I Am An American Woman

A Rant:

      I have been thinking about freedom a lot these past few weeks, specifically a woman's freedom of choice.  This has been a hot topic for a long time now, women's rights, and people have very strong opinions on the subject.  Today I was sitting and thinking about it and a question came to my mind, what are women fighting for the right to have?  It seems like everything I hear on the news about women's right seems to be focused on their right to make choices about their own bodies, concerning healthcare and issues over reproduction. My dear sisters, we already hold that right.
     In the Declaration of Independence it states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.  We are born with rights, we already have our freedom, no one gives it to us.  The Founding Fathers understood this principle and that's what helped them pull together when they made the decision to go to war. Now, let's compare that with the French Revolution, the French who were also looking for freedom, and what happened?  Their country was thrown into turmoil, terror and ended up in a dictatorship.  Both countries wanted the same thing, so why did only one succeed? The French were looking at freedom the wrong way.  They thought that by killing off the monarchy, they would gain their freedom, but it never came so they kept on killing those they thought responsible. 
     With the idea of freedom already endowed upon us, let's return to the issue at hand, a woman's right to her own body.  I am a woman.  No one has control over my body, I choose what I do with it.  Do you see that?  It's that word choose.  I have the choice of what I do or not do.  Now here's where I think  people get mad.  We all have choices and all those choices come with strings attached called consequences.  With our freedom, we have the ability to choose what to do.  For example, I have made the choice not to have kids yet.  I just got married and my husband and I have decided to wait for a little while.  In order to make that choice, we take precautions and have preventative measures in place.  We are taking responsibility for our choice. I do my part and he does his.  I honestly think that this is the big issue, woman don't want to take responsibility for their choices and want to get out of the consequences.  You already have the freedom ladies, so it's time to step up to the responsibility it comes with.  If you choose to not have kids then take responsibility of using birth control.  If you are raped then choose to fight, choose to go to the police and do everything you can to put the rapist behind bars. It is your body, it is your choice, but it is also your responsibility, it's part of being an adult.
     Now this brings me to another subject, a very touchy one, the subject of abortion.  The two sides have come out Pro-life and Pro-choice(because Pro-death was just too obvious).  I am a woman.  I believe that women are every bit as great as men in regards to equality, but I do not agree with abortion.    The declaration says that all men are created.  We are all created, including those still in the process of being so and because they are, they are also given the right to Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness, and Life.  I once saw a picture that had a woman with a sign about women's rights, a gay couple with a sign about gay marriage and underneath was a picture of a fetus with the words "You want the right of choice and you want the right of marriage.  I just want the right to live."  Just a Thought....

The Hunger Games and America

A Rant:

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." – Patrick Henry

*disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.  All thoughts are my own and are not affiliated with the author in anyway.

     It might seem a little odd for you, dear reader, to read a quote about the Constitution and see a picture of The Hunger Games emblem. What do these even have in common?  Let me share my thoughts with you. 

     I had never read the Hunger Games trilogy or seen the movie until a few weeks ago.  I really had no interest in reading a novel about teenagers being forced to kill one another for the sport of others.  I don't like dystopian genre novels, they usually end unhappily and I like a happy ending.  I was pretty set on remaining off  The Hunger Games bandwagon until my husband got sick and wanted to watch it.  I agreed on the condition that we didn't watch it at night (to prevent bad dreams of course!).  The movie was good and I was surprised to find that I liked it.  Since the movie ends at the first book, I had to read the other two because I can't stand not knowing the end.  I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay within a couple of days and these thoughts started entering my head.

     The government of Panem has control over everything.  I find it disturbing that the American government echos the imaginary Capitol.  Socialized healthcare anyone?  The government run school system? (I graduated in Elementary Ed.), the bailouts to banks and the auto industry? Even more disturbing and, an added twist in my HG thought-mongerings, laws coming out concerning what parents can and cannot do when it comes to their children.  It seems like everyday I hear about more and more government run programs.  I can see the appeal of the government taking care of everyone.  It must be nice to have someone else give you food, shelter, money, a job, health care, education and a free iPhone, but government control of everything comes with a price.  OUR FREEDOM!!!!!  The founding fathers understood this principle so well, that it became the preamble to The Declaration of Independence:

 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

In fact, I think the whole Declaration is awesome so I'm going post it right here:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

These few paragraphs are so bold and full of important messages, that I think it would behoove us all to take them to heart.  

     Now I'm not saying that we're going to become an indulgent society who delights in violence and preys on the misfortune of others by taking their children and having them fight to the death for our amusement, that certainly seems far-fetched, but I am cautious and concerned about the slippery path our government has taken.  A few words from Thomas Jefferson illustrate my thoughts perfectly:

"A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circlue of our felicities." 


"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."


"When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." 

I hope, with this election coming up, that the American people will remember the importance of these freedoms that others worked so hard to bring about in this country.  Our Declaration is unique, our Constitution, also, unique.  We are so blessed here, but I'm afraid we've forgotten that.  It is time for us to remember and to reclaim those virtues and freedoms we are losing and preserve them for our future.

Just a thought....