It Is Time to Move On ... Literally and Figuratively

I realize that it has been months since I've last posted. After Obama won the Presidency in November, there didn't seem to be much to say. I hope that he does well, if nothing else, for the sake of the country. It appears that no one is truly in charge anymore, or that anyone has the answers to both the financial crisis, and the deep political divide that still haunts this country. This country desperately needs responsible leadership, and I don't believe that Obama is the right person to provide it. I sincerely hope that I am wrong. That said, it will be amazing to watch history be made once again. At 28, I've already watched so much history be made. I wonder what things will be like when I am 90!

On a personal note, I've been working for Best Buy during the holiday season. I really enjoy it, and I hope that it continues, although that is out of my hands. I'm still very much trying to get my career going. If it is in the works for me to pursue a career at Best Buy, I would certainly welcome it. I enjoyed working there that much. More than anything else, it was the people that I worked with that made (make) it great.

I wish that I could say that 2008 was a great year, but quite simply, it wasn't. Economically, things have only gotten worse in Michigan, especially the tri-city area. Once again, I've been extremely close to getting my career going only to have things slip through my hands. I can't gain more experience if no one is willing or able to provide me with the opportunity to work. I'm certainly hoping that 2009 will provide me with a fresh start career wise.

Lindsey

Sweetness & Light

Another great political blog. Brian brought it to my attention. He really does have a good eye.

Sweetness & Light

Lindsey

Ms. Meghan McCain!

McCain Blogette

This blog is great. Even though it is written and maintained by John McCain's daughter Meghan (with the help of her brothers and sisters), it really isn't all that political. It does document her time on the campaign trail and the promotion of her children's book about her dad. It is a lot of fun. Check it out!

Lindsey

How to Field Dress a Donkey

Priceless, simply priceless. Check it out here.

My Definitive Sarah Palin Post

This particular piece has been in the works for nearly two weeks, but like the rest of the country, the selection of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as John McCain's running mate blew me away. It is fair to say that people on both the right and left were shocked. While I was shocked, I was also ecstatic. For the first time in my life, there may be someone a heartbeat away from the Presidency with whom I can identify. There has never been a truly viable national female conservative candidate in the United States (Lizzy Dole never had a chance). Period. I now have a political role model for the first time in my life.

While I claim that Sarah Palin is a role model in my eyes, let me be clear. I don't agree with her on everything, but I never expected to either. Take abortion, for example. I am not nearly as staunchly right to life as Palin (I believe that ultimately a woman - in fact, all people - should have control over her own body). However, I could never make the decision to have an abortion. In almost all cases, I believe that adoption is the best answer to unwanted pregnancies. That said, I've never had much of a stomach for some of the antics of the right to life movement.

Then came Sarah Palin, who is very much pro-life. How can you look at her baby Trig and not see the unconditional love created by his life? It is real. There are many, many people all across the United States who can identify with making the decision that Sarah Palin made to have Trig, despite the challenges of Down Syndrome.

Before I go further, I need to clarify something. You see, technically I'm a "special needs" person myself due to the fact that I have Turners Syndrome. Fortunately for me, I grew up in an era where such terms as "special needs" weren't used, and to look at me, you wouldn't suspect that I have a genetic disorder (I'm just shorter than average).

All of that aside, I attended national Turners Syndrome conferences in 1999 and 2000. I attended to meet up with an old friend of mine, Brenna, who also happens to have Turners Syndrome. Quite simply, my experiences at the conferences changed the way I view pregnancy, motherhood, adoption, and myself. Unfortunately, much of the conferences involved a lot of parental hand-holding. Parents of girls with Turners Syndrome want more information about their daughters' condition. It is all well-meaning, but it also can lead to a certain over-protection of women and girls with Turners Syndrome. In some cases, I almost wonder if Turners Syndrome isn't worse for the parents than it for the women and girls who actually have it.

It was against this backdrop that I happened to meet a couple who were expecting a little girl with Turners Syndrome. That's right; Turners Syndrome, along with genetic abnormalities such as Down Syndrome, can now be diagnosed in the womb through amniocentesis. I can only imagine what the couple was going through.

