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Abortionists Want it Both Ways

They can’t have it both ways! The inconsistencies of the argument make no sense.

The arguments plied by those supporting abortion make no sense. They argue there is no problem to “dispose” of an unwanted pregnancy. Yet, when confronted with a murder of a pregnant woman, the perpetrator is charged with two murders, the mother and the child.

Arguments for abortion claim that life doesn’t begin until a specific date. They argue it is but a “blob of cells” with little viability. Until a “fetus” is viable, they claim it has no rights.

It has been proven unborn children develop a heartbeat at five weeks and fingernails nine weeks after conception. The brain is growing and the infant can taste at ten weeks. By thirteen weeks, the body is fully developed and often sucks its thumb, and smiles by sixteen weeks.

Unborn children live, with separate DNA and all the necessary body parts. They just need a mother to carry them while they grow big enough to survive away from them.

Unborn children are individuals and deserve the same protection in law as a child after birth. Murder is murder, regardless of age or birth status.

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Will Your Children Be Responsible Adults?

A basic law of physics states “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” If you push on a something, it will move, or push back. A ball will roll; a wall will push back and hold you up.

The same law applies to interpersonal actions. If you do something, there will always be a response, maybe not something you expected, but there will be a reaction. No action occurs in a vacuum.

When dealing with people, our actions can sometimes be misread, with others feeling everything from humor to anger. It would be easy to suggest that we have no responsibility for the  reactions of others to our actions, but this is not so.

If you smile, you will often receive a smile back, but not always. Sometimes the person you smile at will frown at you or growl. Usually, though, you can expect a smile.

If you hit someone, you can expect two or three things to happen. The person who was hit may cry or curse or be startled. He may fall or wobble. Most likely, he will hit you back.

From the beginning of time, Adam and Eve were given the right to make choices, to act as they chose. They were also held responsible. They chose to eat the forbidden fruit and were not allowed to continue to live in Eden. Their lives were changed for themselves and all their posterity.

It has continued to be the same since then. People make choices and must be responsible for the consequences of those actions. Focus on seeking wealth at the expense of family will distance them until the love and closeness is gone. A choice to be honest in your actions and pay your bills allows one to have good credit and trust from others.

Children must be taught responsibility for their behaviors. Children who do not receive this instruction become difficult to live with. They believe the world owes them a living. Nothing is their responsibility, the fault belongs to others.

Children have a right to learn to be decent adults. Though difficult, parents are expected to ensure their children have opportunities to learn responsibility. If they are not taught, society will suffer from more adults who blame others and expect special attention. For some it is too late. Some may learn. Please teach your children.

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Will Your Children Be Responsible Adults?

A basic law of physics states “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” If you push on a something, it will move, or push back. A ball will roll; a wall will push back and hold you up.

The same law applies to interpersonal actions. If you do something, there will always be a response, maybe not something you expected, but there will be a reaction. No action occurs in a vacuum.

When dealing with people, our actions can sometimes be misread, with others feeling everything from humor to anger. It would be easy to suggest that we have no responsibility for the  reactions of others to our actions, but this is not so.

If you smile, you will often receive a smile back, but not always. Sometimes the person you smile at will frown at you or growl. Usually, though, you can expect a smile.

If you hit someone, you can expect two or three things to happen. The person who was hit may cry or curse or be startled. He may fall or wobble. Most likely, he will hit you back.

From the beginning of time, Adam and Eve were given the right to make choices, to act as they chose. They were also held responsible. They chose to eat the forbidden fruit and were not allowed to continue to live in Eden. Their lives were changed for themselves and all their posterity.

It has continued to be the same since then. People make choices and must be responsible for the consequences of those actions. Focus on seeking wealth at the expense of family will distance them until the love and closeness is gone. A choice to be honest in your actions and pay your bills allows one to have good credit and trust from others.

Children must be taught responsibility for their behaviors. Children who do not receive this instruction become difficult to live with. They believe the world owes them a living. Nothing is their responsibility, the fault belongs to others.

Children have a right to learn to be decent adults. Though difficult, parents are expected to ensure their children have opportunities to learn responsibility. If they are not taught, society will suffer from more adults who blame others and expect special attention. For some it is too late. Some may learn. Please teach your children.

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How Can Artists Protect Themselves?

