Margaret, I read the comment you sent me and felt compelled to respond. I know you don’t like it when I do, but honey you know how I feel about this particular subject.

Dear Readers,

In case you are new to my web page blog, I’ll give you a little background. I told my friend Margaret that I thought Sarah Palin was a bitch… is a bitch. Anyway, my grandson really hadn’t fully explained to me that other people could see this page besides Margaret. Which is kind of funny because Margaret actually has to have her husband, Howard, print the pages out for her to read because she doesn’t like computers very much….

But I digress.

So I kept writing about things and more people kept stopping by. Just yesterday I was telling Margaret that I find it very odd that Republicans think government is too big and healthcare for all Americans is just insane. It doesn’t seem to matter that it would cost less than Bush’s wars… but that would just be unAmerican of me to suggest…afterall Sarah Palin’s son is in that war…

Again, I digress.

I find it odd because I know that Rick Perry, the Governor of my state, is really upset about how big government has gotten. Evidently it’s not big enough, however, because ‘ole Ricky seems to think its small enough to crawl up my vagina with a sonogram machine and a recorder so that Ricky can tell me how to think based on what God whispers in his ear when no one else is around. To be truthful, it could just be something he picked up in church. I’m not sure. It might have happened at his office. It’s really hard to tell the difference between his office and his church these days.

I just can’t seem to stay on subject today…

So that is what I was writing about to my friend Margaret. And then she had Howard print out my letter and some of your comments. Sometimes – like last night – she calls me because she gets so worried when one of you gets a little upset. But I tell her, “Margaret, dear. It’s just the internet. It’s not like anyone forces them to read it.” But Margaret worries. She just wants everyone to get along. You know. Agree to disagree and things like that. Which would be nice except that Governor Ricky wants to pass some new laws. And once that happens you can’t just agree to disagree. Once it becomes law if you disagree you have to spend a lot of money with lawyers or go to jail.

But I digress.

So last night some fool (sorry Margaret) named Noah decided to call you all sheep because you seemed to like what I had written about Ricky. I wasn’t aware sheep could read, and I have always thought that too often used insult about following like sheep is a bit far-reaching. Yes. Survival instincts in sheep tend to mean that one sheep will more than likely follow the sheep in front. Did you know, however, there is a certain strain of sheep in Iceland known as leadersheep? Leadersheep are highly intelligent animals that have the instinct to lead a flock home during dangerous and difficult conditions. They have an exceptional ability to sense danger. There are many stories in Iceland of leadersheep saving lives during the fall roundups when blizzards threatened shepherds and flocks alike…

But I digress.

Among other things, Noah decided to leave a little pearl of personal wisdom in his not so well thought out diatribe:

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With my wife being almost 7 months pregnant this subject really touches home for me so I can understand the passionate feelings from both sides of the issue. Having gone to the first ultrasound I could never have made a choice to abort the child for any reason. I can understand why the governor wants to have women have that firsthand experience of hearing that heartbeat, it is very powerful. I guess I don’t see a problem if what he is suggesting isn’t stopping all abortions, which he is not and I would be opposed to if he was.

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Well isn’t that just precious? Noah is particularly knowledgeable about this subject because his wife is 7 months pregnant. Congratulations Noah. I know my readers will join me in wishing you and your family all the best. You’re almost there: two more months to go.

I assume your wife had her amniotic fluid test and that everything turned out fine? It’s a scary time those first few months. Did you know that if you and your wife learned through the amniocentesis that something had gone terribly wrong with the developing fetus that one of your options might be to terminate the pregnancy? Sometimes the abnormality of the fetus is significant. Survival of both the fetus and the mother can be called into question. [By the way. I am using the word fetus not to dehumanize but rather because that is what it is called – a fetus] Often women facing this type of heartbreak consult with their doctors, their family members and even their pastor. I am sure more than a few say a prayer and ask for wisdom. Did you know, Noah, that if your wife was in that situation and she decided to terminate her pregnancy good ‘ole Rick Perry would still force her to look at a sonogram and listen to a heartbeat so that she can agonize further that the child she wanted so desperately isn’t to be. I wonder how comforting you would be to her at that moment. “Look, honey. I can understand why the governor wants to have women have that firsthand experience of hearing that heartbeat, it is very powerful.” Thank goodness that you and your wife are not dealing with that.

And I assume, of course, that the child due to arrive in two months is your child? How blessed for you and your family. Did you know that if your wife had been raped and subsequently discovered that she was pregnant, she may not even want to consult with her family, her priest or even her God. She may want nothing more than to simply ask her doctor to end the unwanted pregnancy so that maybe she can begin to heal from this traumatic experience. Thank goodness that isn’t your situation Noah. Can you imagine how horrible it would for a women like your wife in this moment of sadness, anger, disbelief, denial to have Rick Perry then force her to reconsider by showing her a sonogram and letting her listen to a heartbeat. She’ll have to sign a paper declaring that she watched and listened and still decided to terminate the pregnancy.

Even worse, Noah. Imagine if that woman was your daughter. Do you know the sex of your child yet? What a world she will get to grow up in. So very different from your childhood or even mine. You were there at the invention of the internet. I was there at the invention of the television. I also grew up in a world where abortions were illegal Noah. I watched women die because they had no choices. You realize that Rick Perry wants that world back, right? This nonsense about abortions should only be legal in the case of rape or the life of the mother… what a crock. The world is never so black and white.

But that is not for you Noah. No. This is a time of great joy and celebration for you and your wife. Thank goodness. Some women struggle with the idea of motherhood. They know deep down inside that bringing a life into this world is a blessing yes – but also an enormous responsibility and for some the ultimate sacrifice. To know that another life will depend entirely on your ability to find it within yourself to love so selflessly and care so deeply. To give birth is not to be taken lightly, Noah. Some women, after very serious consideration about where they are in life and what they can and can’t offer to a child, decide that they are just not prepared to bring another life into the world. And after much thought and prayer and probably tears, they still have Rick Perry there to given them even more to consider. Thank goodness for thoughtful ‘ole Ricky.

But not you Noah. Thank goodness you and your wife have made the decision that this is a wanted child… that this will be a loved child… that you have the means to feed and care for this child. I am sure Rick Perry will be sending you a bouquet of flowers after the delivery to show you how much he cares about the very personal decision you have made. I hear that just the other day, Rick sent a letter of congratulations to the woman who just delivered her 5th child because her husband feels that using condoms are a sin. Good ‘ole Rick. I think his letter said something along the lines of don’t worry about where you will get the money to feed the child because you chose life and that is all that matters. Good ‘ole Ricky even sent her one of those lovely Choose Life license plates. She doesn’t own a car, but it’s the thought that counts.

Noah dear. Stick to football. And Mrs. Noah? Slap him for me. He really should spend more time tending to you rather than writing to me. But I digress. I mean it. Really.