God Rigs Election: It's Bush In A "blowout"

[Svenskaflicka]

I had just been catching up at the "Your homework assignment" thread and thinking, we'll know that homosexuality is fully accepted when Wedding Barbie has the option of Ken or Christie.

Does Barbie also infest Europe? Did you get the one in the early 90's with a soundchip that said, among other cute girlie things, "Girls aren't good at math."

Seriously.

edited to add: There was also a cock-ring Ken. True. A friend of mine has one of the few that were sold before someone at Mattel found out what the ring worn on the chain around Ken's neck represented.

Are we infected with the Barbie-virus? You bet. Most of our commercials aren't even Swedish, but american, dubbed into Swedish. All girl-commercials are cheery and happy and full of sunshine and pink and little girls playing with their dolls. All boy-commercials are black and blue, and a tough male voice growls out the slogans, like "Action Man - The Greatest Hero of Them All!!!". There are flashes and space and technical whatyacalems and whaddefugarethoses.
Most people feel like puking each time they see them on TV. Me, I'm boycotting some products just because I hate the commercials. I have never bought my friend M's son a boy's toy, and I never will.
I'm the Book Aunt.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

CHRIST, it's hard to be from this damn state some days! Seems that while I wasn't looking more Texans were hopping on the dumbass Bushwagon. That this happened in Crawford, Texas is a coincidence? I think not. Wonder if they witheld the first lady's thin mints...

~lucky (fuming)

Some Texans Boycott Girl Scout Cookies
32 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!

By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer

CRAWFORD, Texas - Some families are boycotting Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos and other Girl Scout cookies. Troop 7527 is down to just two members after the other girls were withdrawn by their parents. And Brownie Troop 7087 is no more.

Why are folks in this conservative Texas town where President Bush (news - web sites) has his ranch so mad at the Girl Scout organization?

Planned Parenthood (news - web sites) and sex education.

The furor was started a few weeks ago by the leader of the anti-abortion group Pro-Life Waco, who sent out e-mails and ran ads on a Christian radio station urging people to boycott Girl Scout cookies because of the "cozy relationship" between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

Parents were upset to learn that the local Girl Scout organization had given a "woman of distinction award" last year to a Planned Parenthood executive. And they were disturbed to find out that the Girl Scout organization has been giving its endorsement for years to a Planned Parenthood sex-ed program in which girls and boys are given literature on homosexuality, masturbation and condoms.

"It's not that we're a bunch of activists. We're just a bunch of moms who care about their kids," said Lisa Aguilar, who took her 10-year-old daughter out of her eight-member Girl Scout troop. "For us, it's the morality. Where is Girl Scouts going?"

The two troops in Crawford, population 700, decided not to deliver the cookie orders that they had already taken.

But cookie sales have skyrocketed this year as many people bought cases just to show their support for the Girl Scouts, said Becky Parker, a troop leader who is the cookie distributor for Waco-area troops.

"People thought the boycott was ridiculous and was one man's extremist views," Parker said.

While the cookie boycott may have backfired, the furor prompted the parent leaders of the two Crawford troops to quit.

"You're telling these girls to raise their fingers up to pledge to honor God and country, and yet you're handing out materials saying homosexuality is OK," said Brownie leader Donna Coody, who disbanded her five-member troop.

Because of the uproar, the Bluebonnet Council of Girl Scouts, which oversees troops in the Waco area and 13 other counties, announced last week that it would not be affiliated with Planned Parenthood sex-education programs this year.

In an editorial in Friday's Waco Tribune-Herald, Pam Smallwood, the Planned Parenthood of Central Texas executive director who was honored by the Girl Scouts last year, complained that Girl Scouts had thereby demonstrated that "bullying tactics are more effective than an informed democracy."

The Waco-area Girl Scout organization has been putting its name and logo on brochures for the Planned Parenthood sex-education programs but said it does not contribute any money and does not send girls to attend.

Some 400 to 700 fifth- through ninth-graders attend the half-day Nobody's Fool conference in Waco each July. The program never mentions abortion, according to Planned Parenthood. The youngsters receive a book with chapters on homosexuality and masturbation, as well as illustrations of couples having sex, people examining their naked bodies and a boy putting on a condom.

