My first leftist instinct was a pro-child one.

I just wanted to share what one of the first things that made me lean left was.

It wasn’t that I wanted a right to an abortion (on the contrary, I used to be against choice until Sociology classes, Biology classes, and real life situations with loved ones hit me).

It wasn’t that I thought gays should have a right to get married.

It wasn’t that I was against wars (especially since I knew nothing about foreign policy up until a few years ago).

My first form of thinking that made me want to lean left was the thinking that children should be protected. That was my very first liberal issue (for reasons I won’t discuss). The reason why I call this a liberal issue is because I’m for more protection of kids from child abuse, child neglect, abstinence only classes, etc.

It’s obvious why I think that being against abstinence only education is leftist. It’s because the right came up with this junk. Not only that, but it’s now being learned that teachers are telling direct lies. They’ll claim stuff about AIDS being spread via sweat and tears. Not all right wingers are for this program? Who is? It’s mostly the so called right to life movement, who claims to be pro-child. If they’re so pro-child, then why do they support a cause that experts say will increase STDs?

The reason why I think stopping abuse, neglect, and other forms of abuse is a leftist cause is because it’s mostly leftists working to stop it. Leftists work to have stronger child abuse laws and to have child abuse prevention classes. A lot of leftists are also for helping mentally ill parents who are about to snap, unlike the right who often scream that they want to keep their own money.

Right wingers are all for executing a woman if she drowns her kids in the bathtub, but will get in the way of leftists whenever they want to keep a situation from getting to that point. They’ll scream out some really bogus things about how child abuse laws interfere with their right to raise their kids. Well, don’t abuse your kids and there won’t be interference. They’ll claim about how there so many cases of kids are being taken away from their parents just because they got a spanking. I haven’t found one of those cases yet! The closest one I found was of a girl who got bruised in a “spanking”. I've read of "discipline" cases where the kid has bruises and welts all over. The way I see it, these people are either misinformed or they think that parents should have a right to bruise their kids. I can see giving a parent a break the first one or two times bruising happens, but after that, something has to be done. A social worker once told me that in my state (NC), one had to have a permanent injury for it to be considered abuse (so bruising isn’t abuse by law). These are the child abuse laws that parents are feeling so threatened by?! Gimme a break!

Anyway, right wingers will get in the way of using the law or social programs to protect children because they see it as family interference and because they don’t want to pay taxes toward helping mentally ill parents and child abuse prevention. Furthermore, the conservative Roman Catholic Church is getting very well known for their scandals. Very pro-child, don’t you think? The ONLY time a lot of conservatives will speak about a child’s right not to be abused is if the abused child is being abused by a homosexual. Now, I did personally know a few conservatives who were different. They would report child abuse I they suspected it. My former preacher was one of them. However, it really does seem like the conservatives only care if the abused person is abused by a homosexual. Remember Dr. Laura? Sheesh!

That’s where leftists need to be careful. Just because a right winger presenting the “abused by a homosexual” case might be self-interested, that does not mean that the accusation should not be taken seriously. Both heterosexuals and homosexuals abuse (although heterosexuals do it more).

I love kids so much, and always have. I chose my avartar because I just think babies are so cute; especially this one. It’s like the baby is looking at us like we’re stupid. LOL.

At the same time, I’m finding that some conservatives find my pro-choice, pro-child stand to be an oxy-moron. They think I’m for the killing of unborn “babies”. First of all, an embryo/fetus is not a baby. That’s like saying that a fertilized seed or that a stem that will turn into a flower currently is a flower. It’s not. It’s just a seed/stem. It’s not a flower yet. Likewise, the same holds true for embryos/fetuses. Second, I’m not for abortion. I’m only for choice. Third, the conservatives need to go get room to talk before pointing the finger. So many of them are not for protecting real children (the born) for whatever reason. Some of them actually want to dismantle child protective services. If one doesn’t want to protect real children (the born), then what right does one have to point the finger at a pro-choicer?

Of course, I don't want to speak for all conservatives. This is just my experience with them and what I often see on this subject. I do have to say that I am disappointed in the progressive movement for not addressing the issues of protecting children more often. Why don't we have a march against abstinence only? Let's have a march against child porn. Let's have a march against the RCC for their scandal. Let's have pro-child marches! Obviously, protecting children doesn't come in marches, but marches sure do get some people's attention.

Rant over. I just thought I’d share my first leftist instinct. Does anybody else have one?

We were told to pick a person on the teacher's list and write a report. I raised my hand and asked, "Why are there only men on this list?" The teacher allowed me to write about Susan B. Anthony. I still have that report.

I'm not really sure. But I do think all children are naturally liberals. They have to be taught to be racist, homophobic, hateful, uncaring, greedy, etc. So I guess my first leftist instinct came from the fact that I was not raised to be racist, homophobic, sexist, hateful, uncaring, etc. I was raised intentionally to be the opposite of those, by my stepfather who loved people so much.

(Well, maybe not the greedy part as children are naturally ego-centric as part of their development--then if raised correctly, they eventually lose that and look out to the world in a caring manner...)

He took us out every Saturday morning with a big black trash bag and we drove all over our suburb picking up trash with him. We also collected soda cans and saved them up for money. He constantly told us how important it was to take care of the earth--that it was the only planet we had. I HATED getting up at 6 am every Saturday that it wasn't raining and picking up trash and cans with him. HATED it. And I especially hated it when I got older and some of my friends would drive by and see me and my stepdad and my brother out in a field, picking up trash.

But over time, I started watching him as he did it instead of grumbling to myself. He was so intent on keeping our world picked up and respected. He looked around with eagle eyes for burger wrappers, soda cans. He had his faults--by this time he was a full-out alcoholic. But despite that, he still cared so much.

I guess in the end, it was that I was given a huge education in caring for others and for the world we have to live in. It wasn't optional in my house. You HAD to think of others first.

His mother lost her entire family in the Holocaust and he grew up hearing stories of it. I think it really made a huge impact on him. Kindness was of utmost importance to him.

:thumbsup:

I mean he once was. The alcoholism has all but killed the man he used to be. He is no longer recognizable. Not physically, but as who he used to be.

It's sad. But thanks, he really was a tremendous man with a heart too big for his chest.

:( :hug:

my wife's friends talking about another friend who had a miscarriage. The way she said it was "She lost her baby". How can you fight ignorance like that?

I NEVER in my life ever said that. I have always said that I had a miscarriage and an ectopic. Sorry, at 5 and 10 WEEKS I never thought of them as "babies".