Imagine that you are a pregnant woman whose unborn child was just diagnosed in the womb with a serious genetic condition such as Turners Syndrome. The doctor may provide you with the worst case scenario (serious heart and kidney abnormalities), little or no information, or worst of all, outdated information. You read, hear, and expect the absolute worst. You realize that your child will face physical and emotional challenges. She will most assuredly be short and infertile. Outdated information will say that women and girls with Turners Syndrome show signs of mental retardation (this has been disproven and literally all of the older Turner Syndrome women I've met have at least a bachelors degree). In essence, a lot of rational, well-meaning people would understand if you decided to have an abortion. It has most certainly happened and will continue to happen.

In fact, I have to give the couples that I met at the conferences a lot of credit. They took the time to put a human face with the condition. They got to meet women and girls with Turners Syndrome, many of whom lead surprisingly ordinary lives. They got to see the achievements, the challenges, the adoptions, the successful outcomes of in vitro fertilization, etc. I will never forget the speech that one expectant mom of a little girl with Turners Syndrome gave before the entire conference. She simply stood up and thanked everyone. She had been considering abortion, but decided to learn more. She was overwhelmed by the experience of actually meeting those with the same condition that inflicted her unborn daughter.

It is quite simple. Sarah Palin's candidacy has brought that all back for me. She has lived with and through the life altering decisions faced by moms with "special needs" kids, especially those whose children are diagnosed in the womb. In a broad sense, these were my first impressions of her - an authentic human being who shares many of my values and who has been tested by life in a variety of ways. She has stuck by her convictions.

Then, almost as soon as the announcement was made, the attacks began. I've never witnessed anything so destructive in my entire life. The rumors regarding Trig, Bristol, and Sarah were largely put to rest after the announcement was made that Bristol is pregnant (the most vicious of rumors would have been biologically impossible). Bristol's pregnancy is a whole other topic in and of itself (it is very telling of how we view sex in the United States), and I do want to discuss it in another post. However, rumor after rumor came spewing from a dinosaur mainstream media that would never treat a women on the left the same way. As a woman who grew up in a small town and who shares many of the same values as Sarah Palin, I have no choice but to assume that the mainstream media would treat me with the same disdain and disrespect (in fact, contempt). In fact, there are probably people on the left who probably think that my life isn't worth living. I happen to know for a fact that some conservative men don't even get why women like me would feel this way (again, another post). It is brutally ugly and says a lot about our society.

You can bet that you will hear a lot more from me as election day draws near.

Lindsey

Conservative Reading List for 2008!

I thought that I would share a reading list with you today. Actually, a friend of mine over at Rose City Reader wanted me to put it together. Not all of the books are partisan and many deal with education and the future. Enjoy!

Summer political reading (June - August 2008):

Liberal Fascism - Jonah Goldberg
The UNTIED States of America - Juan Enriquez
As The Future Catches You - Juan Enriquez
American Evita - Christopher Andersen
Indoctrination U - David Horowitz
End of Education - Neil Postman
Hell to Pay - Barbara Olson

Books I have yet to read:

America Alone : The End of the World as We Know It - Mark Steyn

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business - Neil Postman

Boom!: Voices of the Sixties - Tom Brokaw

Building a Bridge to the 18th Century: How the Past Can Improve Our Future - Neil Postman

Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties - Peter Collier, David Horowitz

The Disappearance of Childhood - Neil Postman

Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments are Scamming Us-- and What to Do About It - Dick Morris and Eileen McGann

Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints - Margaret Haerens, Book Editor

Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores - Michelle Malkin

John McCain : An American Odyssey - Robert Timberg

Left Illusions: An Intellectual Odyssey - David Horowitz ; Edited, With an Introduction by Jamie Glazov

One Nation: Patriots and Pirates Portrayed by N. C. Wyeth and James Wyeth - Introduction by Lauren Raye Smith, Essays by Tom Brokaw and David Michaelis

The Politics of Bad Faith: The Radical Assault on America's Future - David Horowitz

Teaching as a Subversive Activity - Neil Postman, Charles Weingartner

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology - Neil Postman

The Uncivil Wars: Ireland Today - Padraig O'Malley

Uncivil Wars: The Controversy Over Reparations for Slavery - David Horowitz

Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life - John McCain with Mark Salter

Unhinged Sexism

I simply can not believe the blatantly sexist attacks thrown at Sarah Palin. As a women, I'm beginning to wonder if I've been sold a huge pack of lies. What angers me the most is the suggestion that Sarah Palin isn't a good mother simply because she is running for national office and she happens to have five children. She would not be facing this criticism if she was a father of five children.

