:: The S.I.C.L.E. Cell ::

:: Friday, December 31, 2004 ::

"Conservatives don't give a shit about you until you reach military age. Then they think you are just fine. Just what they've been looking for. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers."

Conservatives want live babies for the same reason anyone wants live babies... because babies are pink and squishy and warm and innocent and precious. Conservatives want live babies because it's really no fun loving dead babies. They want live babies because they were once babies too. They were protected and allowed to remain alive and, oddly enough, want to extend that to other growing persons, particularly vulnerable, faultless, totally dependent babies.

In contrast to the Liberal spitters (reference to the 70's Fonda crowd who gave such a warm reception to Vietnam Vets upon their post-war return) conservatives do value and are proud of our soldiers because they voluntarily sacrifice themselves for Carlin's right to run his foul, lying mouth. (Perhaps no one has told Carlin that pink tea parties rarely convince the Taliban.)

Carlin doesn't seem to be the poster child for personal sacrifice, so it's no surprise really that he doesn't understand what an insult he is to the people who are dying for him.

I think it's worth mentioning that he sees abortion as a "choice" when the child it kills is never consulted... and he sees "dead soldiers", who voluntarily fight, as victims of their conservative parents. Apparently, the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead.

Happy New Year.
You're lucky to be here.

Other posts in the Carlin series:
Post One
Post Two
Post Three
Post Five
Post Six
Post Seven
Post Eight
Post Nine
Post Ten
Post Eleven
Post Twelve
Finale

:: ashli 11:00 PM # ::
...

An "anti-choicester" writes of my photo:

"Well, no matter what you do you'll never be as f**kably sexy as George Carlin."

(You gotta love it!)

Moving right along...

"These conservatives are really something, aren't they? They're all in favor of the unborn, they will do anything for the unborn. But once you're born (gives the finger) you're on your own.Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus, from conception to nine months. After that, they don't wanna know about you. They don't wanna hear from you. No-nothing! No neo-natal care, no day care, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you're pre-born, you're fine. If you're preschool, you're fucked!"

1. I can only assume that Carlin is referring to the fact that conservatives generally vote Republican. What he might not consider is that conservatives are only conservative in some areas, like say, maiming and killing women and children via abortion. We're radically conservative about that. However, I know a TON of conservatives who are very liberal when it comes to education, welfare, the environment, etc. The problem is, liberals make sure that we can't vote liberal, like many of us would otherwise be glad to, because the platform includes abandoning women and children to abortion, which is very anti-civil rights/Mother Earth.

2. What a contrast the liberal abortion-supporter is when it comes to the born person! Once the born woman carries out her "duty" to abort her child (that she would most likely have kept if her abortion-supporting boyfriend/husband/parent/friend/boss would have let her), the abortion supporter is surely there at 3 A.M. when the roto-rooted mama is grieving broken-hearted on the kitchen floor.

The abortion supporter is surely there when the mother gets breast cancer because of what the abortion procedure does to her body, right?

The abortion supporter is surely there when a mom has to spend the second half of every subsequent pregnancy on complete bedrest because the abortion obliterated her cervix.

The abortion supporter is surely there when she is burning herself to distract herself finally with pain she can understand and treat.

The abortion supporter is surely there when her relationship with her surviving children becomes confusing, contradictory and painful.

The abortion supporter is surely there when intimacy disappears from the marriage due to the bloody scenes that flash before Mother's eyes when her legs are spread as her husband enters her body.

The abortion supporter is surely there when she wants to tell her story, when she wants to cry, when she is sorry, right? RIGHT?

Not a chance.

The abortion supporter is only there to put an arm around a grieving mother... so they can reach around and clap a hand over her wailing mouth. "Shut up," the abortion supporter sneers. "Your voice is not wanted. You made your bed, now lie in it. It was your choice. YOUR choice!"

3. "Pro-lifers" nowhere to be found after the baby is born? Are you kidding me? I am about to drag my whole family across Florida to attend the wedding of a very dear friend of mine who I first "met" over the phone when a "sidewalk counselor" gave me the gal's number after meeting her outside of the abortion clinic where she was going in to kill her baby at 23 weeks. It's a long story.

Yes, I intentionally dissuaded her from aborting her child. I never made a secret of that. I was trying to help her. Why would I lead her down the horrific, devastating path I've found myself on? Why would anyone want that for another soul? I was there then; I am there now.