Some Girl Scout mothers called it soft-core porn.

"It embarrassed me to look at it with my husband," said parent Shannon Donaldson. ***I think I found everyone's anon feedback weirdo***

Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta, an economics professor at Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university, said his call for a cookie boycott "was a way to bring attention to the issue and wasn't really about cookies."

The Girl Scouts national organization, which is based in New York and has 2.9 million girl members and 986,000 adult members, takes no position on sex education or abortion and has no national relationship with Planned Parenthood, according to the Bluebonnet Council.

The Crawford mothers are forming their own girls organization and will use a Christian-based curriculum. Beth Vivio, director of the Bluebonnett Council, declined to say if parents in any other troops had taken their daughters out.

Some parents decided to explain abortion to their girls. Others gave only a vague explanation about the uproar.

"Our girls have been through a lot these past three weeks," said Jennifer Smith, who quit as leader of Girl Scout Troop 7527 and removed her daughter. "After I told my 10-year-old daughter that they are supporting some things that are not morally right, she understood."

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I am guessing Crawford Texas is in the shallow end of the gene pool? Or perhaps there is a nuclear reactor there and the good people of Crawford suffer from inoperable bran damage as a result? Or perhaps this is one of those communites where the terminally stupid are sent to live out their remaing years? In any case it's a shame that the ones who suffer are the children.

-Colly

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I am guessing Crawford Texas is in the shallow end of the gene pool? Or perhaps there is a nuclear reactor there and the good people of Crawford suffer from inoperable bran damage as a result? Or perhaps this is one of those communites where the terminally stupid are sent to live out their remaing years? In any case it's a shame that the ones who suffer are the children.

-Colly

Crawford is but a splash on the sidewalk beside the gene pool. Dammit. And at the rate they're going down there, with no intent on educating their children on any other form of safe sex other than abstinence and 'God will save you', there are going to be a bunch more of the stupid asses walking around here soon.

No nuclear reactors, but I'm beginning to wonder if GWB's ranch is actually a burial ground for the waste. Of course, no one can get close enough to it to see if his cows glow in the dark, but it doesn't really matter. Whatever is buried there has affected the entire town and their kids will be hard pressed to escape it. Sigh.

Things suck pretty bad when a Girl Scout Troop can't recognize an upstanding woman in society simply because she is also affiliated with Planned Parenthood. I, for one, am sick of people thinking that Planned Parenthood is all about abortion. They are an institution that does a helluva lot more to prevent people from getting pregnant than they do dealing with unplanned pregnancies.

I visited a clinic in my hometown for a year in high school to obtain birth control and regular yearly exams. My Mom wasn't cool about speaking on sex, and I couldn't bear to admit to my father that I wasn't a little girl anymore. WTF? It was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made and had it not been there, then there's no telling where I'd be, what with accidents and other such craziness happening. I was counseled and examined and generally helped all around in knowing how to take care of myself where sex was concerned. Thank God for PP, as I'm the oldest of four and have since passed on everything they taught me to my two younger sisters and baby brother. Lord knows my Mom never would have gotten around to it. (She's a good woman, but extremely embarassed by the entire thing. She prefers we all believe we just hatched.)

I can't even tell you how many other girls I drug to that clinic and got with the program. It's an organization that preaches safe sex and abstinence in the same breath. I was actually a little uncomfortable once as they discussed the importance of abstinence and also the risks I was taking at my relatively young age, since their arguments were so well thought out and presented. But the bottom line is, that they recognize that young people are going to have sex and that by informing them and protecting them with contraception they are doing a helluva lot more for them than shutting their doors and hanging a sign saying "Don't have sex."

~lucky (what's next? no welfare? sign on door reading "Get a job.")

 

[Svenskaflicka]

"After I told my 10-year-old daughter that they are supporting some things that are not morally right, she understood."

In other words, after she had brainwashed her kid long enough, she caved in and believed her mother's doctrines.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

In other words, after she had brainwashed her kid long enough, she caved in and believed her mother's doctrines.