What about her husband? He reportedly spends most of his time at home running his businesses. I wouldn't be surprised if his commercial fishing business is largely seasonal. Does this sound familiar? It should to those who know me and my family. My Dad was around much more than most during my childhood due to similar circumstances (he owns and operates a seasonal business).

In fact, during my first nine months of life, my Dad took me everywhere. My Mom decided to go back to teaching and my Dad was my caregiver during the day during the school year. There are stories of how he took me with him when he would take care of business for the canoe livery. One of my Grandfather's best friends talked about it for years. This man, who decidedly came from a very different generation, happened to own our small town newspaper and provided many printing services for my Dad's business. He couldn't get over a businessman caring for his infant daughter, taking her everywhere with him.

My point is this. Gender still does matter a great deal to Democrats when it comes to powerful Republican women. A commentator, a female at that, had the gull to suggest that conservative Republicans are the ones who have issue with a mother of five as the Vice Presidential candidate. Hello? Has this woman met many modern conservatives?

Due to family and societal circumstances, I happen to know roughly an equal amount of conservative Republicans, so-called progressive Democrats, and what I'll term "old school" Democrats (Roosevelt Democrats). Of all of the conservatives I know, there are maybe three out of several dozen that I'd term sexist. They are unlikely to support any female candidate for high national office. Actually, one of the three actually called me almost as it was announced that Palin was the choice. She was upset (yes, women can be some of the most ardent sexists), but as soon as I told her what I had heard about Palin, she was happy (although still disappointed that it wasn't Romney). In my experience, sexism is less prevalent in conservatives than in other camps.

On the other hand, some of the most hypocritical, sexist people I know term themselves progressive Democrats. Many like to term sexual equality in terms of brute sexuality. Women are now able to express themselves sexually. In those terms, many progressives think that that is all that is needed. Yet, they hold women to a double standard. If a woman sleeps around, she is a slut. Think of the portrayal of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears by supposedly PROGRESSIVE Hollywood. Women can have choice, but there is hell to pay if it is the wrong choice.

What about true opportunities, specifically job opportunities? What about what really matters? I, for one, am much more than just a sexual being. This is exactly why this garbage hurled at Palin just leaves me reeling.

I can't help but think of my Grandpa. According to the traditional progressive Democratic party line, he would seemingly be the most sexist person around. He was a lifelong conservative Republican businessman, a father of five daughters, and his wife was a stay-at-home mom. Why then did he win an award from a women's group for his work in supporting women in business? Why did all five of his daughters receive college educations and go on to successful careers, in spite of the fact that all of them are mothers too? Why did four out of five of his granddaughters (of college age) pursue business degrees? He never fit the mold and he never doubted the talents of smart, independent women. My Grandma is the one who made the decision to stay home to raise her five daughters. She may have regretted not pursuing a teaching career, but my Grandpa had nothing to do with her choice (those who know my Grandma know that she is nothing if not her own woman). He would be appalled at what the press is doing to Palin.

Hopefully it is clear just why I am so angry with the treatment of Palin thus far. She is certainly becoming a role model for me. I hope that she continues to inspire a whole generation of women, not just conservative women. She certainly represents a strain of American culture.

Lindsey

You Just Have to Read This to Believe It

Michelle Malkin » Hollyweird tantrum of the day

UGH! The article mentioned here pretty much dredges up everything I hate about Hollywood. There used to be a couple of redeeming things about the "Roseanne" TV show (most of which still aren't appreciated by most people), but there are no redeeming qualities to Roseanne's personality.

Like someone said earlier, at least now there is a reason to support Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Denver should be fun to watch.