After the baby was born, my friend needed a car. I found a free car for her in 48 hours. She needed to find housing. I found different types and also offered my own home to her and her daughter if she could not find what she wanted; I promised that they would not be out on the street, etc.

I don't tick down the roster for self-glorification; I've done nothing good compared to the ruin my life has caused. But it is to say that I have been there and I will be there, because it is not a charity to love and befriend. It is the synergy of sharing this planet with others and inviting them into your life.

Does anyone believe that they are themselves not in a position of need? I tell you the scenario is a fantasy! Are there levels we exist on wherein we "reach down" off our high horse and dispassionately extend, to the "grateful, lower masses", some nugget of impersonal assistance without posessing ourselves the humble destitution of human nature and exigency? Can anyone who gives not receive? I am eternally grateful for what others have to teach and offer.

When I was so sick for so long that I was unable to even converse on the phone, my dear friend, the girl "accosted" at the abortion clinic, left me messages of love and encouragement that would have me weeping. She was my angel. She was and is a better friend than I!

From the beginning of our friendship she never left me and I never left her, and we both came out smiling. That is feminism. Crying at 3 A.M. because another woman held your hand all the way into the abortion clinic is not.

I've got news for George Carlin: if a problem is big enough to "warrant" abortion, it will never be solved by abortion, and women deserve better than the added insult.

I am living proof that people who oppose abortion are there long after the baby is born. Additionally, many who are opposed to abortion are there long after the mechanical whirring of the aspirator shuts off and the baby is "not born".

Traditionally, abortion supporters refused to admit that a normal woman, that is to say a woman who was not seriously mentally ill, was even capable of regretting the self-imposed child loss experience that is abortion. It is only now, after "pro-lifers", who "don't care about women", pioneered the massive "post-abortion healing" movement, that the idea is in vogue and abortion supporters decide they give a flying fig about women after abortion.

I suspect it is less about women and more about keeping up appearances. George Carlin would probably disagree. But hey, he's too sexy for this blog.

Other posts in the Carlin series:
Post One
Post Two
Post Four
Post Five
Post Six
Post Seven
Post Eight
Post Nine
Post Ten
Post Eleven
Post Twelve
Finale

:: ashli 10:13 PM # ::
...

This will take days, and I'm certain will not be well done. However, the rant begins...

"Why is it that most of the people who are against abortion are people you wouldn't want to fuck in the first place?"

Me during one of my "unf**kable" stages:



Other posts in the Carlin series:
Post One
Post Three
Post Four
Post Five
Post Six
Post Seven
Post Eight
Post Nine
Post Ten
Post Eleven
Post Twelve
Finale

:: ashli 10:47 PM # ::
...

George Carlin is entering a drug rehabilitation program to kick his dependence on alcohol and drugs. Makes sense to me. He must have been both drunk and high when he came up with this.

I think I'm going to spend some time blogging it, because I used to really like Carlin and thought his whole speil on this subject was both true and tremendously entertaining. But that was in a former life when I was an ignorant gargantuan buttwad.

The liberal laugh used to crack me up... until I woke up and realized the joke was on me. Reality proved to be instant detoxification. So over the next few days I'll be reaming Carlin's rhetoric just for the personal high.

Subsequent posts in the Carlin series:
Post Two
Post Three
Post Four
Post Five
Post Six
Post Seven
Post Eight
Post Nine
Post Ten
Post Eleven
Post Twelve
Finale

:: ashli 6:25 PM # ::
...

I had a rare off-topic post up for a day or so re: some difficulties I had with ordering from Back to Basics Toys. Talking to this supervisor and that proved to be time-consuming and aggravating. I ended up uncharacteristically blogging the experience, and it fired me up again, so I called and spoke to, literally, the supervisor's supervisor's supervisor. I read the blog entry to her, and she asked me for the URL. If they ever went and took a gander I wonder how horrified they were to find themselves on a blog about abortion.

Long story short...

The company basically paid for my child's entire Christmas. Upon returning from my valiant quest to procure the largest Christmas ham in all creation, I found a cardboard toy store waiting on my doorstep. We are talking hundreds of dollars worth of toys for absolutely free.

BTBT's motto is:

"They do make 'em like they used to!"

Evidently, they do sell 'em like they used to too!

