First off, I want to say that I did not join in or comment on her Twitter stream because I don’t think that she is looking so much for conversation about her choice to abort a pregnancy, as she is looking for agreement with her right to do so, as well as some notoriety.  She says that she was looking for support from her friends during the abortion. 

        See, the back story is that this woman has a 4 year old special needs son.  She lives with the child and her boyfriend (the father of this child she is trying to abort).  I wonder what he thinks…if he is as much in support of the public abortion as she is?  In her twitter stream she called this child she was carrying a “thing”, a thing that didn’t have sex organs yet; in relationship to another twitter persons tweet for life. 

         I am trying to imagine what a man would think about his child being called a thing?  What about grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins or the woman’s young son when he grows up…how do, or will, any of them feel about this abortion?  Should their opinions count?    How does abortion impact those who are in relationships with people who choose abortion as their path?  Does it create issues between them if they are in disagreement with the choice to have an abortion?

        According to the news articles that I have read, this adult woman had a first pregnancy which was allegedly life threatening to her.  She was “advised” not to get pregnant again because of that first pregnancy and the high risk that she endured.  So, from what I understand from the various articles on the subject…she decided that if she were to get pregnant again she would have an abortion to end it.  Obviously, whatever form of birth control they were using was not effective because she became pregnant.

       When she discovered that she was pregnant she allegedly tweeted that she was pregnant.  She found out early that she was indeed pregnant so that allowed her to use the chemical form of abortion called RU486.  Since she went this route…she has been tweeting the process.  Telling of the cramping, the bleeding, and all of the other gory details.  This process can take days.   This process of abortion can be  dangerous…but, she seems to believe that it is worth the risk. 

         I do not believe in abortion…and it seems to me that it is a gamble with her life either way…either from carrying the pregnancy as far as is humanly possible or, from having the abortion.   I would not wish a high risk pregnancy on anyone; however, I personally would have more respect for her had she tried to carry this baby to term.  Even if she did not want to raise the child…she could attempt to give it life and place the child for adoption.

        Some people have been very supportive of what she is doing…others are not.  After all, abortion is a very polarizing subject.  People react according to their personal beliefs, experiences,  and values.  This woman also says that she is an athiest.   From my visit to her Twitter stream I found her to be not only vocal about the abortion but also about religion and other subjects, such as foster care.  She like anyone in America has a right to voice her opinion.  Yet, she uses language that many would deem vulgar or filled with obsenities; hardly language that one would use to try to educate or pursuade another person towards their way of thinking on a particular subject.    She allegedly says that she is astonished at the level of reaction and attention that her attempt to “educate” people about abortion has attracted.

        I find that hard to believe.  I don’t think that you choose to go against traditional beliefs, values, and lifestyle without expecting others to have a strong reaction to it.  I happen to believe that for whatever reason, the very fact that many other people find her actions (regarding the abortion) and beliefs (religion) so wrong and offensive, gives her a sense of, her against the world… and I think in her mind, it empowers her.   Especially when those who oppose her strongly, wrongly attack her personally in their objection to what she has chosen to do.  Unfortunately, it seems that some people have even threatened her life…not only is that wrong…it is illegal.  The authorities will be involved in those situations appropriately, I am sure. 

       Understand, she is going to do what she wants to do; what we in this country have legally allowed her and any other woman that chooses to; and, that is to be able to legally abort the life of her child.  However, I myself do not wish to be watching her do what I myself find personally wrong.  I do believe in God and I believe in spiritual consequences.  She says that she doesn’t believe in God.  That is probably true…because I dont think it is easy to do what she is doing and have a close relationship with God…who i believe is the author of life. 

         A great number of women who have abortions suffer in later years because of their decision to abort.  They have emotional, physical and spiritual damage to their beings.  Some do not and continue to go on and have repeat abortions according to what their conscience dictates.  Legally this is allowed in the United States; it is unfortunate in my opinion.