In 1998 the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA was signed into law to protect intellectual property. The main thrust of the act is to protect copyrighted works particularly in connection to technology—the internet and other digital media. If intellectual property is illegally copied, the website must remove it immediately, and publishers of intellectual property cannot distribute stolen or copied works.[1]

All this sounds like a great idea to me, as I am working on my first novel. Those of us who participate in the arts have an underlying fear that our work will be copied or otherwise stolen and used for the financial gain of another, to our loss.

To comply with this law, a DMCA Takedown Notice is sent to the site in which intellectual property is copied, demanding that the offending copied material is removed, or taken down. If the content belongs to one person and is claimed by another, the owner of the content can legally request it be removed, and expect that it be removed.[2]

I read something scary about this today. A novelist recently had her book blocked from Amazon and Smashwords because someone had sent in a DMCA notice, and as these companies obey the law, her work was removed.

The problem is, it was her work and the DMCA complaint was sent by someone who had cheated, lying that this work was not hers, for some unknown reason. Perhaps this person wanted to ruin her life, or steal her money. Perhaps she wanted to blackmail the author.

The purpose of this false accusation is not as important to me as the fact that her work was claimed by another, though it had been copyrighted. And the simple fact that it was copyrighted had no bearing on the take down. It is all one person’s word against the others—a classic “he said, she said” problem.

I’ve read a lot by other authors who worry that their work will be stolen and reprinted and sold on other sites, with the benefit of the sale going to others rather than the actual author. I see multiple examples of copyright infringement on photos and paintings, as well as music. This international Act was passed to protect the artist who created the property.

What do we do when someone uses the act written to protect us as a weapon against us? Can I share any of my work with another for help as a Beta Reader if I always worry about theft? How can I share even a small portion of my work in progress if I fear someone will copy it and then claim the total as theirs?

This is a problem for all artists, not just authors. What do we do?

What would you do? Do you have suggestions for me, an unpublished, yet, author? How should I handle this huge problem?

Please respond if you have a suggestion.

[1] Copyright Office Summary

[2] DMCA: Protect Your Content website

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Will You Let Your Fears Hurt Your Children: Measles and Vaccinations

The big measles outbreak has captured the attention of the country, as even little babies are becoming ill with this disease that should have been extinguished years ago. We were told it was gone, at least from the United States.

In the past decade, there were less than 100 cases of measles in most years. Most of the people who contracted the disease were unvaccinated, and came in contact with people from other parts of the world where vaccinations are either unavailable or unused by the majority of the population. Often the cause is lack of vaccination serum or lack of funds to pay for it.

In some poor countries, mothers walk with their children for miles to join long lines for vaccinations, when offered by a humanitarian group. They understand the severity of the disease.

A vaccination was developed for good reason–children die from the measles and its accompanying fevers. The fevers cause mental disabilities if not controlled. Children have been lost to this “childhood illness”.

Some children can’t handle the vaccination. It makes them sick. But this is just a small percentage of children. Most are protected from the side effects by the vaccination.

In 1998 a British doctor wanted his name in the news, and published a paper suggesting a connection between these vaccinations and autism. Autism causes major problems for parents and children and some parents saw the connection after the report was published. Like wildfire in dry grass, fear of vaccinations spread. Parents stopped ensuring their children were vaccinated, using excuses that it went against their beliefs, most often the belief was a fear of autism.

In earlier years, people who carried measles were not a major problem, for nearly everyone was vaccinated. Now, when someone arrives in the United States carrying the disease, it spreads, and even little babies catch it.

We in the United States have no excuse for not protecting our children. Most of us have insurance that will pay for these essential vaccinations. If not, public health agencies will provide them for little or no cost. I have never heard of a shortage of measles or the more common MMR vaccine. We don’t have to walk miles and stand in long lines.

We live in one of the strongest nations in the world, but we allow fears to keep us from protecting our children. There haven’t been any deaths, yet. With blessings from God, there won’t be, but will there be other challenges because of the high fevers?

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Will You Let Your Fears Hurt Your Children: Measles and Vaccinations

The big measles outbreak has captured the attention of the country, as even little babies are becoming ill with this disease that should have been extinguished years ago. We were told it was gone, at least from the United States.

In the past decade, there were less than 100 cases of measles in most years. Most of the people who contracted the disease were unvaccinated, and came in contact with people from other parts of the world where vaccinations are either unavailable or unused by the majority of the population. Often the cause is lack of vaccination serum or lack of funds to pay for it.