:: ashli 9:13 AM # ::
...

Likin' it.
Linkin' it.

:: ashli 10:00 AM # ::
...

A spot-on quote (Thanks, Julie):

"I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation... I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse - I will not retreat a single inch - and I will be heard." ~ William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist, ca. 1831

:: ashli 9:59 AM # ::
...

Banannie directs us to this amazing piece:

"...the best thing of all surely being the promised assurance between human beings that what happens to you will happen to me because I share your heartbeat."

("And you may ask yourself
Am I right?... am I wrong???
And you may tell yourself
My God...
What have I done?"
-Talking Heads)

:: ashli 4:34 PM # ::
...

I was reading "Section VI: Endorsements" in the LDI Boycott List when my eyeballs fell out.

Many groups, including Feminists for Life, endorse LDI's list.

However, there was a special note that Care Net and Priests for Life were "removed as endorsing organizations because they knowingly and willingly chose to do business with a corporation [American Express*] while it was a boycott target."

That is to say... for a brief moment in time two abortion-opposing organizations knowingly and willingly helped to fund Planned Parenthood.

And as I sit here in shock at what others have done I realize immediately that our family has not yet pulled our account with a bank on the list.

I apologize to everyone.

It will be a MAJOR hassle, but mark my words...
It will be done before the new year!

We can all do better.

*American Express is no longer on the boycott list.

:: ashli 4:10 PM # ::
...

I was DEE-lighted to read the Washington D.C. "Silent No More" guidelines for writing your testimony. Evidently they are rethinking a position or two. This is significantly different from 2000 "policy":

1. "In preparing your testimony and two-minutes statement, focus on how abortion hurt you, rather than your recovery. Your testimonies of recovery are dynamic and encouraging, but our purpose is to be "Silent No More" about how abortion hurts women. Talking about how the Lord has healed you is more appropriate for churches and other Christian activities. We recognize that without forgiveness we would not have a story to share. However, it would be detrimental for the media to be able to dismiss the devastation of abortion by portraying women as guilt-ridden only because of their religious beliefs."

In the year 2000 I stood on the steps of Florida's capitol and said my piece for SNM organizers. I was glad to be there, but it came at the price of a begrudged compromise: I was required to talk about "healing" somewhere in my story. Grrr.

For those new to this blog, I have quite a personal problem with the concept... but it is just that: a personal problem. I don't involve myself in the "healing" affairs of others, and if others feel in their very marrow that they are "healed" from losing a child, then I accept that. I know that other women claim they never feel grief or anything but good vibrations regarding their child loss through abortion, and I don't argue with them either. I don't understand, but I certainly don't deny that other people can have situations and feelings that differ from mine. The only time I get knicker-twisted is when those feelings are imposed on others. Don't demand that moms feel good about abortion and don't demand that they be healed.

(Let people feel how they feel; opinions will not change the fact that abortion kills a child and is therefore an horrific inhumanity.)

In 2000 I tried to express to a SNM higher-up that my husband and I had been very happily anticipating our first child when something went horribly awry with my health and health care... and it resulted in one obscenely rueful visit to an abortion mill. Speaking only for myself and my own situation, I tried to express that my faith in God did not change the fact that I was missing a child every day, that my body was damaged forever, and that, in spite of God's perfect forgiveness, I still kinda felt bad for having my baby eviscerated alive. I refused to claim that I'd been "healed" from my child's abortion-related death and demanded that my perpetually mortified state be validated. None of this went over very well.

Enter Georgette Forney. She was much more open to dialogue and admitted that she had not quite considered such a point of view, but that I really "should" include at least SOMETHING about "healing". I agreed to talk about things that help me cope with day-to-day living, things that keep me from crashing my car into a telephone pole or poking myself in the ankle with a ricin-tipped umbrella. But I had really just wanted to talk about how losing my child in an abortion didn't help me and how it had actually made things much worse than I'd ever imagined possible. That abortion was a bad thing was a relatively new concept for me, and I wanted people to know what was truly going on, not in a smiling Planned Parenthood ad... but in real life.

The only other SNM thing I had a problem with was the language. Long-time readers know that I'm just an unyielding shrew when it comes to linguistics. SNM wanted me to hold a placard that read "I regret my abortion." Ohhhh, I just had a problem with that.