Exactly. Girls look to their mothers for guidance in such things and when that guidance goes against their natural teenage urges and what-not then where are they to turn? If there is no Planned Parenthood available to them, then I can see quite a large epidemic of teenage pregnancy on the horizon.

~lucky

 

[OldnotDead]

As usual, I'm kind of in the middle on this one.

I don't think a local or regional Girl Scout organization should have allowed its logo to be on literature or providing an implicit endorsement of something that was not Girl Scout sponsored. It's not appropriate, nor consistent.

On the other hand, the Girl Scout organization, especially at the 'Scout' level (not Brownies) should have some kind of health education literature that IS endorsed and approved for distribution.

Lucky mentions getting all her sex ed and guidance from PP in a well organized and thoughtful way. It would seem to me responsible of the GS to have something similar and if the homosexuality mentions need to be removed to conform (they would HAVE to if it were the Boy Scouts) the GS shold take some initiative.

I have some very personal experience with over zealous teachers providing too much information. At the same time, I am well aware of the parents that claim it is their responsibility, but then assume none.

On a somewhat humorous note, I thought of the different associations one has about Scouting and how ironic this whole issue is. My wife and I, as we wrestle with our own issues of how much was enough at each age, compared notes about how we learned things. One of the things we found we had in common is that both of us got a lot of our early sex education the first time we went away to Scout camp.

My bet is that some of those girls are mad beyond belief that this will keep them from going to camp this summer.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Exactly. Girls look to their mothers for guidance in such things and when that guidance goes against their natural teenage urges and what-not then where are they to turn? If there is no Planned Parenthood available to them, then I can see quite a large epidemic of teenage pregnancy on the horizon.

~lucky

It's kind of interesting. Many scholars believe that most Christian teaching in the realm of sex reflects not a moral impreative, but a practical survial instinct. Christians were a persecuted minority and convincing a good orthodox Jew or happy pagan to join up was probably pretty hard. Children though, can be indoctrinated from the start and if you increse the birth rate substantially over time you may be able to breed yourself out of minority status. Thus the bible singles out just about evey form of sexual release that DOESN"T lead to the possiblity of a new bouncing baby christian.

In a real sense, one has to wonder if fundamentalists aren't taking the same approach. Don't educate them on how not to get pregnant, we need all the little voters we can get.

A little out on the edge of conspiracy theory I know, but...

-Colly

 

[lucky-E-leven]

It's kind of interesting. Many scholars believe that most Christian teaching in the realm of sex reflects not a moral impreative, but a practical survial instinct. Christians were a persecuted minority and convincing a good orthodox Jew or happy pagan to join up was probably pretty hard. Children though, can be indoctrinated from the start and if you increse the birth rate substantially over time you may be able to breed yourself out of minority status. Thus the bible singles out just about evey form of sexual release that DOESN"T lead to the possiblity of a new bouncing baby christian.

In a real sense, one has to wonder if fundamentalists aren't taking the same approach. Don't educate them on how not to get pregnant, we need all the little voters we can get.

A little out on the edge of conspiracy theory I know, but...

-Colly

The theory is solid, although I'm not sure how likely. If this is the case, however, I imagine it will backfire in their face. The largest segments of Democratic supporters are minorities and low-income families and let's face it, when people with no money or much chance at education can't get birth control or the knowledge of how to protect themselves, they will be breeding like mad.

Although, this is pretty much a moot point as the uneducated and unwealthy tend not to vote. Sigh. It is an ever spinning wheel of no good.

~lucky

 

[Colleen Thomas]

The theory is solid, although I'm not sure how likely. If this is the case, however, I imagine it will backfire in their face. The largest segments of Democratic supporters are minorities and low-income families and let's face it, when people with no money or much chance at education can't get birth control or the knowledge of how to protect themselves, they will be breeding like mad.

Although, this is pretty much a moot point as the uneducated and unwealthy tend not to vote. Sigh. It is an ever spinning wheel of no good.

