Age-Appropriate Sex Ed: A Comparison

Remember this advertisement during the presidential campaign in 2008? John McCain attacked Barack Obama's stance on age-appropriate sex education for all children, including Kindergartners.



Basically, Barack Obama supports age-appropriate sex-ed. In Kindergarten, that's teaching young children "good touch/bad touch" and ways that kids can protect themselves from pedophiles, like not talking to strangers, not going into a car of anyone they don't know, and telling a trusted adult if they've been touched inappropriately. It turned out that the bill wasn't even passed during Obama's time in the Illinois State Senate, and he wasn't even a co-sponsor, so it blew over and Barack Obama won the election.

Let's fast forward to 2011. Kind of a lot has changed in less than 3 years, but there haven't been such radical changes taking place from where conservatives have kittens over someone somewhere suggesting that 5-year-olds know the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching to where talking to those same kids about abortion is a-OK. But apparently it has, in this second wind of hippie free love, I guess.

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) admitted that he talks to children of all grade levels, including Kindergartners, about abortion. He said:

I often go into a high school auditorium or meet with people at even the K-through-12 level in their entirety, and I will tell them: “You will be asked to answer one of the most profound moral questions of our age and that is where do you stand on the abortion issue. And you need to only ask and answer two questions. The first question is do you believe that human life is sacred in all of its forms. Is the person sitting to your left and to your right and everyone in this room, is their life sacred?” And they’ll nod their heads.

Yes, which would mean they're pro-choice. Anti-choicers certainly don't see the life of the pregnant woman as sacred, since they see her death in childbirth or suicide as no great loss to humanity. Needless to say, that's not age-appropriate. It's also a stupid argument to make, and it's why I hate it when men and self-righteous teens are asked about this very profound moral question. Men in particular can have a really nice philosophical debate about abortion, because they don't experience abortion in the slightest, and they never will. Men might like to think that they experience it in the same way that women do, but that's because they're really stupid assholes who believe their superior man-brains and powerful imaginations can make them feel that way. The point is, the only person who can answer that question honestly is the woman experiencing the pregnancy and making the decision herself. It's really easy to say "I believe all life is sacred," or even, "Abortion is a morally acceptable decision all the time," and all of that philosophy flies out the window once she sees a plus sign on the pregnancy test. Oops. So to even pose that question to students who are too young to experience pregnancy or make a moral judgment is totally age-inappropriate and a bit brain-washy.

Take Action Monday

Fair Trade Certified's blog held a fair trade haiku contest over the weekend, and my haiku was one of the winners! Mine is the eleventh one in comments, if you want to read it.

Tell Attorney General Holder to prosecute the architects of torture.

Not that he'll ever do it, but tell John McCain to apologize for shining the national spotlight on Sarah Palin.

Demand that Senator Hatch stop telling lies about Planned Parenthood.

Urge Iran's leader to not seek the death penalty for political prisoners.

Tell your Senators that genetically modified organisms are not the answer to world hunger.

Tell Me Who Won Again . . . .

Hey, John McCain. Who's going to be the next president of the United States?



Sounds better and better every time you say it.

Congratulations, Barack Obama, the next president of the United States! Yes we can did!

Winner of the Funniest Gaffe Poll

No surprise, Sarah Palin is the funniest gaffe of the presidential election. Here are the results:

Joe Biden tells Chuck Graham to stand up: 2 votes

John McCain agrees that Western Pennsylvania is racist: 6 votes

Barack Obama claims to have visited 57 states: 2 votes 

Sarah Palin. Simply Sarah Palin: 10 votes

So what does Governor Palin win for being the biggest gaffe of the presidential campaign? Nothin'. But you guys get Palin's greatest hits. Or should I say misses?

Sarah Palin does not know what the Vice President does

Sarah Palin can't name a newspaper

Sarah Palin scolds supporters

Sarah Palin can't name a Supreme Court decision besides Roe v. Wade that she disagrees with. How about Plessy v. Ferguson?

Sarah Palin doesn't know what a terrorist is

Sarah Palin talks to Quebecois shock jocks, but thinks they're French President Sarkozy

Sarah Palin thinks Afghanistan borders the United States, and misquotes Madeline Albright (it's a 2-fer!)

Sarah Palin thinks New Hampshire is in the Northwest

The Big Day is Here!