It wasn't so much the abortion. I mean, even though I bled dangerously and was permanently physically disabled, the procedure itself was cake compared to the illness I had been dealing with. I didn't even need pain meds after a second trimester abortion. In fact, I felt physically better than I had in months. Honestly, I could have died in the hotel tub and left the world feeling much improved.

But of course, as has been said in previous posts, a few hours after the drugs wore off and my husband was fast asleep in the top-floor hotel room... I was trying to pry open unopenable windows in an attempt to cast off this wretched, crawling mortal coil. The emotional distress was terrible, impossible. Even now, the words aren't there to describe it; none exist. Instead I find myself sucking in unusually large portions of air in attempts to survive a moment of facing the bare naked torment of remembering the day I began to be who I am without my child... and the tragic injustice of his/her suffering death. There is always that.

Appendectomies don't bother me; babyectomies suck a massive butt. The abortion itself didn't hurt, but losing my baby in the abortion kills me every day.

Instead of "I regret my abortion," I reasoned that personally, "I regret losing my child in an abortion," was preferable. The SNM signs were printed however, and that's not what they said. I opined that we should not assist the abortion movement in making the issue so sterile and impersonal. I insisted, as I always do, that the way to go was to bring the focus on losing a child, not gaining an abortion.

IMHO, the entire SNM campaign is NOT about abortion but about child loss through abortion. I mean, that is my understanding. Is it possible that it is only about feeling the pain of shame and guilt and then not feeling ashamed and guilty anymore? No, I refuse to entertain that thought. It's after one in the morning (my time stamp doesn't work); I must be really tired. My point is... I had a problem with the "my abortion" language. I didn't "get" an abortion. I lost a child.

Short story long, I was interested to see a second addition, regarding suggested testimony terminology, in the 2004 SNM guidelines. Participants are encouraged to use:

2. "Pregnancy loss through abortion or termination instead of abortion"

Hmm. As you may well imagine, wordly wiseacre that I am, I am not entirely satisfied. "Pregnancy loss" seems a little wimpy. Who cares about losing a "pregnancy"? I sure as heck don't! I semi-recently gave birth to a healthy little girl after spending 32 weeks in bed due to a combination of high risk complications; losing the pregnancy was the best thing that ever happened to me!

I would have been really impressed if SNM had suggested "child loss through abortion", but heck, I'll take what progress I can get.

Don't get me wrong. I am in no way saying that I had any influence on the changes at SNM. In fact, the only influence I may have had was to exasperate everyone I talked to with my finicky testimony/placard standards. I only mean to say that I am encouraged to see the two changes, as they were the main beefs I had with SNM.

Now that I no longer have SNM gripes I don't know what to do with myself.

:: ashli 11:02 PM # ::
...

Thank God for Catholics!

:: ashli 11:01 PM # ::
...

Call me a cynic, but this looks like another one of those "changes" that won't change a thing. Once again the fox guards the hen house. If the abortionist deems the abortion "necessary" then it's a go. Has anyone ever heard of an abortion that wasn't necessary to an abortionist?

In China, as it is here, the concept is a bit ridiculous.

:: ashli 9:11 AM # ::
...

"Botched abortion"? I call it a successful escape!

:: ashli 10:40 PM # ::
...

Abortion advocates demand an end to choice.

:: ashli 10:36 PM # ::
...

Excerpted from an email I received:

"Let me see if I can get this straight ...
Scott Peterson murders a pre-born baby boy at 8 months gestation. Gets the death penalty.
An abortionist murders a pre-born baby at 8 months gestation. Gets paid over $10,000.
So, if Scott Peterson had brought Laci to an abortion clinic to murder little Connor by abortion at 8 months gestation it would be perfectly fine?
How does one man get the death penalty and the other get off Scott free?
I think we have to make up our minds. Are these babies PEOPLE or NOT? Are pre-born babies VICTIMS or NOT?"

To answer your question, apparently they're only human if their mother says so. Today humanity is based not on fact but on personal opinion. And so-called "feminist" groups (NARAL, NOW, etc.) call this philosophy evolved.

:: ashli 10:23 PM # ::
...

Diane (mom with cancer) died listening to a reading of Psalms and holding a family member's hand. Below is an excerpt from an email from that person.

(I still have Diane's family's address. Ask me, ask me, ask me.)

"Hi Ashli,
I’ll tell you what I know about sizes and then if I find out anymore tomorrow (I’m keeping the children all day) I can let you know.