~lucky

Thats true, but dirt poor, uneducated people from all over are regulars at sunday revival and if Preacher so-and-so says God wants you to Vote for Bush, then they will. Religion, if taught in the fundamentalist mold, transcends the politcal. The religious right found this to be true and parlayed that uncritical mass into something so powerful it rivals the kind of clout the unions used to wield.

A congregation here, a congregation there and you can carry a state on the backs of voters whose best interest clearly lie with the other party's political aims.

-Colly

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Refusing to teach teenagers about sex is like pushing a naked person in a shrubbery of poison oak and then telling him that he MUSTN'T scratch himself.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Thats true, but dirt poor, uneducated people from all over are regulars at sunday revival and if Preacher so-and-so says God wants you to Vote for Bush, then they will. Religion, if taught in the fundamentalist mold, transcends the politcal. The religious right found this to be true and parlayed that uncritical mass into something so powerful it rivals the kind of clut the unions used to wield.

A congregation here, a congregation there and you can carry a state on the backs of voters whose best interest clearly lie with the other party's political aims.

-Colly

I totally see what you're saying, but can't help but look at it from a different point of view. My Dad used to live in a development of condominiums that bordered the poor side of town. Just across our parking lot of really nice condos was a tiny gospel church (btw waking up to Gospel Chorale on Sunday morning is absolutely wonderful). There was a tiny family owned restaurant there, a dilapidated old building without a single menu. Everyone drank kool-aid and ate whatever Ms. Jackie was cooking that day, but my Dad and I were always the only white people I ever saw in there.

When the place was hopping there would be lively discussions about politics and their race's particular strife and struggle. Not once, did I ever hear them say a kind word about Republican leadership. The preacher was just as vehemently for the more liberal side of things and it had a lot more to do with a deep seated fear of the religious right that had, in past, always moved to promote its own WASP followers and attempted to oppress anyone else that was different.

I know that there are plenty of good ole boy churches and right wing white bread lower class, but I would be very very surprised if such a movement swept enough of the uneducated and unwealthy to swing a state in favor of the religious right. Very surprised indeed.

~lucky

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Refusing to teach teenagers about sex is like pushing a naked person in a shrubbery of poison oak and then telling him that he MUSTN'T scratch himself.

ROFLMAO!

Thanks, Flicka. Very nice. Maybe I'll get a Girl Scout T-shirt Emblazoned with that quote on the back.

~lucky

 

[Svenskaflicka]

*taking a bow*

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I totally see what you're saying, but can't help but look at it from a different point of view. My Dad used to live in a development of condominiums that bordered the poor side of town. Just across our parking lot of really nice condos was a tiny gospel church (btw waking up to Gospel Chorale on Sunday morning is absolutely wonderful). There was a tiny family owned restaurant there, a dilapidated old building without a single menu. Everyone drank kool-aid and ate whatever Ms. Jackie was cooking that day, but my Dad and I were always the only white people I ever saw in there.

When the place was hopping there would be lively discussions about politics and their race's particular strife and struggle. Not once, did I ever hear them say a kind word about Republican leadership. The preacher was just as vehemently for the more liberal side of things and it had a lot more to do with a deep seated fear of the religious right that had, in past, always moved to promote its own WASP followers and attempted to oppress anyone else that was different.

I know that there are plenty of good ole boy churches and right wing white bread lower class, but I would be very very surprised if such a movement swept enough of the uneducated and unwealthy to swing a state in favor of the religious right. Very surprised indeed.

~lucky

I attended services at an all black baptist church while I was on loan to one of our branch stores. Much to the dismay and consternation of the store manager I might add. Wonderful people, and a preacher who you could almost believe was getting cliff notes from Jesus on the sermons. He was Gray haird and looked saintly and had this incredible baritone voice that seemed to have been made to preach the gospels.

I rarely stayed after services, not because I didn't want to, but because the branch was open on Sundays. I finished my on loan period on a Saturday and since I was driving back to Birmingham I decided to stay, got to meeting, then hit the road. When they found out I was leaving I just had to stay for lunch. Two beautiful women, I mean beautiful as in the kind of lady who makes you feel like a kid when she tells you something, the kind this world needs more of IMHO, told me I was staying and well, you just don't argue with such ladies, you just say Yes maam and do as you are told.

