anonemouse

Let me put my beliefs this way: My dad is a veterinarian. I've watched and assisted with many cesareans of animals that couldn't give birth on their own. I think anyone that would kill newborn animals is a disgusting human being. They're helpless, and yes, at that point, they are living, breathing creatures. I have also watched and assisted my dad with many spayings of already pregnant animals. It does not bother me to watch him dispose of those fetal kittens or puppies. Why? Because they are not able to live outside their mother. They are not individuals, at that point. I really, honestly see abortion in the same light. Until that fetus can live outside the mother, it isn't an individual.

No, I haven't. It wouldn't budge my beliefs, though, I can tell you that. Yes, a fetus has the potential to become a lovable (to some) little baby. Until it can live outside its living incubator, though, it isn't.

I should also add that in the above scenario, my cousin's family believes in spanking.

I should also add that I think that consistency is the key to any discipline. Take my cousin's brat for example. (I call him a brat because he's a holy terror. Believe me, if you saw him, you'd call him a brat, too.) They (his parents and grandparents) tell him that he can't do something and punish him if he does it. The next time he does it, though, he is either allowed to do it or gets away with no punishment. Even a non-parent can see that is the reason the kid's a brat. They aren't at all consistent in their method of punishment. Inconsistency = badly-behaved children.

Since I assume that I am the member that TracyK is referring to, I'll chime in here. I believe abortion is acceptable because I don't believe a fetus is a child until it reaches reliable viability. Since a fetus is not a child, abortion isn't child abuse. And again, I don't necessarily think spanking is child abuse. Spanking, IMO, is fine. But there is a limit, beyond which spanking becomes abuse. I don't think someone has to be a parent to see that. Sure, I can't tell someone what labor is like, but I can see and hear methods of child rearing that work or don't work. All badly-behaved children are not the products of households that refuse to spank. Believe me, from my own experience as a child, I saw lots of badly-behaved children that came from households that didn't exactly spare the rod. But again, I don't necessarily think that spanking is an inappropriate method of discipline. I do think it should be used as a last resort, after all other methods have been tried and rejected, though, and I do think that there should be strict limits on when and how it is applied.

I've actually never read The Grapes of Wrath. Embarassing, I know. The Pearl was my favorite Steinbeck novel.

Put NetNanny on it or some other type of parental monitoring system. If he's going to act like a teenager by sneaking around and looking at porn on other people's computers, treat him like one.

Ditto, Carlene. I was the only fifth grader I knew reading John Steinbeck. Unfortunately, once I started college, I started reading more for entertainment than for mental stimulation, since I was having to read so much scientific literature in my classes. I am currently in to paranormal and modern romances. Authors like Jennifer Crusie, Susan Sizemore, Sherrilyn Kenyon, etc.

That may be so, but you are ignoring the fact that it is not that way NOW. Right now, WE don't have to prove anything. The onus is on YOU. Just like in a criminal court case, the defendant doesn't have to prove that he or she is innocent. They are assumed innnocent until proven guilty by the prosecution. The onus is on the prosecution to prove their case. Right now, there is no consensus on exactly when human life begins. In order for you to essentially convict (for lack of a better term) someone of killing another human being when they are having an abortion, you have to prove that it was a human being.

I looked it up, but I don't think it was a bartholin's cyst. It was further up on my vulva, and I didn't have a lump or anything before this abcess came up. It's worse than it looks, believe me. That shot was the most excruciating medical procedure that I've ever gone through. And that includes the time I had a very large (larger than a quarter) cystic acne abcess on my face lanced and the doctor didn't let the anesthetic spray kick in before he cut it and started pressing. That was agonizing, but this was way beyond it.

Oh, it does, doesn't it? It's wonderful. I love RnR. It really was what drew me to LBT. I mean, otherwise, support sites are basically a dime a dozen. RnR is what makes LBT special. And it really is helpful to the members, IMO. As long as I am absorbed in a thread here, I'm not craving food or binging.