Gabriel is 4 years old, and he loves Thomas the Tank and Spiderman. He is a pretty normal 4 year old size I think…maybe a 5. Charisma is 21 months now…she’s just a little princess. She likes everything…Dora the Explorer, Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, Cinderella…she’s too little to have favorites I guess. She’s wearing size 24 mos. Or 2T.

Thank you and God bless."

:: ashli 11:58 PM # ::
...

A big giant THANK YOU to the anonymous donor who spurred on action from three more tender-hearted readers who wrote to say that they would send Diane's grieving husband and small children something in the mail this Christmas.

I am grateful to those who are donating to "Diane's fund". You are priceless. May you be deeply blessed.

Love,
Ashli

:: ashli 6:42 PM # ::
...

It's Patte time...

Excerpt from a "sidewalk counselor's" journal:

Thursday, December 9, 2004
Orlando Women's Center
Late Term Abortion Day

"At 8:00 a.m. an Asian woman in her early twenties and wearing pajamas came stumbling toward the clinic door, clutching her pregnant belly. "Connie" was obviously in active labor. The door was locked because the abortion clinic doesn't officially open until 9 a.m. Connie couldn't catch her breath. This was her first baby. She was just 19 weeks, about half way through pregnancy. Pregnant at Christmastime. A Christmas baby. Her first child.

The baby Connie is carrying is already about 6 inches long. He has been kicking and stretching inside his mother. Connie feels his little feet like butterflies wings beating in her womb. She wants him dead. I hold a model of a 20 week baby in my hands. Just like Connie's infant.

Connie is going to deliver her little child. The abortion clinic workers know that the baby will be born alive so they will make Connie deliver the little one into the toilet. Although Connie's Christmas baby will be delivered too early to survive, his heart will probably be beating when he is born. The medical assistant will leave Connie's infant in the toilet until he drowns. They will make sure he is dead before they take him out of the toilet and put him in the medical waste container. The man from Stericycle will then come and collect Connie's baby's body along with all the other aborted babies. They will all be burned like garbage.

Connie never had a baby before. She wasn't prepared for the strong contractions of a labor-and-delivery abortion. Connie fell to the grass in front of the clinic in a heap and just lay there with her eyes closed and her hands between her legs. I encouraged Connie to allow me to take her to a local hospital to try and stop her labor. She refused and remained there on her side in the grass, silent, getting all wet from the morning dew. Connie chose this. She paid $1200 for this experience.

We offered Connie a chair and a blanket. Her friend "Daniel" had brought her to kill her baby. He didn't know what to do. We told Daniel that he must take her to the hospital. He shook his head saying, "It's her choice." Connie just lay there, still and silent, on the clinic lawn. Minutes went by. I got out my video camera. I filmed the pitiful, awful, haunting scene so that the truth of what happens at Orlando Women's Center can be seen and heard.

I remember seeing the Holocaust documentary"Night and Fog" when I was in high school. As horrible as it was, I was thankful that someone went to the trouble of recording the genocide.

A few years ago a woman actually gave birth on the lawn outside Pendergraft's abortion clinic in Tampa. She had been given the pills to induce her labor and was told to come back in the morning to deliver her baby inside the clinic. She didn't make it. She delivered outside the front door. After the mom delivered her tiny aborted infant, she placed the baby in a brown paper bag and waited at the door for the clinic to open. The baby was dead inside the bag when the first clinic worker arrived and opened the door. Chilling.

At 8:30 a.m. I called 911. By the time paramedics arrived five minutes later the head adminstrator of Orlando Women's Center had come and brought Mother inside through the back door to deliver her very first baby at 19 weeks gestation. Was her baby alive? Did the poor little fellow struggle to breathe? Did he drown in the toilet at 1103 Lucerne Terrace today? What happened to "Baby Christmas"?

Six other women walked into the clinic with blankets and pillow and goodies to labor and deliver and abort their late term infants 16 days before Christmas in Orlando. How many more women will arrive for abortions later today, tomorrow and the next day? Orlando Women's Center commits abortions seven days a week. What an incredible shame on Orlando. What kind of a place is this?"

:: ashli 6:10 PM # ::
...

