My rant of free speech...

Yes, normally I would post cute pics of my kids or tell you what antics my dogs have been up to, but right now, I need to say a few things.

So there is a little party going on up in Minnesota this week. The DNC had their moment last week here in our fair city, now the RNC is doing their best to bash Barack and Joe and the DNC. Now hopefully everyone reading knows full wells that I am not a red-state supporting Republican- right? My blue runs blue, VERY blue. So since this is my post to our blog I really feel the need to speak out about a few things I heard said last night and also some comments that were made today. Feel free to stop reading and feel free to comment on my rant.

Let me first say that I completely support the first amendment and the political process we have in this country. That we, as Americans, get the privilege to vote for our leaders and have some say in what happens in our country. That doesn't happen everywhere in this world. Everyone has a right to be heard. So here is me acting on my right!

I really tried not to watch any of the speakers last night, partly because the odds of them changing my mind is slim and partly because I just get plain pissed off at their arrogance. First I have to comment on all the bashing Rudy and Sarah did on Barack's "community organizing" as they so patronizingly put it. Community organizer??? Obama went to Harvard Law School- HARVARD people! Now if I had the brains and grades to get in and graduate from Harvard Law School, you can bet I would have taken a job from the highest bidder. But he chose to the Chicago where the steel mills being closed destroyed a community.

When I was a freshman in college I was in a sociology class and our assignment over fall break was to write a paper on where you came from. I wrote about Highlands Ranch and how it was owned by the uber-rich and sold and now the middle class soccer Moms can ride around in their SUVs chatting on their cells driving from Nordstroms to private schools to pick up their kids. But I was shocked at how many of my classmates wrote about how their towns where decimated by the closing of mills or factories and how so many people had to move to find jobs, that the town almost didn't exist anymore! And I know McCain fought in Vietnam and spent years in a POW camp and I am impressed and in awe of his survival and service for our country. But didn't Obama ALSO serve his country by forgoing the path of riches and instead choosing to help the least of us?

During the DNC last week, when Hillary gave her speech in support of Barack, I cried. When I was a little girl, my Mom read this book to me called "Girls Can Do Anything" and it wasn't until the moment I saw this woman who ran for President and fought and fought, until she had to concede to an African-American man (two history making moments right there!), that I realized- yeah girls can do anything. And this is partly why my son has two strong women as his Godmothers, instead of a man. Hillary is the reason my daughter will know that no one can tell you no- NO ONE.

And then I heard parts of Sarah Palin's speech and I wanted to run over and cover Regan's little ears. This is the woman that could be a heartbeat away from running this country??? I agree that she is tough and intelligent and well spoken. But most of her views, in my opinion are ass-backwards! For starters, she is pro-life, well I am pro-choice, but most certainly anti-abortion- it is possible to be both. And she supports and abstinence only sex ed program in school. Boy that worked REALLY well for her 17 year old pregnant daughter! Let me get this straight, instead of telling overly hormonal teenagers that they should wait to have sex, but should they choose to, here is how to protect yourself from not only pregnancy, but from diseases THAT WILL KILL YOU, we'll ignore that teenagers think about sex (all the time) and never educate them about how to be responsible and safe. Hmm.... yeah

This morning I was watching The View- not my choice, I was feeding Punky and I couldn't find the remote, but I am kind of glad it got stuck on that show, I found out some other reasons, why Sarah really shouldn't be anywhere near the Oval Office! Barbara Walters was quoting reporter Joe Klein in reaction to Palin's bash of the elite media and brought up a few other little tidbits people should know about her. As Governor she raised taxes, supported the bridge to nowhere and believe that the war in Iraq is "a task from God"! Yep, pretty sure the Prince of Peace said, "G.W. go over there after lying to the American people and just kill, kill, kill!" And as Mayor she tried to ban books from the town library- ban books?? REALLY? And lastly the Washington Post reported that she used the line item veto to slash funds benefiting teens moms who are kicked out of there homes and have no where to live. It's a darn good thing her pregnant teenage daughter will have a comfy bed to sleep in every night and a good doctor to care for her!

So here we are, Hillary tries to break the glass ceiling by running for President and we have a woman who is running for VP who would rather not let us read what we want, believes in holy wars and would like to have teens mothers (who by the way have no idea how they could have kept themselves from getting pregnant) living in the streets and having their babies in cardboard boxes. It's a DARN good thing Gloria Steinem wasn't there to escort Mrs. Palin to her car that evening!

Now, I support her right to say what she feels, just hope she supports my right to read and say what I feel.

Ok, rant is over. Feel free to tell me where to go or to fully agree with me- or maybe start your own blog and stand up for what you believe in as well...

Gotta go be a soccer Mom and have lunch with my first grader at his school!

See ya, Melinda