I’LL BE SO GLAD WHEN THIS IS OVER

Only two weeks to go in our National Micturition Competition - a couple of fifty-cent words that mean “pissing contest.”

And all it seems to be doing is pissing me off.

Cheney is up in arms because John Kerry made reference to his lesbian daughter. My impression was that Kerry was complimenting Cheney for being a mensch by being a supportive father...to a daughter who is what she is, not by choice, but because that’s the way she is. Mary Cheney’s sexual orientation is not a secret (hasn’t been for years) and it’s not something to be ashamed of. So why are the Cheneys suddenly puffing up the crests on their lizard-like necks? What’s the problem here?

Could it be that they sense the inherent conflict between being loving, supportive parents and supporting a flawed social agenda that has been dictated by the Religious Right?

Enough, already.

Elections are the best feature of living in a democratic representative republic. But, my, how they do bring out the worst in people. Both sides are guilty of excessive bullshit slinging, but I think the Republicans have shown themselves to be the past masters of pandering. The Marriage Amendment is maybe the most egregious example. But there are others.

I saw an interesting statistic the other day - abortions are up during W’s first term. That’s no surprise. The single-minded Religious Right-driven jihad against abortion is a classic illustration of the Law of Unintended Consequences. It would be one thing if the pressure were directed against abortion only. I don’t think anyone thinks abortion is a “good thing,” even those of us who believe it should be a decision solely between a woman and her physician. But the BushCo agenda says abstinence is the only acceptable form of birth control for young, unmarried people, and so funds are withheld from any organization that teaches responsible birth control. Especially if said organization also offers abortion services or counseling.

The result: more unplanned pregnancies. More abortions. Not just in the US, but in third-world countries where our administration has withheld population planning funds, because they don’t toe the abstinence-only line. How stupid is that?

If our leaders would take a more pragmatic view, they would say that offering birth control counseling to teenagers is an unfortunate acknowledgement that people sometimes don’t behave in their best interests...but since they are human, we must accept reality and mitigate the consequences of that non-optimum behavior. And legal abortion, as distasteful as it may be for many people, is better than the alternative of illegal abortion - because people will get abortions, one way or another. Even if it kills them.

Instead, we tell our kids, “Just say no to sex.” Very effective.

A realistic president would focus on pragmatism, not dogmatism. Unfortunately, our country’s present leaders are less concerned with pragma than with dogma.

Well, my karma just ran over your dogma.

Two more weeks, friends.