Happy Holidays....Thoughts On "Fisting"

It's holiday time and as usual I am surly, bristly and fighting the urge to shout "Bah Humbug!" Following the sage advice, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all," I have held my tongue. Finally though, I was asked one too many times what I thought of the whole Kevin Jennings appointment and the 2001 distribution of "fisting" kits. Well, here it is:

From my Facebook post:

Quite clearly the advocacy of "fisting" among youth is inappropriate and objectionable. Clearly these folks do not hold a Judeo-Christian worldview or ethic. It makes sense then that they wouldn't feel the same way that we do about homosexuality or sex education in general. That being said here are some things to remember:


1. This happened in 2000 and 2001. If there was evidence that this practice continued beyond 2001, you can bet that the source would have found out about it - which tells me that it was widely regarded as inappropriate and was discontinued (albeit, probably still persists, but not in as broad a forum).

2. An article today mentions that 53 members of congress are actively attempting to get Kevin Jennings removed from his post.

3. Kevin Jennings is the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, essentially an undersecretary of nothing and nobody. He is one of thousands of appointees without direct power over curriculum or the direction of public education in the U.S.

4. Community Standards prevail. States, then in turn school districts, and finally individual schools and teachers determine curriculum and policies related to health education. It would be a mistake to draw the conclusion that Alabama schools are going to begin disseminating "fisting kits" to our children, but this is clearly the conclusion that these fear-mongerers intended people to draw.

5. The president makes thousands of political appointments when he comes into office. This is a task that is usually not handled directly by the president, beyond selecting his own staff and major appointed positions like the presidential cabinet. Ultimately the purpose of these groups is to somehow tie the actions of Jennings back to Obama and make the case that he was fully aware of Jennings' activities and that he somehow approved and supported the practices of GLSEN - even that Obama is a card-carrying member of said group. This is absurd. More likely is that Obama has never even heard of Jennings and had no idea anything like this had happened. See #1

6. I begin to wonder about the activities of all governmental appointees. If we begin pointing the finger at homosexual advocates, why stop there? Shouldn't we want to know who cheated on their taxes, who cheated on their spouses, who dropped LSD in college, who's hit their kid, who's divorced, who's on the Playboy subscriber list?

Anyway, I say all that to say this:

I know that this particular issue feeds home-school advocacy and becomes confirming evidence for all the fear of public school teaching aberrant beliefs. I am really surprised to see Obama supporters promoting this witch-hunt. It is obviously yet another attempt by the NeoCons to discredit him. As Christians we need to get back to promoting the cause of Christ, not demonizing the lost.

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” Ghandi

http://www.mongoosemom.com/?p=27

Rant to the Left, Rant to the Right. Turn Around, Turn Around, Fight, Fight, Fight

Former President Carter raises an interesting point. The irony is, the key elements of opposition to Obama completely overlook the abuses of the previous administration. Abortion: It is a cheap political strategy, especially in the South, to say that you are "pro-life". It doesn't obligate anyone to actually try to reduce or eliminate abortion, it just makes everyone feel a little better about their vote. You should ask yourself, "what I am doing personally to reduce or eliminate abortion?" If the answer is, "Nothing". Then you might call your own pro-life position in to question. Would you really let people die than give them access to health-care? Are you really pro-life at all? Instead, we overlook the abuses and excesses of corporate executives, and call it capitalism. Meanwhile, the current administration is left holding bag. Instead of "business as usual" Obama has recruited the top minds of our nation, in all arenas, and asked them to re-craft government. This isn't socialism. To make bureaucracy effective. To eliminate abuses of authority and hold government and industry accountable for its actions. If you remember, we actually had a budget surplus when Bill Clinton left office. If we have to throw out the baby and the bathwater to get back on track, then lets get on with it. Is there still deep-seated racism at work in our nation? I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. There is no doubt in my mind that there is hate-mongering, so why couldn't racism be at the root? You might not be racist, but take a closer look at where the misinformation and misguided slogans are coming from.

An attempt to Blog (But Lost Interest and Train of Thought). Alabama IS the Most Conservative State in the U.S.

A Gallup poll revealed that Alabama is the most conservative state in the U.S. Having lived in Alabama for the past 7 years, I can testify to this result. Although it is delightfully tempting to bash political conservatism, I will restrain myself and instead make some observations about the polarization of political views in the "dirty south".
First, let me address the designation of "conservative" itself, as I have experienced it in the evangelical church culture. Most evangelical Christians would term themselves religiously conservative. Politically, however, I think southern evangelicals may align themselves with other conservatives solely based on the issue of abortion and possibly taxation and pro-Bush interventionism in Iraq (I hesitate to say, anti-terror policy, considering the oxymoronic nature of such a statement). After the 2008 presidential election, pundits naively assumed that the southern states had overwhelmingly voted for McCain as confirmation of deep-seeded racism, but I think they fail to take into account the strength of support for pro-life candidates. The word "liberal" is tantamount to "demonic".
Growing up in southwest Kansas, I was raised in a politically conservative family. However, there is a strong populism alive in the heartland of the U.S. that creates a larger base for Democrats, than in the south. People are generally more fiscally conservative and self-reliant. I never experienced the extreme political polarization between parties or politicians that exists in Alabama.

