"Of all of the failings we have as human beings, I think the worst is when we fail at compassion for those in positions holding less power than we have.  Whether it’s animals run down on the freeways or defenseless people with fire rained down upon them by our weapons of mass destruction or women beaten and degraded by the men they loved and trusted, or the fish of the seas trying to survive in a habitat poisoned by our waste and carelessness, to have no heart for such as these seems a sign that the person so lacking has lost their soul in the most pitiable way"

And to that quote from you Mugsy Peabody, let me add the unborn child.  Whoever has a heart for that defenseless child, has a heart indeed.

I understand and appreciate the desire to change and improve. Often it helps us become better people.  But what about self-acceptance?  Even when it comes to our looks, we’re taught that to do nothing is to stagnate, so it’s best to take action. I can’t watch tv without being constantly reminded that we women better fight our fat with aggressive fitness dvds, uplift our fallen faces with the zillions of miracle creams available, etc.

I’ll tell you something—I’m sick of it. 

We’re more than our body and face.  We have an eternal soul that’s flawless.  But we’re distracted from connecting with it by this constant parade of those who’ve either lived fairly stressless lives and/or had the best luck in the gene pool.  Or highly skilled surgeons.

Anyway, many of the treatments that make the so-called improvements cost a lot of money; I’ve priced things from botox to skin tightening thermal sessions and they’re quite expensive.  I’m a slender, pale woman who has forever been told I look younger than my age, but boy, I sure see some clues when I look in the mirror!  And although I have  savings I could use, I refuse to do it.  Between worrying about the economy and the potential risks of any surgical proceedure,  I haven’t gone forward with any of it, other than bi-monthly facials.  So am I aging gracefully, or maybe just cheaply?  I’d love to be in my twenties again.  I’m sure any of us can relate to the feeling you get when you see yourself in photos taken several years ago and how you looked……didn’t realize how good we had it, did we?  Time marches on.  Although I’m not looking for work now, with this unstable market, it may be on my horizon.  Am I putting myself at a disadvantage because I have the guts to say this is who I am, take it or leave it?  Probably. But that doesn’t mean I won’t ever try something a little more aggressive someday. I just hope it’s a long time coming.

"Mary, I would like to hear YOUR sound of silence."

Gosh, Margaret Scarborough, you’re having a problem with my free speech?  Funny you post on a site like this.  That’s very big of you to encourage others to not speak their minds.  I must have struck a nerve in you.   What can I say?  Thanks for sharing and, by the way, your photo is similar to your request (a bit harsh—try a little bit of smile next time—surely you’re not that angry of an oppressive silencer, are you?).  Aw, come on, you know I’m kidding!!!  Lighten up and debate with somebody, don’t try to deprive them of their speech, seriously.

Diamond: Too funny!

Your post answers my question.  Only a man who has committed a certain deed would dance around a clearly understood question. It was just an old shoe you helped discard, right?

You win, Roger. Let’s not speak anymore because there’s nothing more to say. I won’t respond to you because you’re not really there in an honest way, so why bother?

The end. 

Lizzie R. we are talking about murder, albeit legal murder if the victim’s unborn.  In an earlier post you said you were "pro-life." Well, what does that mean to you if not children at risk everywhere? 

As for asking women like me to advocate "for the born who are abused because they are not wanted in the first place," I do.  In fact, at this very moment there’s a small, curly haired white dog that’s sleeping out behind my condo.  I’ve tried since mid-week to get it since it’s obviously homeless.  Every time I go near it, it leaves before I can get within 15 feet.  I’ve tried speaking to it, but it’s no use.  It immediately gets up and flees. It’s fur is grey now from the dirt.  I threw out a big hunk of meatloaf yesterday morning and know it ate it since it was gone when I came home. 

What’s worse is I called our local animal control, that forwarded me to our local sheriff’s dept., that told me unless I "contained" the dog, they won’t send anyone out to rescue it.  I’m clueless how to help this lost, wandering animal. Call me your typical, bleeding-heart "pro-lifer," because I am.  Just wish there was a solution for this dog since it was 9 degrees last night and it’ll be just as cold tonight.

Here’s the sanitized version since I bet my original will get cut:

Dearest Roger from Ohio,

Somehow you think it’s ok to ask me questions, which I answer, but refuse to play by the same rules when I ask you questions. You’re strangely unable to speak truthfully when you demand that I do so.

 Tisk, tisk.  Does the phrase I used in my earlier post about practicing what you preach mean anything to you? 

The other side can have you. Actually, you do them a great service as you show the world what a man of "choice" really is deep down. Let’s just say fairness and equity are not part of that equation. You’ve got free speech Roger, but when it comes to me asking you if you’ve aborted a baby, we hear nothing but the sound of silence.

Roger, how can I respond to a man who refuses to recognize an embryo as being human?  What is it then? We need to define "it." Help me understand how you see him/her/it/the nothing. I say it’s a person. You say it’s a ???? 

And now how to kill it…..

"There are chemical ways," you mention.  Care to discuss the saline abortion technique where the baby’s burned alive with salt? His skin is slowly burned and, as he inhales the irritant, his insides are burned.  Ever get burned by a match and remember the feeling?  Imagine this engulfing your whole body. Or the dialation and evacuation technique where his arms and legs are yanked off before his torso’s extracted?  Don’t forget the partial birth method which involves so much stabbing and crushing, but as you insist done against "not a child." Done against what, an old shoe?

Sir, if we can’t agree there’s a living human victim in abortion, how can we agree to discuss the legal ramifications from killing the being?

As for your questions, despite the culture of death we live in thanks to men like you and Obama, I financially support my town’s local pregnancy resource center which offers non-violent solutions to women facing a crisis pregnancy.  I also have spent many, many hours helping a single friend by watching her children.  Finally, I contribute to Feminists for Life, which goes to college campuses to educate women about their rights and why our feminist foremothers (Susan B. Anthony, etc.) specifically called abortion the thing you won’t—a gruesome and damaging lie that hurts women and children.

I must say, your man Obama perpetually votes against these defenseless beings, so to post a link to site that somehow attempts to minimize his contempt for the preborn child’s human rights doesn’t do a whole lotta good…

So, may I now ask you, what have you personally done to help women and preborn what’s-its?  Since I’ve explained my pro-life actions, what are your actions?  Fair is fair, Roger.  Time to put your cards on the table.

Have you ever directly been involved in a violent outcome against one of them? Yes, I’m asking you have you ever been responsible for a preborn child’s death?

Remember, if it’s the moral equivalent of an old shoe, it doesn’t really matter.