Tuesday, August 31, 2010

TRADITIONAL CREPES ARE BACK ON THE MENU...

My family in New Zealand can make an AMAZING crepe dish.  It's very traditional and homemade with sugar and lemon.  These days you've got everyone thinking they are the next Top Chef, who shy away from traditional variations of foods in order to be more modern.  I can't believe the crappy Betty Crocker pancakes that American restaurants try to pawn off as a crepe.  I'd fly to New Zealand just for a crepe, but anyways...The Gallup website has an article posted called, "Renewed Desire for U.S. Gov't to Promote Traditional Values"which shocked me with the results.  Let's take a look at the first Gallup poll given:

  Source:  http://www.gallup.com/poll/123326/Renewed-Desire-Gov-Promote-Traditional-Values.aspx

Gallup says that prior to 1993, the public was more in favor of NOT favoring any values, but since 1993 to 2004.  As you can see in the graph above, the difference in people for want to PROMOTE TRADITIONAL VALUES compared to the people who are NOT IN FAVOR OF VALUES is relatively a big gap.  At most, in 1999, there was a 19% difference in opinion.  It should be noted that although after 2005 the difference in opinion had become more level and even with each other (look right before 2009--Americans were torn), the opinion that is consistently more favored is having the government return to promoting traditional values.  I think it's important to show that:
The poll does not define what the term "traditional values" means; thus, respondents answer in light of their understanding of the term. The results by party and ideology discussed here suggest that respondents understand traditional values to be those generally favored by the Republican Party. 
Source:  http://www.gallup.com/poll/123326/Renewed-Desire-Gov-Promote-Traditional-Values.aspx
 What does traditional mean to you?  For me, I think a huge portion of traditional values stems from the family and it's structure.  In my opinion, when things are going good with your family, we credit ourselves for practicing and upholding the family ideal.  We forget all the conflicts and times where the family was anything but the normal family.  However, when things are going badly within the family, that is when we start on a studious search for the dysfunctional elements in our life and blame our problems on them, not ourselves.  What do you think?

Another interesting point that Gallup brings up that some may overlook is the response to the poll in 2001 which was taken in October (just after the September 11 attacks).  The highest peak came at that time in favoring the government at 59% to promote traditional values.  That is quite a large number--almost 60% wanted traditional values promoted.  Gallup quickly points out that this was a time when the American people had a "heightened trust" with our government.  Some could say "Pshhh" to it now, especially those who opposed the Patriot Act, and other actions of our government that liberals believe were distrustful.  BUT, at the time of the attack, our country looked to our government to figure out all the how and why questions.  We looked to our government to protect our soil from that ever happening again.  I remember when people were being interviewed and asked to give their opinion about the Patriot Act and the government being able to tap into their phone lines to find terrorists.  Many believed that it was okay, because they were trying to find Whodunit.  Now people think it was a bad game of Clue.  

The recent numbers still indicate an 11% difference in opinion and a favor in promoting traditional values within our government.  So, next time you order crepes...=)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

YOUR BABY PROBABLY HAS A BEATING HEART, YOU KNOW. IT CAN FEEL PAIN...AND IT HAS FINGERNAILS!

I'm sure most of you have seen the movie Juno.  There is a scene in the movie that had critics talking.  When the main character Juno goes to an abortion clinic, she encounters a classmate who is protesting outside.  She yells out to Juno,"Your baby probably has a beating heart, you know.  It can feel pain...and it has fingernails!"  I think this is the part where she decides not to get an abortion.  She can't get over the fact that it has fingernails already; as if having fingernails makes the baby an actual, real living being.  


A neighbor of mine came over to my house earlier in the summer when my boyfriend and I were grilling out.  She told us she was pregnant.  So, the natural thing to do is to say "Congratulations!"  She said, "Yeah, well I'm getting rid of it on Thursday".  I was already in shock that someone seemed so careless when talking about aborting a baby, but what she did next pulled on my heart strings like never before.  She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and cracked open a beer.  All I could do was stare at her.  I was speechless.  In the 30 minutes she sat outside with us, she had smoked TWO packs of cigarettes and drank FOUR beers!  


It made me wonder if telling her that the baby had fingernails would have stopped her from smoking and drinking.  Some people may say, "Oh well, she was getting rid of it anyway", but I just didn't think it was right.  There is still a baby inside of you.  You are poisoning it!  So I found this article called, "Fetal Development: From Conception to Birth" and it explains when everything starts to develop inside a fetus.  It says:
"Week 6:  Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming"
BUT, look at the rest of the information before Week 6.  On DAY 22, "heart begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different type than the mothers'".  You're bound to pass Day 22 before you even realize that you're pregnant, but yet your baby has a heart!  So, maybe YOU should have a heart when it comes to doing things that you know you are not suppose to do.   