I am making a short point into a long story, sorry. In this congregation Father Lucious? Lucas? Everyone just called him brother or father. Anyway, he could have told them to vote for David Duke and I honestly believe they would have. I have never met a man who carried such moral authority with his congregation.

They were just good southern baptists and not at all fundamentalists, but Preachers carry a huge amount of respect from thier community and congregation. I would prefer they stayed out of politics, but many don't.

Here is my fear, the more the religious right influnces policy, the more attractive the republican part becoms to those men of the cloth who have a political agenda and to the very religious the word of the parson carries a lot of weight.

Republicans are for paryer in school, against abortion, and this is the one that truly scares me for federal money for religious groups. In spite of their less than exemplary stand on other issues, thats a powerful incentive.

-Colly

 

[lucky-E-leven]

They were just good southern baptists and not at all fundamentalists, but Preachers carry a huge amount of respect from thier community and congregation. I would prefer they stayed out of politics, but many don't.

Here is my fear, the more the religious right influnces policy, the more attractive the republican part becoms to those men of the cloth who have a political agenda and to the very religious the word of the parson carries a lot of weight.

Republicans are for paryer in school, against abortion, and this is the one that truly scares me for federal money for religious groups. In spite of their less than exemplary stand on other issues, thats a powerful incentive.

-Colly

Point taken and you're right. It is a frightening thing. I've no doubt that some congregations would fall in line and do their pastor's bidding, but I just think they're not a large enough percentage of the populace to make a difference.

Are you meaning that by funding religious groups, they're propogating a massive following from the religious sects making them unstoppable? I thought most of the groups they'd be funding are already staunch supporters. But I've not looked into it and am therefore largely uninformed.

~lucky

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Point taken and you're right. It is a frightening thing. I've no doubt that some congregations would fall in line and do their pastor's bidding, but I just think they're not a large enough percentage of the populace to make a difference.

Are you meaning that by funding religious groups, they're propogating a massive following from the religious sects making them unstoppable? I thought most of the groups they'd be funding are already staunch supporters. But I've not looked into it and am therefore largely uninformed.

~lucky

Neither sects nor the groups that are already staunch. I was thinking more along the lines of it being a powerful incentive for people who might not ordinarily come out in support of one party or the other. Particularly of southern baptist congregations that aren't neccissarily fundamentalist, but who do take great exception to the issue of prayer in schools and who would benefit finanncially in thier mission work if they were recieving federal funds.

-Colly

-Colly

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Neither sects nor the groups that are already staunch. I was thinking more along the lines of it being a powerful incentive for people who might not ordinarily come out in support of one party or the other. Particularly of southern baptist congregations that aren't neccissarily fundamentalist, but who do take great exception to the issue of prayer in schools and who would benefit finanncially in thier mission work if they were recieving federal funds.

-Colly

-Colly

I see. Thanks. I'll look into it and see what's out there.

~lucky

 

[Somme]

Refusing to teach teenagers about sex is like pushing a naked person in a shrubbery of poison oak and then telling him that he MUSTN'T scratch himself.

Get thee to a shrubbery?

 

[shereads]

Get thee to a shrubbery?

A nice one; and not too expensive.

Ni!

 

[Guest]

Get thee to a shrubbery?

Applause!

Perdita

 

[Colleen Thomas]

BUMP

Bumped to make sure Sher and Mindy got to see my spiffy link I posted before tis thred suddenly came alive on the subject of Scouting

-Colly

 

[Somme]

Morning all........

 

[minsue]

BUMP

Bumped to make sure Sher and Mindy got to see my spiffy link I posted before tis thred suddenly came alive on the subject of Scouting

-Colly

I did see your spiffy link, Colly, but was not in a happy place on Thurs. Sorry for letting such a hilarious link go by without comment!



- Mindy

ps to Somme - Thanks for the BUMP!

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I did see your spiffy link, Colly, but was not in a happy place on Thurs. Sorry for letting such a hilarious link go by without comment!



- Mindy

ps to Somme - Thanks for the BUMP!

Hope it game you a little smile

-Colly