In some poor countries, mothers walk with their children for miles to join long lines for vaccinations, when offered by a humanitarian group. They understand the severity of the disease.

A vaccination was developed for good reason–children die from the measles and its accompanying fevers. The fevers cause mental disabilities if not controlled. Children have been lost to this “childhood illness”.

Some children can’t handle the vaccination. It makes them sick. But this is just a small percentage of children. Most are protected from the side effects by the vaccination.

In 1998 a British doctor wanted his name in the news, and published a paper suggesting a connection between these vaccinations and autism. Autism causes major problems for parents and children and some parents saw the connection after the report was published. Like wildfire in dry grass, fear of vaccinations spread. Parents stopped ensuring their children were vaccinated, using excuses that it went against their beliefs, most often the belief was a fear of autism.

In earlier years, people who carried measles were not a major problem, for nearly everyone was vaccinated. Now, when someone arrives in the United States carrying the disease, it spreads, and even little babies catch it.

We in the United States have no excuse for not protecting our children. Most of us have insurance that will pay for these essential vaccinations. If not, public health agencies will provide them for little or no cost. I have never heard of a shortage of measles or the more common MMR vaccine. We don’t have to walk miles and stand in long lines.

We live in one of the strongest nations in the world, but we allow fears to keep us from protecting our children. There haven’t been any deaths, yet. With blessings from God, there won’t be, but will there be other challenges because of the high fevers?

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Deny the Lie of Abortion

One of the saddest things I read about is the increasing numbers of women, old and young, who accept the lie that abortion is easy. They are using it as a form of birth control. They believe no one is hurt by this process. Unfortunately, abortion isn’t easy, it isn’t birth control, and there is pain, lots of it.

How can it be considered easy to go to a clinic where abortions are performed? It seems easy to make an appointment, drive to the clinic, and follow through with the appointment. I’ve even seen women who make videos of their abortion, smiling and talking about how good it was. I don’t believe it.

I’ve had “D & C” surgeries after miscarriages. It took days for me to heal enough to resume my normal activities. My body hurt. An abortion would hurt at least as bad.

My heart and soul hurt, I was sad to the point of depression. The loss of a child in any situation causes grief, even an unwanted child. I cannot believe a woman would not feel sorrow and depression after giving up a child in that manner.

Even greater pain is felt by the child as it is torn from its mother.

The saddest thing for me is that women have bought into the idea that abortion is acceptable. All life matters. An unborn child is important, at any age. Does it not seem strange that more than 60% of abortions are performed on young, poor, minority girls and women? 30% of abortions occur in black women? Why would we want to lose so many of our children?

As I have been writing about Eve, it seems to me she would be heartbroken to know how many of her grandchildren are “destroying” their children, her grandchildren. Eve rejoiced at the births of her children. The loss of any child would be heart breaking. All children of all “races” are her children, and all children matter to her.

If you know someone who is considering an abortion, do one important thing first. Have an ultrasound; see your child before you destroy her. It will change your mind and save you and the child a lot of pain.

Abortion is not a good form of birth control. The best contraceptive is abstinence. No unwanted child is ever conceived without the act. Prevent the pains of to both child and mother by avoiding unwanted pregnancies.

Abortion is not the best form of birth control. It causes immense pain to the child and both physical and emotional pain to the mother. It is never easy. All lives matter; all children matter, born or unborn. Deny the lie.

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NaNoWriMo is Over, for This Year!

To all my friends and those who have begun to follow my blog, I apologize for my silence this past month. I was overwhelmed writing the first draft of a new book in my series, Ancient Matriarchs.

The first draft is written, and I’m waiting on the return of Eve Remembers from my beta readers. When they come back, I will be spending my time working to rewrite and edit that book one more time. I’m hopeful that this last round of rewrite/edits will be enough to consider paying an editor to go through it.

After that, I’ll need to pay for a beautiful cover, and get it published. There is hope that Ancient Matriarchs: Eve Remembers will be ready for you to read by summer. This is my first book, so I’m taking my time, to be sure it is right before I send it out for you to read.

Thanks for your patience.

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Must We Use It?

What is with all the bad language and need for sex in everything we see and read lately?

Many of the books I read are very nice books, with good plots and great ideas, until the author decides the F-bomb is required. Authors and others seem to be unable to express emotion without using foul, disgusting language.