It's finally Election Day! It's obvious that I'm voting for Obama, since I'm a feminist. But voting for McCain certainly would be hi-larious. It's not important who you vote for. It's just important that you vote. And . . . .



you can vote however you like.

No-Show Joe

Joe the Plumber avoids John McCain like he's income taxes.

Funniest Gaffe This Election Season: You Pick

The results of last week's [A] Funny Poll . . . .

Would you go gay for Rachel Maddow?

Yes: 9

No: 3

I don't have to: 7

Nineteen in total! The most ever! I know 19 isn't a whole lot, but I'm still happy.

I hope the total increases with the new poll question. This week's [A] Funny Poll question is:

"What was the funniest gaffe of the presidential campaign?" 

I've narrowed it down to 4 hilarious choices. To help you decide, here are the videos of those gaffes.


Joe Biden tells Missouri State Senator Chuck Graham to stand up, despite the fact that he's in a wheel chair. But it looks like he apologizes. Aw. I had this weird dream last night that Joe Biden and I donated blood together. Kind of random.



John McCain agrees that Western Pennsylvanians are racist and then tries to correct himself. And then he explodes.



Barack Obama claims to have visited 57 out of 59 states. Even if he meant to say forty, this would still be gaffe-alicious. You're leading in all the polls, Barack, but will you prevail in mine? We shall see!



And lastly, Sarah Palin. Not any particular gaffe. Just Sarah Palin. But here are a few just for good measure.

Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Vice President does.



Sarah Palin can't name a newspaper.



Sarah Palin thinks supporters are protestors and scolds them.



Leave your other favorites in comments!

Take Action Monday

The last couple of weeks of the election season is all about solicitation. So, naturally, most of the take action-y type stuff I got this week, like last week, were organizations hittin' me up for money. And since I only post links to ways to make a difference for free, this will be another short TAM.

Tell Mukasey to squash Bush's efforts to suppress votes in Ohio.

Pledge to learn the signs of child abuse.

Contribute to the Democracy Diaries. 

Urge John McCain to put middle-class workers first.

So Not Funny, Ashley Todd!

McCain campaign volunteer, Ashley Todd,  lied to police about being attacked by a big Black man for being a McCain supporter. Ironic, isn't it? Sarah Palin doesn't even support hate crime statutes, and one of her supporters thought a fake bias crime would improve Palin's chances of becoming VP. Anyway, Todd told the cops that this scary Black man (isn't it always a Black guy?) carved a "B" into her face and told her that she would become an Obama supporter. But this wasn't just any "B" carved into her face.

It's a backwards "B!" The kind of "B" that would result if a person cut it into their own face without thinking, "Hey. You think this'll pass the Michelle Malkin smell test? Or will it be more stinky tofu?" Yep. They've got some real brainiacks on the Straight Talk Express. Racist, racist brainiacks. Oh, did I mention this happened in totally not racist western PA?

Being a lying racist -- so not funny.

Cutest Children's Story Ever

via Straight Talk on McCain

Some geniuses made a nursery rhyme about John McCain's VP selection. The video might be slow to start, so be patient.

Not to Sway the Votes on My New Poll or Anything . . . .

via Feministing

But Rachel Maddow laid the feminist smackdown on a couple of McCain hunchbacks on her show last night. Oh, conservative dudes. When will you learn that you know nothing about us Vagina-Americans?

Take Action Monday

I didn't get many petitions this week, so it'll be a short TAM.

Demand that Country Natural Beef stop their anti-union campaign. E-mail them at Answers@countrynaturalbeef.com, since they're blocking messages sent through United Farm Workers. Real classy!

Tell your family and friends in California to vote NO on Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban.

Urge the presidential candidates to support equal access to breast cancer screenings for all women.

Tell Sarah Palin to stop lying.

John McCain is PROUD of His Supporters? So Not Funny!

Sen. John McCain told the country on Wednesday night's debate that he is proud of his supporters, right after Sen. Barack Obama talked about the McCain/Palin supporters that yelled things like "bomb Obama" and "kill him" at their rallies. So who else is McCain proud of?