Lindsey

Driving Individualism

As I mentioned earlier, I've been reading way too much lately (as Brian can attest), but it can be surprising where books can take you intellectually (for me, that is where their power lies). Anyway, I'm currently in the middle of Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism. As one would imagine, it is a relatively conservative book. I say relatively conservative due to the fact that I was expecting it to be much more partisan that it actually is. It was a pleasant surprise that the book is so well-grounded in research and historical fact.

Well, I'm becoming much more aware that the central fault line in American politics today is collectivism versus individualism. I believe that both are needed, though I tend to favor individualism. I was thinking about this when something occurred to me. If a set of preconceived notions are placed upon individuals, as it was during classical fascism and to a lesser extent in liberal fascism, where is the will to overcome personal obstacles or become more educated?

For example, most women with Turner Syndrome do not receive their driver's license as soon as allowable by law. Many women with Turner Syndrome have issues with depth perception that make driving more difficult. While I grew up knowing issues surrounding depth perception were a real possibility for me as a result of my diagnosis of Turner Syndrome, I was somehow relatively unaware that that may affect my quest to receive my driver's license at age 16.

While it isn't that uncommon for people who grow up and live in large cities (where good public transportation options are available) to delay obtaining a driver's license until their 20s, that just isn't the case in most of rural America. Growing up in Omer, Michigan, a driver's license means one thing: Independence. It is that simple. Any delay in obtaining a driver's license or vehicle is agony for most teenagers in the area. It simply wasn't something that I thought about. I just assumed that I would be able to get my driver's license on my 16th birthday. In preparation, I even spent hours getting my car ready (it was my Mom's old vehicle, which my parents stored for a year).

For a variety of reasons, I did not enjoy driver's ed. In the end, I needed more time behind the wheel, and even after obtaining my driver's license on my 16th birthday, I was a very timid driver. It didn't have anything to do with Turner Syndrome; it had everything to do with the fact that my older cousin (who is only ten months older than me) was almost killed by a drunk driver the very day I started driver's ed. It would take years for me to feel entirely comfortable behind the wheel, but that is exactly what happened in the end.

During a doctor's visit after my 16th birthday, the nurse practitioner was incredibly surprised that I had obtained my license on my 16th birthday. She told me that it was almost unheard of among teenagers with Turner Syndrome. In fact, I have friends with Turner Syndrome who are approximately my age (27) who still do not have their licenses. What if she had told me that at age 13 or 14? Would I have been too timid to even try?

My Dad has always told me that I have a tendency to do things the hard way. Brian is noticing it too. My question is this: Does it really matter as long as everything comes out all right in the end? I learned some incredibly valuable lessons from doing things "the hard way." Nothing worth having is easy per se. I learned a lot while overcoming my fear of driving (again, it was almost exclusively driven by my cousin's brush with death).

If collectivism is to be pursued exclusively without any regard to individualism, it is my opinion that humanity would be selling itself short. I doubt that we would have had Einstein, Darwin, Freud, Ford, or Michael Jordan. There is normally a purpose to struggle, and collectivism doesn't seem to acknowledge it.

I'm sorry that this post was so deep, but it is something that has been bugging me for a while now. It seems all the more pertinent in light of the upcoming election. It truly scares me that classical liberalism is getting such a bad rap (by the way, we would call classical liberals conservatives today).

Lindsey

Political Extremism

I've been reading too many political books lately, and as a result, it is inevitable that it would spill onto my blog. The books seem to have a common basis and have greatly helped me understand the intellectual basis of both liberals and conservatives.

Why does this matter? Unfortunately for me, all of this reading made me realize just how deep the schism is in this current national election. It isn't pretty, and I can't see much good coming from it. It is becoming ever more clear that there is indeed nothing new under the sun.

Lindsey

A Few Relatively Political Mentions

On the White House - The Political Revival of George Herbert Walker Bush

Tim Russert’s Son to Cover Conventions for NBC News - America’s Election HQ

I realize that just the other day I stated that I would leave politics alone for a while. Well, I'm already backtracking, in a way. The two pieces included above are not overtly political, but they do involve politics. I thought that they were both interesting and worth a mention. Of course, Tim Russert is greatly missed.