        She doesn’t appear to care about my opinion or anyone elses probably.  By giving her more attention, it feeds the flames.  However, in my opinion the taking of the life of her child and throwing it away is wrong.  Once the child was conceived…it should have the right to be born.   What if she gets pregnant again in the future?  Why not pursue a permanent solution to her pregnancy potential?

          What about her life…the one that potentially could be threatened should she try to carry the baby (she calls it cells)?  Calling the baby a clump of cells is an attempt to deny the value of the life she carried.  Well, in my opinion…once she was told that it would be life threatening, in the future, for her to become pregnant; then, if she felt that she needed to protect her life…she either should have avoided sex (not practical) or she should have sought some permanent means of birth control such as having her tubes tied, or having a partial hysterectomy… or by choosing a sexual partner who had also taken drastic means of curbing the possibility of creating a pregnancy.   A combination of those choices would have ensured that she would not have become pregnant. 

         This whole subject opens to the door to a discussion about social media and what is acceptable, what will be allowed…what will people endorse or reject.  What are the socially acceptable standards or limitations?  Will we see someone comitting crimes and tweeting about it?  Or posting it on Facebook, or Myspace?  It is the testing of those limits that creates this drive to be the person that pushes the envelope.  It creates a media sensation or a backwards sort of fame.   It is horribly sad to me that in this case it was at the expense of the life of an unborn child.  What are your thoughts?

         For those who are addicted to Twitter either for communication, for social media purposes or for business connections these outages are frustrating.  The online traffic is mindboggling and temporary outages due to high traffic times are expected…but when the site is actually under attack…that is different.  People get nervous about their private information being taken.  Those who monitor such things have to really step up their defenses…and, there should be high consequences legally for those who are found to be behind such criminal behavior.

The alleged shooter, James von Brunn, has been described, by many who knew him or visited his hate filled website, as a man consumed with hatred for both Jews and Black people.  His ex-wife reportedly told ABC news that her ex husband was “eaten alive like a cancer with his hatred of Jews and blacks”.

Prejudice and hatred are emotions that are extremely destructive.  No good comes of those two feelings when they are combined and directed towards others.  Like all emotions, for them to grow and to take control of a person’s thoughts and actions, hatred and prejudice must be nutured.  Hate crimes are fueled by people who have allowed those emotions to take control of their lives.  It is important to try to overcome hatred before it’s roots sink deep and spread out touching and infecting others; destroying lives.

I came across an article on a website that i thought addressed overcoming hate rather well.  I am including a link here for it.  http://www.livestrong.com/article/14654-overcoming-hatred/#JUMP6 This is Lance Armstrong’s website Live Strong.  The article was written by James J. Messina a licensed psychologist.

Recognizing the beginnings of hatred, and working towards overcoming prejudice and hatred directed towards any group of people, is a healthy thing to do.  The danger in nurturing hatred and prejudice is that it only leads to destruction for both the person infected with such dark thoughts and emotions; and, for anyone that they despise who innocently crosses paths with them.  No one deserves to become a victim to someone who is blinded by hatred; for no other reason other than just by being born.  What are your thoughts on overcoming hatred?

          It leaves the impression of guilt by association, though this is unfortunate, because many of them may not have had any idea about the fraud that was taking place.   I personally doubt whether he advertised the fact of what he was doing, to his friends and family; it isn’t something most people would be proud of.    I am thinking about his wife in particular; did she know where the money in their lives came from?  She is also allegedly, being investigated; and, unless she had direct involvement in the day-to-day business operations…how would she know what he did while he was at work? 

         Still, if the money in their accounts is  found to be accumulated from the fraud; the government could confiscate it couldn’t they?  His own family members could end up being “victims” of his actions, just as well as, those who lost so much financially!  Bernie will be sentenced for his crimes in June.   What the additional investigation finds, will also determine what happens to the others that are being investigated by their association with Bernie Madoff.  Bernie may have plead guilty, but, if this investigation negatively impacts his friends and family…you have to wonder if he will actually feel any guilt!