McCain is proud of these people. McCain is proud of the woman who said, "I'm afraid if he wins, the Black will take over. He's not a Christian! This is a Christian nation! What is our country gonna end up like?" McCain is proud of the man who said, "When you got a Negro running for president, you need a first stringer. He's definitely a second stringer." McCain is proud of the man who said, "He's related to a known terrorist, for one." McCain is proud of the woman who said, "Just the whole Muslim thing and everything. I mean, everybody's talking about -- you know, a lot of people forgot about 9/11, but I don't know. It's just kind of a little unnerving." McCain is proud of the woman who said, "Obama and his wife, I'm concerned that they could be anti-White, that he might hide that." McCain is proud of the woman who said, "I don't the fact that he thinks us White people are trash, because we're not." Who else is McCain proud of?



McCain is proud of the people who created this image juxtaposing Osama bin Laden with Barack Obama. McCain is proud of people who want to torture Obama. McCain is proud of the Sacramento Republican Party. Who else is McCain proud of?



McCain is proud of the Chaffey Community Republican Woman Federated, who used this racist image for one of their newsletters.

Senator McCain, are you kidding me? You really are proud of these racist, xenophobic liars? So not funny!

There's a Campaign of Hate

File this under "so not funny." The racism and all-around hatred in McCain supporters is frightening, and McCain and Palin are doing nothing about it. In fact, they've started it in their campaign of fear-mongering, lies, and hatred. Watch the video, and sign this petition to stop the campaign of hate.

Take Action Monday

Tell Barack Obama and John McCain to support hate crimes legislation for LGBT people.

Speak out against the unlawful indefinite imprisonment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Tell the networks that you deserve and honest representation of military analysis.

Urge Bob Schieffer to get a straight answer out of McCain regarding his birth control policies.

Help end childhood obesity.

Tell PBS that you don't think Sarah Palin is qualified to be VP.

Sign the Fair Pay Pledge (I figure posting the link here is like sending it 5 friends).

Encourage women who are working to get themselves out of poverty.

That One's a Keeper

In response to Senator John McCain referring to Senator Barack Obama as "that one" in last night's debate, xerotopia Aritfact Store at Cafe Press is selling shirts and other merchandise with the slogan "I'm Voting for 'That One.'" Funny stuff!

Take Action Monday

It took my brother and I 3 hours to watch the first presidential debate, because we kept pausing the TV to discuss the candidates' responses. It only took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to watch the vice presidential debate. I'm hoping tomorrow's debate will be more exciting (and ask my question, Browkaw!).

Support the Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act, which will help keep money from natural resource industries from funding corrupt leaders (think China's oil ties with Sudan).

Ask Obama and McCain how they will reach across party lines to end the financial and healthcare crises.

Vote in the Members Project. The winner gets $1.5 million to fund their humanitarian efforts.

Tell American Idol to treat their worker's fairly.

Tell Howard Weizmann that there's a difference between Hollywood movies and reality.

End the filibustering! 

And, finally, vote in my poll over there <----- and up a little.

Who Says Famous People Aren't Republican?

This morning on FOX & Friends, Kevin Farely promoted his new spoof film An American Carol. One of the hosts made this proclamation:

We've seen actor after actor, director after director, come out and support Barack Obama and support the left. 

Quoi?! No famous person has voiced their support for McCain/Palin? Then how do you explain this? 

A famous person said that. You can insert any famous person's name in there, and technically, you wouldn't be lying, right? I mean, as long as they're famous, your ass is covered. So while the liberals have certain famous people (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Fall Out Boy, The Black Eyed Peas, Alec Baldwin, Robert de Niro, Matt Damon, Halle Berry, John Legend, Pearl Jam, and George Clooney), conservatives have any famous person (and Kevin Farley). Nice job.

Debate Tonight!

Not to pull a John McCain, but I think Biden's already got this.

Submit Your Questions for the October 7 Presidential Debate

MySpace has a page set up for regular people like you and me to submit questions to Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain for the next presidential debate. And the great part of this is:

• You can submit as many questions as you want.
• EVERY question will be submitted to moderator Tom Brokaw for consideration.
• You don't have to be a MySpace member to participate.
  

But you only have until October 2 to submit your questions, so act fast!

I've submitted one question already, and I just might send another couple. Here's one question I would like John McCain to answer:

Senator McCain, in 1999, you told the San Fransisco Chronicle that Roe v. Wade should not be overturned because it would force women to undergo "dangerous" illegal abortions. What has happened in the past 9 years that this is no longer a concern?