Not bad... not bad. Obviously wrong, but I'll give you that one, Pound. As per Z's request, let's keep this thread on topic. You guys win. We conservatives have absolutely no compassion or concern for baby's or mothers. See ya in the next thread!
What solutions are the left offering? You say the right offers few solutions so what have you got? It sounds to me like you have no solution. I agree with you that it would be good to have a lower mortality rate, but then you go on the defensive when I point out that a big problem stems from the mother's choices. I have already shown you plenty of evidence that points to substance abuse by the mother as a key component to infant mortality. If you think I am not outraged, I don't know what to say to you. Obviously I am upset that a mother would make a reckless decision like that knowing full well she is pregnant. Where is your outrage at the irresponsibility of the mother. It may not be the only reason for infant mortality, but it is a main factor. If we know that smoking during pregnancy is bad and the CDC states that 10-25% of infant deaths can be prevented if mothers do not smoke, what type of policy can be instituted to stop women from smoking during pregnancy? Isn't telling the woman that she is not allowed to smoke during pregnancy an infringement on her rights? Her body, her choice right? If infant mortality in this country was reduced by 25% wouldn't you say that we are making progress in the right direction towards solving the problem? That seems like a move in the right direction to me.
The first step is to have both the right and left stand up, and declare that it is not acceptable for the United States to have the second worst newborn death rate in the modern world. No excuses, no rationalization, no blame..... If we are a society in which all men/women are created equal, and if we are concerned about children being born healthy, we, not the right, not the left, but we embrace the problem together. This is not a left or a right issue, it is an American issue. That most of the children dying are poor and/or minorities, makes them no less Americans than wealthy whites.... I have stated that if we can determine that alcohol abuse by a pregnant mother is a direct link, then outlaw sale of any alcohol to women. If we find that excessive junk food is a determinate factor, then outlaw junk food to expectant mothers. If we find drug use, or any other variable can be determined to be a strong factor, make it illegal for pregnant women to buy these drugs, and punish those who sell them drugs. It may be easy for some to see a child born, and then die, and say, "oh well, the mother is to blame." If we as a society can help those mothers who cannot control or help themselves, and we do nothing...then who really is to blame for children dying? Again I go back to the right to lifers who rail against abortion and weep for the unborn child, and ask them do they weep equally for the child who dies because we allowed the mother to put that fetus at risk during pregnancy?
Although it is an interesting concept to outlaw these things to pregnant women, neither political party is going to suggest it. They will immediately be branded a facist and the ACLU would be so far up the President's ass (republican or democrat), for infringing upon the woman's rights. I don't agree with your attempt to blame society for the mother's actions though. Unless you feel that we should lock substance abusers up for the duration of their pregnancy, how do we keep an eye on them 24/7? To blame society for her actions is really to deny the problem at hand. We can offer assistance, which we do, but we cannot force a woman to do what is best for the child. We can only hope that she listens and makes the right decision.
I am not blaming society for the problem, I am holding society responsible for the solution when mothers who have personal problems they can't control end up pregnant and have kids who die prematurely. We do arrest drunk drivers? We do take away their license? We do send them to jail for repeat offense? Why? Because they endanger society. So why is it right to allow a citizen to endanger a fetus through their personal problems they can't seem to control? Once again, it is seen that the same people who go nuts at the the thought of a woman choosing not to be a mother through abortion, but those same people won't prohibit a woman from taking drugs, alcohol, junk food, etc. which put the fetus at risk upon birth.... Please show some consistency if the desire really is to protect the "unborn child...."
:eek: You are joking right? Let me get this straight. You are going to have some white person go into the projects and tell African American women that they are outlawed from what? And the penalty for not following your rules/laws is that you will refuse them health care right? This is the same group of people who are going to walk into the Mexican community and tell the folks who are illegal that they must now come in and register or they will receive some penalty yet to be determined. And the penalty for not following your rules/laws is that you will refuse to call them Americans? This is the same group of folks who are going to tell all the illegal folks that then want to violate the NEW American laws by sneaking over the border that they can't come here because ~ It's Illegal and we might arrest them! And the penalty for violating your rules/laws is..... I don't know who makes me madder. The folks in my community who are waiting for some stupid person to provide them a way out (with money). Or you, for playing in to the madness with dumb rules and more money!
Fascist, totalitarian thinking. And is it okay by you if we punish those who sell drugs to other than pregnant women?
I think you would only get the support of the pro-life movement in this case. I have no idea where you get the idea that pro-life people do not care about these children. If what you are promoting is insitutionalizing these women during their pregnancy you and I both know that the media would have a field day with this. They would compare the people that passed a bill in favor of this as facists. They would also be branded racists because like you said, the problem happens in lower class circles more often. Who does the media equate with lower class? Minorities. I would go as far as to say that these women should be forced to give the child up for adoption. This will never be allowed to happen either. Although the safety of the child should be first and foremost, that is not what the fight will be about. Look at these children that suffer at the hands of abusive parents. Family services goes over there and takes the child away for a couple of weeks and then returns them to the same abusive family. They are then abused again and have to live in fear the rest of their life. That's if they don't end up getting murdered by the parents. Why are these kids returned to the parents? The parents rights always trump the best interests of the child. This is nothing new to this administration. It has been going on since at least the 60's. A lot of the policy that was set forth was done for the wrong reasons too. Like you said, the problem does affect minorities and the lower classes quite a bit more. This is why we saw a fight for parental rights during the 60's. They equated it with a civil rights issue when it had nothing to do with that.
How many pro life people allow pregnant women to eat junk food... How many pro life people allow women to drink too much... How many pro life people allow women to take drugs they should not take... One is too many. Your comments concerning the media is a red herring, they don't pass or enforce the laws of this country...
Your comments about pro-lifers is a red herring. They aren't allowed to police the people. The media has more power in this country than you give them credit for. Why didn't the last administration pass laws to the same effect? My comment is valid regardless if you agree with it or not.