MutteringfoolDotCom: Yikes

MutteringfoolDotCom

by Suzy Smith since 2000.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Yikes

I didn't realize it had been 2 weeks since I had updated. Life got a bit busy and I've been spinning around.

I've been following politics with a bit of hope as we approach the November elections. Most of y'all now I'm a liberal. A hardass one. In fact, I'm more liberal than just about anyone I know in real life. Other than, on gun control.

And regardless of what the hardcore Republicans tell you, there really are not that many liberal politicians. The vast majority are more middle of the road, than I. So, I vote as best I can with someone who aligns with my views.

The big race this year in Virginia is between George Allen and Jim Webb. Neither of them are the best on women, Webb said some horrid things in the 70s about women around VMI. But, Allen is the racist who has been caught using racist terms, just here recently.

So, 30 years ago, vs modern day? Yeah, right off, Allen has a huge mark against. Plus, he's against reproductive rights and gay rights. Two more huge marks against.

And, I remember how his administration treated the state workers of Virginia during his term as governer. My father has worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia for 22 years. Allen's administration was not good to them. In fact, it was one of the worst times to be a state worker in Virginia.

So, really, not a hard choice, when it comes down to it. Even though, I would like Webb to have not said the things he did about women, when it comes down to it, he supports a women's right to choose.

And, even though, I will never face an unwanted pregnancy, I do not wish to have my sisters, my nieces, my friends, the women who come behind me to have to face a unwanted pregnancy with no freedom to decide to carry to term or not.

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Tony and I have discussed which rights are the most important to us. Yes, they should all be equally applied by the government (not that they are, what with the "Patriot" Act, but, that's for another day.)

For me:
Freedom of Speech, the Press, assembly. Nothing comes above it. Without the right to speak out and protest, we do not have any rights.

Right to privacy. To me, that includes the right to abort, to use birth control, to not have to reveal everything about you, just because the government wants to know.

Right to marry. Any two adults should be allowed to form a marriage contract. Hell, I'm more than willing to change marriage to civil unions for all. Make it so the government is no longer involved in marriage. Put marriage in the church. Now, we all have civil unions, and if you wish to have your union blessed in a church, that is up to you.

Right to own firearms. Now, this is the one, I argue with other liberals about. It has been stated (by the Supreme Court) that the police do not hae to protect you. If they fail to protect you, that's your problem. I believe, owning and knowing how to use, a firearm is a way of protecting yourself.

I've used this story on Metafilter to illustrate what life is like in a rural area.

A few years back, a male friend of mine, worked in a 7-11 like store just down the road from where I live now. One night, he had a guy come in and start a fight with him. He subdued the guy, and he left.

A few minutes later, the man came back with a shotgun, pointed it at my friend, who dove into the back room and called the police using 911.

He then called his parents. His parents made it to the store much sooner than the police did.

Luckily the guy had left by that point.

The police showed up a while later.

My friend was unarmed.

The police can not get to you, in time, in a rural area to stop an armed intruder. The county I live in is large, with a spread out population. If the couple of officers who are on duty are at one end of the county, on a call, it could take an hour or more for them to get to you.

Do you want to spend that hour with no way to protect yourself and your family?

Okay, I've really gone off on a bunch of tangents here but, it is stuff I wanted to get out.

Whee,
Suzy Smith

posted by Suzy @ 4:02 PM

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