More from Patte, the "sidewalk counselor":

"I reach out to abortion-bound girls and women at the #1 late-term (third trimester) abortion clinic in the state of Florida called Orlando Women's Center. They murder children through all nine months of pregnancy.

Beginning at around 16 weeks gestation the clinic uses the method known as "labor-and-delivery" to commit the abortion. The abortion staff simply induces the pregnant woman's labor (with Cytotec pills) and the baby is delivered inside the abortion clinic from 6-36 hours later. We have many first-hand reports, from patients and abortion clinic workers, that about 1/3 of these infants are "born" alive and left to die.

Most of these abortions themselves fall under the category of "legal" but it is illegal to fail to provide medical treatment when an infant survives abortion. Although I KNOW that they are NOT providing medical care for these infants, I have failed in all of my MANY efforts to have any charges brought against the abortion clinic.

I believe that the average citizen of Florida, and indeed, America, would be shocked and outraged if they were to find out about these labor-and-delivery abortions that are committed against viable infants. I have spent many, many years trying to educate the church and the general public, and I am sad to say that I have failed to persuade anyone to stand up and do anything about this.

I now have the medical records of a woman named C.H. who went to abort her baby at 22.3 weeks gestation at Orlando Women's Center (owned by notorious felon and abortionist James Scott Pendergraft) on 11/15/01 . The notes by abortion staff in C.H.'s medical record reveal that she became "upset" that her labor contractions caused her "pain" and with the fact that the abortion clinic wouldn't give her pain medication. When she was in hard labor C.H. left the abortion clinic. Her dear little baby was born ALIVE at a local hospital. C.H. kept her baby and has been raising her ever since then.

The "aborted" child is now three years old and C.H. is suing the abortion clinic and James Pendergraft and the other abortionist (who was on call that evening) hoping that they will be financially responsible for some of the care required for her special needs child. (The whole thing is so sick and twisted.)

The lawsuit was filed inOrange County Civil Court here in Orlando on 5/25/04. The case number is04CA-1202. Would you be willing to bring the law suit up before your church and everyone you know? The point is to TALK about late term abortions of viable infants (40-50 % of babies at 23 weeks gestation now survive) and how they are performed here in Orlando. I am certain that folks do not know the details of how these second and third trimester abortions are performed and that they are "routine". (We witnessed seven women going into have these abortions at Orlando Women's Center yesterday.)

I'd beglad to fax you C.H.'s medical records so you can see them for yourself.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is forgood men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke

Have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them. -Ephesians 5:11

Talk, talk, talk about late term abortion. Exposing it is the right thing to do. If you know someone of influence who is willing to expose late term abortion, PLEASE pass that info along to me."

:: ashli 6:02 PM # ::
...

YeeeeeeeeeeeeHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

:: ashli 5:41 AM # ::
...

This just in (regarding Diane's widower and small children):

An anonymous donor will match any pledge on a four-to-one basis, up to a total of $200.

For example, if I can get another five people to send $10 each to Diane's grieving husband and children ($50 total), the donor will send $200 (4 x$50 = $200). A smaller amount... like say... eight people pledging to send $5 each, a $40 total, would draw $160 from the donor. Get it?

The deadline is December 20.

Dig deep.

:: ashli 2:52 PM # ::
...

From a family member re: Diane's children and widower:

"They are just getting through one day at a time right now. Please pray for Robbie, as he seems to be very confused about what to do next, with his job, his children, etc. He needs direction and wisdom way beyond his years."

:: ashli 11:58 AM # ::
...

OK, I have had three, count 'em, three people email me and say they were going to send something to Diane's (deceased cancer mom) family, so I suppose the boycott is off and I can post again. Recently, I've had over 300 hits in one day, so I won't hide the fact that I wish more than three people had written to say that they were going to send something to this family, but alas... three dear individuals, including the generous, compassionate atheist, will have to suffice. (May God bless you three richly in heart and spirit. May He seep into the atheist's tough skin, overwhelming him completely. May you three find tremendous satisfaction in your gift/card/prayers for this precious family.)

This is the last thing I will say about it (I think)...

It only costs 37 cents for a stamp. It only takes 15 minutes to jot down a caring note. It takes nearly nothing to be an evolved species, and Christians in particular have no excuse for not reaching out to others, especially to a young, grieving minister whose twenty-something wife just died heroically and left him with two small children and no idea what to do next.

End of subject.

Moving right along...