         In this kind of a case, the cloud of suspicion could literally destroy many more lives than those that have already been destroyed.  If Bernie Madoff could admit his guilt in court…why can’t he just be honest and tell the investigators where the money is?   Maybe if some of the money could be found…maybe some of the people who were ripped off could get some of their money back.  If he is keeping that missing money information to himself…it could destroy those that he supposedly cares about, such as his wife, children, business associates and such.  Let the guilty be found out…and the innocent be proven so; still, what if the money is found  in their accounts without their having knowledge of the scam? 

           So many lives have been destroyed by this security fraud…this Ponzi scam this abuse of trust, it is sickening.  People have lost so much of their money that they counted on to survive.  It makes a person intensely frustrated and angry that Mr. Madoff will be sitting in a prison cell…getting three meals a day and all of his basic needs will be met; while his “victims” future is still up in the air.  The levels of trust and responsibility that we put in our leaders is immense and needs honored by meeting those levels of trust and responbility and exceeding it!  This damages everyone’s ability to trust those in authority, who’s decisions affect our lives…has it affected how you trust people?

       Many people think that is the job of the defense attorneys of the accused; but that is unrealistic.  Oh, they do their job in court to protect your rights, best way that they can…but, for the most part…once you are convicted…you are there until your time is served. They have so many people to represent…unless your case sticks in their craw and they believe in you; and, they have powerful, political connections to movers and shakers…you will sit in prison until your time is up!

        What if someone dared to believe in your innocence and was willing to investigate until irrefutible proof was found that proved your innocence?  That would be a gift…a miracle.    That type of commitment costs money and lots of time.  Most people don’t have an unending supply of wealth.  By the time they have gone through the court system and paid to defend themselves…they have nothing left.  Often, even family and friends have moved on with their lives…not ALWAYS…but, by the time that the person has sat in prison a few years…family and friends have been forced to go back to work, finish growing up, getting married, having children, going off to college; you get the idea…life keeps moving on. 

        Now imagine a miracle…a group or organization comes along that believes in you…digs to find that nugget of proof, goes to bat for you with the court; and, demands your freedom…and WINS it!  Now what???  You think…well…my life was stolen from me…i should get compensated for that…but guess what…many states don’t have any laws on the books to compensate you.  You are given a pittance of a few dollars and maybe a bus ticket and you are on your own.  Find a job????  That’s not easy..once you put on your resume that you have been serving time during that huge gap on your resume….it is a little difficult to convince a perspective employer that you were INNOCENT!  Finding a decent place to live with no money, no references, and no job; NO LUCK there either!  Where is a support system?

        How does something like this happen to INNOCENT people?  Well, it is actually quite easy (and scary when you think about it).  There is genuinely mistaken ID, there is poor evidence collection, there is a mistake made during the investigation and a cover up happens, there is corruption in the system, lack of proper DNA testing,  there is false allegations, there is a lack of proof for a proper alibi, there is past history that makes you look bad (even if it isn’t true this time), you get the idea.  It starts to stack up; and, put together by a skilled prosecutor who believes you are guilty; and, is under pressure to convict the person who did the crime…you can see how it could happen.  Why should people care about this?  What if it happened to you or someone you cared about; wouldn’t you want someone to fight for YOUR freedom?  What about our over-crowded prison system…how many of them are innocent?  What about all of the tax money that pays to house those who are innocent or the tax money that is spent to prosecute them? 

        When it happens to a GUILTY person…that is, as it should be!  They SHOULD be sitting in prison; doing the time for their crimes against society.  However, when an INNOCENT person is convicted; getting that conviction overturned is no easy feat.  Undoing the damage to the person and their family is even harder.  There is someone who cares about those types of cases and it is their mission statement, “to free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated and to bring substantive reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment”; according to their website.  You can check them out here:  http://www.innocenceproject.org/about/  They need financial donations to do the work that they do…it is important work!