic that "the lowest incident of teen pregnancy in the developed world was in Japan. Their only form of birth control in the late 70's was condoms ".

Get with it men! Educate your brethren.

susansmagicfeather 2023 Susan R. Grout