this woman’s work

Between you and me, I probably wouldn’t have gone to Obama headquarters if Kristen hadn’t signed us all up. I mean, I’m busy. My husband just started a new job. I have these deadlines and yesterday was a lousy day of errands and missed messages and phone interviews and general exhaustion. Who could blame me, right? But Kristen, darn her, is a joiner and I knew she’d be understanding in that Kristen way of hers but I also knew she’d be disappointed in me if I didn’t join them so hell, I went.

It was me and Kristen and Abby, of course, because apparently we can’t exist without proximity to each other several times a week (I am not kidding when I tell you we are all now cyling more or less together. I know. We’re ridiculous). And we made our big kids go because now that they’ve seen Obama in person (in a crowd, sure, but still in person) they are big fans.

I am phone-phobic and did my share of phoning random strangers this week anyway what with these damn interviews so I happily did data entry. I type fast, my friends, speedy speedy so I cranked out the voter and volunteer registration forms. Abby and Kristen, harboring no fear of phones, went ahead and called total strangers to ask them political questions. I know! They’re brave! And the kids made signs. Lots of signs. And chattered. And were happy.

(Noah’s favorite sign he made said, “Obama is another word for hope.” Couldn’t you just smooch him?)

Then today Madison and I hung up flyers in our windows from the literature table. We like seeing Michelle smiling at us when we drive up to our house.

We’re doing it again next Thursday. Want to join us? Have elementary-aged kids who want to color? Hit one of us up and we’ll tell you where and when to meet up with us!

Instead of electing McCain and then praying for his death so their gal Friday can get into office, shouldn’t they just elect Obama (seeing as how they think he’s the anti-christ*) and rush the rapture? Kinda like some extreme evangelicals are pro-Israel because they want to hurry along the end times?

I mean if God decreed it, why not just go with the flow? If they’re so sure he’s the anti-christ, why fight it? Don’t they want it all to come to its inevitable climax?

Like I said, I don’t get it.

These are weird times to be alive though. No doubt about it. (Then again, is there ever un-weird times? I’ve read my history; I think likely it’s all pretty wacky for the folks there for it.)

*A note here about this link. I chose to link to a TIME magazine article about a McCain ad instead of any of the numerous crazy web sites that spout this ideas ‘cuz I’d rather not up their google page rank.

This is how it’s gonna look when we WIN!

When it comes right down to it, I vote primarily on the issue of choice. I’m a pro-choice, pro-reproductive rights, pro-sex ed voter because I don’t see how I can be a woman who cares about women and vote otherwise. I don’t see how I can be an adoptive mother who cares about adoption reform without supporting abortion rights. I don’t see how I can be a mother by birth and not understand the toll that an unwanted, unplanned and unsupported pregnancy can take on a woman.

I care about the war and the environment and education and the economy (boy howdy) but the issue that is most important to me is choice period.

So it’s hard for me to understand women who feel otherwise. I just don’t get it. You want to stop abortion? Quit cutting social services. Stop eliminating support for single mothers and teen mothers and families who are struggling. Make birth control more effective and more available. (Remember McCain thinks vaigara should be covered by insurance but not birth control.) Work to bring better sex education to the schools and while you’re at it, set up a daycare there for the teens who get pregnant anyway. (Because it sure looks like whatever we do, some teens will get pregnant anyway.) 

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be against abortion but refuse to do the things that you need to do to make abortion less needed.

But even if all of those prorgrams were in place, I’d still vote on pro-choice issues because ultimately the decision about whether or not to be a parent needs to lie with the woman facing the positive pregnancy test. Only she knows whether or not she’s ready, willing and able to make the sacrifices it takes to be a parent. Anyone reading my blog knows that adoption isn’t the easy-out for any unhappily pregnant women. 

We deserve access to ALL of our options. We can have our own conversations with God (as we understand him/her/it). We don’t need the government intervening for us.

I don’t like this. 

My dad says democrats need to learn to fight dirty because that’s how the Swiftboaters were able to win the last election. (I don’t know — I’m thinking Diebold machines helped out a bit. I’m just sayin’.) And here it goes: Palin’s Church May Have Shaped Controversial World View

I know we need to win this time around but I still hate that politics has to be so dang ugly. Wouldn’t it be nice to know we could just win by being (mostly) right?