Everywhere you turn, in movies, advertisements, television and often stores, banks and shops bad language slips through. Sometimes it’s a word or two, others the air seems to be clouded with the blue of the language.

The F-bomb isn’t the only word that crops up to blue the air. The name of our Savior, in part and in its entirety, explodes from the mouths of babes. Words we considered merely dirty when I was a child are considered appropriate fillers flowing from children, teens and adults. Additionally, sacred names of Gods are reduced to common terms with no respect or honor noted.

I mentioned my concern to my teens a few years ago. They informed me the language heard in R- and X-rated movies was mild compared to what they heard every day in high school. Sadly, this has not improved. The atmosphere is worse in high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools. During the years I taught it was a constant battle for me to keep the language in my kindergarten class appropriate. Five and six-year-old children spewed dreadful language they heard on television, the playground, and at home.

Many years ago we knew a Marine officer who told us of his command. Junior officers and senior enlisted were expected to control their language. He said intelligent people discipline their more effectively without the use of foul, disgusting, or unholy language. Certainly, if a Marine can do this, everyday people can manage to clean up theirs.

Add to the language that distorts and burns our ears, is the commonness of sexual innuendos. Advertisements of all kinds suggest their products will allow users will make them look, act, or feel sexier. Tight clothing, short skirts, plunging or open necklines are worn by many—anything to suggest an opportunity for the illicit.

There is a general loss of dignity and honor. Good and wholesome words are replaced with slang and filth at every level. Men and women dress themselves and their children as though they are objects to be toyed with rather than beautiful individuals with possibilities for success. Hope is lost. Bad has become good, good is evil. Even the language supports it. When things are wonderful, the word “bad” is spouted.

As I am writing of our first parents in Eve Remembers, I suspect they would be horrified by the use of inappropriate language and the blatant sexuality. In their home, it was not so. But, Adam was a prophet and a seer. He probably saw our day, and was saddened that so many of his children have turned from Father to the Destroyer.

What do you think? Are people around you lazy in their speech, unable to find better ways to express themselves? Or do they uplift the world about them with clean and wholesome words?

What about you authors? Do you litter your writing and foul the mouths of your characters with filth and f-bombs? Or do they find better ways to express themselves?

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It’s time for Gender Equity

Women and men are different.

This is not news. We are shaped differently. There are many other, often subtle, differences between us. For thousands of years the differences have engendered inequity, with no justification.

We were created equal, though men and women were given different responsibilities in caring for the family. Generally, men provide support and protection and women provide nurturing.

God gave each person equal responsibility for behavior. We are given freedom to make choices. The ability to make choices includes the obligation to accept the consequences of our behavior. Men and women equally choose and accept consequences for individual actions.

Ages ago, at a time in our dark history, for whatever reason, someone decided women were less than men. It could have been because women gathered together, maintaining knowledge. Some man may have desired power. Some priest felt threatened. It doesn’t matter. It happened. And it has continued.

Women have attempted to redress the inequities, seeking rights not just similar to men, but exactly the same. It took years of battling to receive even the right to vote, much less the right to own property and be something more than chattel property.

Many years later, the struggle persists. Pay for the same work is still much less for women. Men are allowed to stand up for themselves, while women who do this are considered bossy. Women drop out of sports fearing the appearance of masculinity. Men claim a right to ogle, touch, or verbally disrespect women in their presence. Women remain targets of sexualization, rape and brutality.

This week Emma Watson spoke to the United Nations about the issue of gender equity, addressing these needs. Additionally, she commented on the challenge men face because of this long held attitude.

Watson reminded us that men suffer, unable to discuss their problems, unable to ask for help. Young men commit suicide at a greater rate than other causes of death.

Emma Watson said:

“I’ve seen men fragile and insecure by what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either.

“We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are. When they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.

Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong.”

Many men support the women in their choices, honorably treating them as equals. Women allow their men to express their inner feelings. These actions appear to occur in private situations. Publicly, support and equity happens less often. No country in the world treats men and women equally. Too many young women are not allowed freedom to control their own lives, educate themselves, or feel safe in a crowd, in our country or any other country in the world. Too many men fear to share sensitivities, are disparaged because the respect and honor women, or find themselves compelled to participate in ribald and disrespectful actions toward women.

This must change.

How do you think this can happen? Do you have other examples of gender inequity? Please share your thoughts.

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