A month later and i have completely lost this train of thought.

Breastmilk Ravings.

I found myself ranting in my own head this morning while I was showering. Usually God gives me meditations, but today I was pondering breastfeeding. After breastfeeding my own three infants and counseling numerous women I have come to several conclusions. First, however, let me present some of the contentions of the World Health Organization, regarding infant feeding:

Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding p. 10 states,
"18. The vast majority of mothers can and should breastfeed, just as the
vast majority of infants can and should be breastfed. Only under
exceptional circumstances can a mother’s milk be considered unsuitable
for her infant. For those few health situations where infants
cannot, or should not, be breastfed, the choice of the best
alternative – expressed breast milk from an infant’s own mother,
breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse or a human-milk bank, or a
breast-milk substitute fed with a cup, which is a safer method than
a feeding bottle and teat – depends on individual circumstances.
19. For infants who do not receive breast milk, feeding with a suitable
breast-milk substitute – for example an infant formula prepared in
accordance with applicable Codex Alimentarius standards, or a
home-prepared formula with micronutrient supplements – should
be demonstrated only by health workers, or other community workers
if necessary, and only to the mothers and other family members
who need to use it; and the information given should include adequate
instructions for appropriate preparation and the health hazards
of inappropriate preparation and use. Infants who are not
breastfed, for whatever reason, should receive special attention from
the health and social welfare system since they constitute a risk
group."

Here are their recommendations, in order:
1. infants should be breastfed by their own mother
2. if #1 is not possible, then expressed milk from the infant's own mother
3. breast milk from a wet-nurse
4. breast milk from a milk bank
5. breast milk substitute fed with a cup

All of these methods are considered preferred to infant formula fed from a bottle with an artificial nipple.

Guess what? The World Health Organization isn't funded by formula makers. Conversely, American women are sent home from the hospital with their newborn babies AND a diaper bag, supplied by a formula manufacturer, a breast pump, also supplied by the formula manufacturer, and a supply of infant formula, from who else, but the manufacturer. Oh, sure, all of their printed materials pay lip service to breastfeeding as best for babies, but give me a break!! Those bottles psych mothers out. They become the great temptation when we need a few more minutes sleep or when we are unsure about our own milk production. Next comes the pump. If it is a manual pump, a woman may only produce an ounce or two - maybe more with an electric pump. This leads to more supplementation and pretty soon you aren't producing an adequate supply of milk and you give up. Those formula manufacturers are pretty tricky, but effective.

Here is the conclusion I have come to. First, assess your desire to breastfeed. Is it very important to you? If not, then don't condemn yourself - lots of infants are raised on formula and turn out just fine. Consider, however, the WHO guidelines and think about trying it for at least a few months. WHO recommends at least 6 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends up to 12 months. If you are committed to breastfeeding, you can do it!

My suggestion is to put away the formula that you brought home with you - or better yet, throw it away so it isn't a temptation. Next, pack the breast pump away, for at least the first two - three weeks. Pumping is not a reliable indicator of milk supply, as babies are much more efficient at extracting milk from the breast. Give yourself 2 - 3 solid weeks of exclusive breastfeeding, putting your baby to the breast as often and for as long as the baby demands. Remember, you are both learning a new skill and just need some time to master it, without confusing the issue with bottle or pumps. Later, once your supply has been established and your baby is confidently feeding, you can try introducing a bottle now and then, preferably with expressed milk. Keep in mind that most babies have growth spurts at 2 - 3 weeks, so don't give up nursing, just because your baby wants to nurse more frequently during that time.

Of course, you may have issues with weight gain, plugged ducts, sore nipples, etc, but those issues are much easier to sort out and resolve if your nursing relationship is uncomplicated by bottles or pumps.

Wow - I feel so much better - I just needed to vent I guess. Talking to myself is so therapeutic! Ranting inside my head is so tedious and boring. Thank you Blogspot for allowing me to add a little more wasted space to the WWW and to suck up a little more bandwidth.

Long Time No Post and A Happy New Year To You!

It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about, it's just that the ideas flee my brain before I can sit down at the keyboard and type them out. I may have to start blogging on the back of my hand..... I do have something to say about Zunes, iPods, Wii and technological alienation, but I am so alienated I can't sit at my computer long enough to produce a coherent discourse. I am also very discouraged and fed up with repetitive and thankless tasks like laundry and washing dishes. I am hoping that there will be no more laundering or dirty dishes in Heaven. One more thing, why did I not know, until now, that there are four ringed planets in our solar system? That seems like an important enough fact to be part of the common vernacular, doesn't it? Maybe you already knew there were four ringed planets and I am just out-of-it. There. I am spent. I can't think of another ponderable thing to offer. Let me just wish you a blessed and happy new year. Next are Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine's day, Mardi Gras, Passover, and then Easter. Pretty light merchandising months coming up. Enjoy them while they last!