Lindsey

Prolonged Absence

I've decided to take a couple of weeks off from blogging. There are several issues that I need to address here when I come back. In fact, there is so much that I need to do and say that I want to plan it out well. The latest I'll be back will be June 1st. Thanks for all of your patience and support. I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

Lindsey

Actual News from the Middle East

If you are looking for some perspective on what is going on in the Middle East currently, look no further than the link below. It includes a lot of great resources. I will be writing much more on the subject very soon.

Lindsey

GLORIA Center

Evita and Hillary

Before I make the connections, there are a few things that readers need to know. First off, I've loved the movie Evita ever since it came out in 1996. I was a young, impressionable teenager then who happened to be studying Spanish and Latin American culture. I'm also fascinated by history, especially the history of the World War II era. Add in the fact that I was a huge Madonna fan (even though I'm under no illusion that she can act), and one can understand why Evita is one of my favorite movies of all time. While I've never had the pleasure of seeing it on Broadway, I did see a production of Evita on the campus of Michigan State University while I was an undergraduate there. I treated myself, I ended up with a front row seat, and it became one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had at the theater.

Before I get into the politics, there are a couple of things that I'd like to say about the movie. Admittedly, it isn't for everyone. In order to truly enjoy it, it is necessary to love musicals and to know a little bit about the history of Argentina and Latin America. In addition, it helps if you know some Spanish as well. It also doesn't hurt to love the era of the 1940s, history, and politics either. For example, as a 15 year-old, I loved the movie so much that I wanted to share it with my Mom. If it wasn't for me filling her in on the history (no matter how skewed), the language, the culture, etc., she wouldn't have enjoyed it much.

That said, I realize that many fans of the Broadway production and many Argentinians were appalled that Madonna was going to portray Eva Peron on the big screen. I can understand why as Madonna can't act. What people failed to realize is that Madonna didn't have to act much in the movie; her life story is and was that similar to that of Eva Peron. As a result, it comes across as her best performance. The fact that she belted out "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the Casa Rosda is simply amazing.

Now it is time to discuss the politics. Encore Love has been playing Evita recently, much to my delight (I just finished watching it again). Once again, I found myself wondering why I'm so drawn to the story of a woman who embodied everything I find wrong with politics, Latin American politics in particular. Even though Peronists are portrayed as aligned with the Right, that couldn't be further from the truth. Quite simply, Eva and Juan Person were socialists first and foremost. There is no denying the connections with fascism in Germany and Italy. Juan Peron reportedly modeled himself after Mussolini, and it is well known that Nazis took refuge in Argentina after the war when Peronists were still every much still in power.

There are many bloggers out there much more adept at disclosing the relationships of national socialism of the 1940s (Argentina, Italy, Japan, and Germany) to current Leftist thought throughout the world today. I'm not going to point it out here, but it is fair to say that Hillary Clinton shares many of the same goals, aspirations, and dreams of the socialists on the Left.

Many people may not know this, but Eva Peron aspired to be Vice President under her husband's administration. There appears to be a political partnership within their relationship. It is no secret that the Clintons' political partnership is at least a factor in their marriage. That said, one can't help but wonder what Eva would have done if she had not died so young. I bet that she would have run for President (in fact, another of Juan Peron's wives became President of Argentina later on). There truly isn't anything new under the sun.

I wonder if Hillary will be singing the following song if she doesn't get the nomination:

Another Suitcase In Another Hall

I don't expect my love affairs to last for long
Never fool myself that my dreams will come true
Being used to trouble I anticipate it
But all the same I hate it, wouldn't you?

So what happens now?
Another suitcase in another hall
So what happens now?
Take your picture off another wall
Where am I going to?
You'll get by, you always have before
Where am I going to?

Time and time again I've said that I don't care
That I'm immune to gloom, that I'm hard through and through
But every time it matters all my words desert me
So anyone can hurt me, and they do

Call in three months time and I'll be fine, I know
Well maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow
I won't recall the names and places of each sad occasion
But that's no consolation here and now.

Don't ask anymore.