It really would. And it would be embarassing, too! You know, telling people when they ask why it was postponed that it was because I had an infected ingrown hair down there.

That's one of my basic objections to having an extremely large family (I'm talking 7+ kids, generally). I don't really have objections to someone having as many kids as they want as long as they can afford to take care of them and can give them the time and attention that each child needs. But that's the kicker. Like my mom always warned me, babies are expensive. To me, it would be very difficult to afford a whole lot of kids on the average couple's salary. And honestly, people who make higher than average salaries generally put lots of time and effort into making that salary. So, even if they had the money for a dozen kids, would most of them really have the time to devote to them? Factor in that either one parent would be staying home to care for all of them or that the kids would all have to be shipped off to a day-time care-giver, and they would either be surviving on one income or facing massive bills for daycare.

Well, where I'm from, abortion isn't murder. Therefore, women who have abortions aren't murderers.

Robin, I mean this in the kindest way possible, so believe me when I say that I am not intending to insult you. That said, are you joking with us? If not, you aren't exactly being the best spokesperson for large families.

Nope, just gave me prescriptions for Keflex (the NP said that it was probably staph, but I couldn't have Bactrim because I am allergic to sulfa drugs), 800 mg Ibuprofen, and an antibiotic ointment, plus orders to do hot saltwater compresses four times a day. You have no idea how much better! I can actually turn over at night without wanting to scream. And I can walk! The bad thing is that I haven't shaved down there in ages, since I can't see without a mirror and I have horrible hand/eye coordination when it comes to shaving with mirrors. This thing just appeared literally within 3 hours. I went to bed with no pain and no evidence of a lump and woke up a couple hours later with the damn thing. I am really worried about my surgery now. It would be just my luck, considering how everything else has gone, that my surgery would be postponed because I can't get rid of an infection caused by an ingrown hair.

I think so. From what I've heard, my surgeon puts her patients on a 2 week low-carb/low-fat diet before surgery.

Well, apparently not, since you lumped Bubble in with the liberals. Or was there another "liberal" you were referring to when you made your comment "It's a new show! "When Liberals Attack . . . Each Other!"?

You did not want to be me this weekend. I went to bed at midnight on Friday night. At 2 AM, I woke up and had a quarter-sized lump on my hoo-ha. Very painful, but tolerable. As the weekend went on, though, it grew. And grew. And grew. I could barely walk because of the pain and I was taking LOTS of Advil for the pain (didn't do much more than take the edge off of it). Of course, no one was open yesterday because of the holiday, but I was able to make an appointment to see my gynecologist this morning, luckily. She took a look at it and said that it was an ingrown hair, but that the pus-pocket thing was huge, about 2 1/2 inches. So, I got to have my crotch lanced this morning. And let me tell you, that damn lidocaine shot was the most painful thing I have EVER experienced. I am normally have a high tolerance for pain, but I was whimpering like a baby.

And before anyone starts yowling, NO, I don't think his remark was appropriate. But the remark that came right before it from Musicalmomma was not, either. But for some reason, everyone seems to just ignore hers in favor of attacking Mark's remark.

Where I stand, Mark wasn't the first one to make an over the top, sarcastic comment. Or is no one noticing that? Musicalmomma was the first. I don't blame Mark at all for replying in the same sarcastic manner. I would have been highly offended by her post and would have responded in the same manner. She can suggest that we would support the deaths of Christians just because of their religion, yet Mark is the only one being vilified? Give me a freaking break.

For once, Funny, we completely agree.

Sorry, I've never been able to drink coffee. I think it smells wonderful, but it tastes disgusting to me. The only way I've ever been able to drink it was with lots of sugar and lots of cream. Although, I LOVE chocolate covered espresso beans.

Yep, that's the wacko.

Yep! I am so thrilled. I was expecting to have surgery in late July, which would only give me a few days before my insurance changed on August 2nd, but I guess the surgeon's office wanted to give me a little bit of extra time.