Keeping it "safe and legal" doesn't keep it safe or legal.

:: ashli 11:23 AM # ::
...

Things are sad lately. Too sad. And no one (save for that confounded atheist) is writing me to say that they are going to send Robbie or Diane's kids anything for Christmas. I prefer to delude myself into believing that all the lovelies who wrote me eons ago asking for the address... have held onto that information and are just bypassing me to send their cards, gifts, thoughts, prayers, etc. But If that ISN'T the case... I think I'm going to boycott my own blog.

Don't MAKE me boycott my own blog, people!!!
Ohhh, I have GOT a computer, and I'm not afraid to NOT use it!!!

Sure there are a lot of good, gooooood causes. But tell me this one doesn't just reach right in and twang on your viscera. Tell me you don't feel encouraged, inspired and yet sick to your stomach when you think of the whole ordeal. Tell me that if you were in Robbie's situation right now you wouldn't care if people forgot about you because they were too busy with Christmas decorations and tinkling donations of leftover pocket change in Salvation Army storefront kettles like good little seasonal givers.

There is just no way I am willing to accept the wide circulation of the sappy Christmas shoes urban legend while this very real situation ebbs into the field of the unnoticed. TELL ME I AM MAKING YOU FEEL HELPLESSLY COMPELLED TO SNAILMAIL THIS FAMILY SOME SORT OF COMPASSIONATE MOMENTO!!!

sigh...

(end of rant.)

Now, I know you decent people will not let me down in my concern. So, to reward you in advance, I will print an hilarious email I received from one of my very favorite readers re: the choicesters post. Here 'tis:

"God, does the pandering to dumbass teenagers ever stop? What a stupid name.
'Hi, my name's Chelsea. I'm a choicester!' 'Hi, my name's Sienna. I'm a hamster! We're the next generation of American leadership! Wanna place your children's future in our hands?'

No thanks.

I give you credit for having the stomach to read that stuff. I personally cannot stand to be bombarded with that level and concentration of ignorance, stupidity, self-deception, and wanton cruelty. I know it's out there, but like pornography, snuff films, and videotapes of hostages being beheaded in Iraq, I just prefer not to see it."

:: ashli 2:43 PM # ::
...

Wow, man. I just remembered that this blog actually has an email account, so I uh... checked it.
Over 40 emails (thirty-nine and a half from Annie Banani alone! ;-). People actually read this blog. And here I've been feeling like one of those midnight writers... a 2 a.m. ham radio operator with one frequency hit per blue moon.

So I'm sorry for not responding. I haven't been arrogantly untouchable. I haven't even been too busy (although I'm lucky I get a bath or two each month what with two "churrin", homeschooling, organic coop, holidays, weddings, etc.) . I've just been... dum-buh.

I wasn't going to post tonight, today, this morning... whatever the heck it is at 1:25 a.m. I am still reeling from the death of the mother with cancer. It's one more bad dream I'm trying to wake up from. Like a clockwork mouse I'll bump into the wall a little while longer before I accept the reality of it. It sucks, and I didn't do enough. Who among us did? (Aside from that one atheist dude who kept donating ungodly amounts.)

The mother's kids are still around, it's Christmas soon, her husband is up to his eyeballs in grief, painful explainations and medical debt. I've still got their address. Let's take at least some of the weight off his shoulders. We've asked our church, for instance, if they will repackage our tithe this week and send it to Robbie in a neat little check. That's one idea. It's one way to remain anonymous. It's one way to allot funds we really don't have. Would that work for you? Email me for the address. I promise to check my messages daily.

Sigh... she was in her twenties. Her TWENTIES. Have you seen the pictures? It's a requirement.

I'm sure some abortion supporter is going to take this case and run with it. That's too bad. Despite what it might obviously look like, that's not the message. Diane's death encourages me even more. She died for this, folks. And yes, I know that cancer killed her, that it was not necessarily carrying her child to term that ended her life. But she was not willing to fight for her life at her daughter's expense. No... not that way.

She was willing
if that's what it took
to die for her faith
and for her child
and she did.
That means everything
doesn't it?

The Most Beautiful Photo In The World...

Diane defiantly nurses her daughter with her
remaining breast. She will lose this breast too
but continues to nurse until that time. She will lose
her life as well, but continues to love until that time.
Please view the photos.

:: ashli 1:14 AM # ::
...