Pictured here:  A real hand with fingernails from an aborted fetus at 12 weeks.
Source:  http://www.40daysforlife.com/napa/pictures/Embryo%2012%20weeks%20fingernails%202.jpg

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU, I'M IN LOVE WITH ABORTION!

Before, we start in on some Gallup poll information, I wanted to show you WHY I titled this blog "She's Addicted to Abortions?"  Just like any good girlfriend does, I will sit through an episode of "South Park" with my boyfriend (It goes both ways...Don't worry!  I make him sit through Real Housewives of New Jersey).  I saw an episode called, "W.T.F." where the boys become Wrestling Legends (in their own minds) and put on a show.  Relax and enjoy the show!

Eric Cartman: Addicted to Abortions Video Clip

Let's begin with our first Gallup poll to discuss.



SOURCE:  http://www.gallup.com/poll/1576/Abortion.aspx


This poll is interesting because it relates to the story about my friend who was raped in my first post.  It shows that within this year, 54% of the polled total believe abortions should be legal only under certain circumstances.  A few examples of "certain circumstances" include if the woman was raped, in a incestuous relationship, or her life was in danger of having the child.  It is important to point out the people who take an affirmed stance in the question:  the ones who say it is legal under any circumstances and those who say it is illegal under any circumstances.  Although "legal under any circumstances" accounts for 24% of the vote, you can clearly see the "close split" that evolves around the issue of abortion--the people who chose "illegal in any circumstance" account for 19% polled.  You can see a closeness throughout the graph between those 2 choices.  I think that people feel comfortable in choosing an option that has "gray" areas rather than "black and white".

The only spike between the 2 "black and white" responses occurs around the range of when Bill Clinton was in office.  Voters polled were in favor of abortions being legal under any circumstances by more than 21% over "illegal in any circumstances" voters.  I found a pretty neat article, "Abortion Timeline", which chronicles political events involving abortion in the United States.  It says that in January 1993: 
President Clinton reverses years of pro-life progress by issuing five executive orders reversing Title 10 regulations banning abortion referral by federal employees, repealing the Mexico City Policy restricting federal funding of international organizations that work to reverse countries' abortion laws, negating the ban on funding for fetal tissue transplants, ordering military hospitals to perform abortions, and asking the FDA to "review" the import ban on RU 486. 
SOURCE:  http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortiontimeline.html
My prediction tells me that because President Clinton was a popular President, he led the public to be more in favor of legalizing abortions under any circumstances.  His public policies advanced the opportunities for Americans to have a legal abortion.  The highlighted section where Bill orders military hospitals to perform abortions seems to stick out to me.  

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF...

Hello world!
Before you journey into my blog, I would like you all to know a little about my background.  My name is Stevie Salfelder.  I am currently a senior at Illinois State University with a major in Political Science.   I am in the process of applying to law schools at the moment, as well as working on a self-created community project for the elderly.  So, my plates are stacked this year!  I have always known that I wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 10.  I had jury trials with Barbie and Ken whenever he cheated on her, or wasn't paying his rent.  Interestingly enough, this story is true!  I've maintained that drive to become a lawyer ever since.  At the age of 16, I sent out 217 letters to every attorney inside my hometown which asked for an internship.  I ended up getting an internship and kept it for about 6 years!  At the moment, I am setting up plans with a Federal Judge to intern with him until I leave for law school.

This semester, I am taking POL 312:  Public Opinion, which is focused on American collective views, beliefs, and attitudes about certain topics.  I've been asked to put together a blog about a policy issue.  I chose to focus my blog on Abortion, which is a topic that hits home for me in a couple of ways.  Be sure to read my "DISCLAIMER" at the bottom of this post. 

A very close friend of mine was raped by a complete stranger after leaving class one night.  She was a virgin, and had never been on birth control.  Saying that, she found herself pregnant and decided to get an abortion because she believed that she wouldn't be able to love the baby in a whole, complete way due to the circumstances.  At the same time, another friend of mine found herself pregnant after a reckless night of drinking, and decided to abort it.  Needless to say, the issue of abortion has been brought into my life through these 2 instances of where I felt conflicted by what I believed to be right and wrong.  


DISCLAIMER:   This is important because this is where I tell you what this blog IS NOT!  My blog is NOT about the pros and cons of having an abortion.  The purpose of my blog is to provide information on collective political viewpoints and attitudes towards abortion.  Ideally, I will try my best not to influence my biases through my posts.