http://culturecampaign.blogspot.com/
There's a blog Hillary Clinton fans should know about. Why? Because, in this effort to understand the fullness of the 2008 campaign, it is important to be broadminded.
Who is Sandy Rios? I'm only learning myself, except that I have discovered she is influential among some Christian voters.
Very little about her resembles Hillary Clinton... unless you look beyond the superficial, and realize both indepedently-minded women are smarter than the average bear and are passionately involved in changing society.
So what do you care? You should care. Too often -- and all sides of any issue can be guilty of this -- liberal and conservative players spend more time backbiting than learning.
The prolife side, say, of the abortion question would do well to understand the dilemma a pregnant woman is in not just six months after the birth, but six years later. Babies are born, and get lots of support initially, but long-term help decreases over time.
A cute baby is like Christmastime and Thanksgiving: those in need receive help in abundance, but where is that help after the holiday? In the case of an unwed mom, her life is rarely easy. Maybe she marries a guy with money who loves the child. Odds aren't strong, but it can happen. If not, a young boy with a mom working a job with tough hours, low pay, is raised by day care agencies. He might not receive the attention. His reading and math skills might not equate with his peers who are born into a nuclear family.
The prochoice side has plenty to learn here as well. The prolife side does care, and gives millions of dollars and a lot of time to assist unwed moms. It is more than counseling. It is diapers, strollers, clothing, food, rent money. It is helping babysit, tutoring, befriending, and much more. They often do it on such a grass roots or local level that no one hears about it.
We see usually the ugly side fought by people who see things more politically than compassionately. Human beings are on either side, just like the child before and after pregnancy.
And then, there's adoption. Which side hates adoption? Neither. Both support it heartily. Common ground. I'd like to see Planned Parenthood and Right to Life coordinate a national adoption effort. Think of the press! The media would not know what to do.
Why not? I mean, once you drop the political and financial loss (Planned Parenthood would lose abortion income, and Right to Life would be seen as working with the enemy and lose donations), the benefits to each's credibility would be astounding. PP is famous for abortion services, of course, despite the irony of their name, and is not known as adoption proponent as their key initiative. Likewise, Right to Life is famous for its rally cry against abortion, but the sanctity of human life continues beyond birth. But you knew that.
What about Sandy Rios? She's just one of those out there taking heat for conservative, especially moral/ethical views. She's a woman. She is not some uptight inarticulate hick that I have heard the liberal side try to characterize conservative thinkers. You'll see, as you think through her views, why she is influential.
You see, I said that naughty, naughty phrase "conservative thinkers." Don't worry, to a conservative, "liberal thinkers" is as forbidden. They think it is funny too. Plenty of tiny-brained folks chomping on the bit of foolishness, but, you might be glad to know intelligence and wisdom is not solo to your favorite party.
Smart people do their homework. This includes understanding what everyone is saying, not just the lackeys who agree with us. Doing that is small-minded, and by no means unique to the side you disagree with.
Below are a bunch of links I found on her blog. They seem Illinois-focused, but not entirely. Some I think are small-minded, and others seem far more sensible than one might suspect. No, no, no. This is not a suggestion to begin flaming her blog, or those she links. If you are that petty about it all, you've missed the point of objective dialogue. Flame me instead and get it out of your system.
As Bill Cosby said each time in the beginning of "Fat Albert," "Stick around and you just mght learn something."
Hey hey hey.
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