The more I think about it, the more I truly feel sorry for Hillary if she doesn't get the nomination. Her whole life has been centered around this dream. Maybe she read one of the many biographies of Eva Peron before Evita was even written? I may be fascinated by the story of Eva Peron, but I detest her politics.

Lindsey

Another Great Political Blog...

I just quickly wanted to highlight this blog I discovered this evening. There are already two pieces that I plan on highlighting very soon. You can expect to hear much more from Joshua Rocks.

Order Vs Disorder

Lindsey Russell

Nextbook Interview with Sarah Horowitz

Over the last few weeks, I've been fascinated by what I've learned about Sarah Horowitz. You can read what I've written here. While I just learned of her existence, and unfortunately, her death, I've already learned much from the example she set. She and I would have been at complete opposite sides of the political spectrum, as she was with her famous father, David Horowitz (much more on him later), but I can't help but think of how much we could have learned from each other. Fortunately, we all have her example to learn from now. It is just too sad that her life ended so soon.

Nextbook: Vision of Unity

Lindsey Russell

Dear Mr. President...

RADARSITE: Dear Mr. President: a letter from the Homefront

This simply has to be read to be believed. It is quite simply nothing less than an outline of what needs to be done in order to bring this nation together to fight a truly global war (I refrain from using "War on Terror" here due to the fact that it isn't truly a war on terror; terror is just a weapon that our enemies have used against us). I just hope that more people understand what we are up against as a nation before it is too late. Many on the Angry Left portray the United States as the enemy. They fail to realize that our true enemies simply want nothing less that our total destruction, including the destruction of those on the Left. There is a definite need for self-preservation right now, as much as I hate to say it.

Lindsey

On A Personal Note... The Profile of a Writer Series and Much More

Many readers may have noticed the change in tone of this blog over the last few weeks. There is no doubt that it has become more political and less about the art of writing. As a result, the Profile of a Writer feature has been put on hold for now.

While I do hope to highlight other authors soon, as well as conduct interviews with a few of my favorites, I'm not sure exactly when that will be. At this point, I'm truly concerned about the state of Michigan, as well as the country. As a result, I'm slowly finding my voice in the political sphere. In addition, I finding it easier and easier to write about Turner Syndrome and other gender issues. As much as I don't like to admit it, Turner Syndrome affects me in a profoundly personal way each and every day. It is a part of who I am as a woman. There is little out there with regards to writing for Turner Syndrome girls and women written by women and girls who have Turner Syndrome. There may be a lot of information on the clinical features, but there is little regarding what it is actually like to live with the disorder. As a result, I feel as though I'm fulfilling a need.

There are so many issues to discuss and so little time. Please know that even though you may disagree with my viewpoint, my perspectives on world events, politics, gender issues, Turner Syndrome, and more are shared with the utmost conviction. In other words, when I share my perspective with readers, it is almost always due to the fact that I have very definite thoughts and/or beliefs on the subject matter.

Now that I have all of that out of the way, I also want to state that I do want (and need) to have fun with this blog! There are good things happening in the world, and they need to be acknowledged.

Lindsey

All Too True Cartoon

Cartoon courtesy of Red Planet Cartoons.

Unfortunately, this is the road multiculturalism, in its most biased form, is leading us down. We live in a world turned upside down.

Lindsey

Living Under a Rock

There have been several mind-boggling articles written on the subject of women and feminism this past week. I've been meaning to write about them, but most have not even warranted comment. They are stuck in the 1960s. Sometimes I truly wonder what world some of these people live in. It is very different from mine.

The article below dissects one of the most appalling pieces. The author of the original piece, not the author of the article below, dared to compare the "plight" of Western women today to the true oppression faced by women in the Muslim world. It is truly disgusting. While we do nothing about the real oppression, so-called activists fight for largely imagined grievances. Yes, we have our issues here. That fact doesn't excuse us from fighting the real oppression in the Muslim world though. While we sit here in freedom, there are millions of women who live in fear of death, disfigurement, rape, etc. I will call myself a feminist when they start addressing the real issues.

Pajamas Media » Blog Archive » Are Privileged Western Women Being Crushed into Silence?

Lindsey