Brett Cottrell's Blog, page 4

Abortion Saved My Mother's Life. Savita Halappanavar Was Not So Lucky.

My Mother could have been Savita Halappanavar, the expectant mother who needlessly died recently in an Irish hospital. Due to harsh and confusing abortion laws, the doctors refused to terminate her pregnancy, even though it was apparent that neither she nor her child would survive it. They watched as Ms. Halappanavar writhed in pain, unable to expel the dying fetus that was killing her, and unable to get the doctors to act.

In 1971, my mother was 24 and had two young children. She was five months along with a third when she experienced complications and began severely hemorrhaging. She went to the hospital afraid she would miscarry. Many painful hours later, exhausted from blood loss, she lay frightened atop a heap of bloody sheets and towels, scared that she would die, terrified that she would never see her young children again.

She was shocked when the doctors finally told her she would bleed to death if she did not terminate her pregnancy. They brought her abortion papers to sign and rushed her into surgery. The short story is that they saved my mother’s life. The real story is more than that, though.

By valuing my mother’s life enough to save it, the doctors saved my life, too. If she hadn’t had a safe and legal abortion, my younger brother and I would not have been born, and my older siblings would have lost their mother before they could even write her name.

If anti-abortion laws are based on a respect for life, then what do they say about Savita Halappanavar’s?

Abortion Saved My Mother's Life. Savita Halappanavar was not so lucky.

My Mother could have been Savita Halappanavar, the expectant mother who needlessly died recently in an Irish hospital. Due to harsh and confusing abortion laws, the doctors refused to terminate her pregnancy, even though it was apparent that neither she nor her child would survive it. They watched as Ms. Halappanavar writhed in pain, unable to expel the dying fetus that was killing her, and unable to get the doctors to act.
 
In 1971, my mother was 24 and had two young children. She was five months along with a third when she experienced complications and began severely hemorrhaging. She went to the hospital afraid she would miscarry. Many painful hours later, exhausted from blood loss, she lay frightened atop a heap of bloody sheets and towels, scared that she would die, terrified that she would never see her young children again.
 
She was shocked when the doctors finally told her she would bleed to death if she did not terminate her pregnancy. They brought her abortion papers to sign and rushed her into surgery. The short story is that they saved my mother’s life. The real story is more than that, though.
 
By valuing my mother’s life enough to save it, the doctors saved my life, too. If she hadn’t had a safe and legal abortion, my younger brother and I would not have been born, and my older siblings would have lost their mother before they could even write her name.
 
If anti-abortion laws are based on a respect for life, then what do they say about Savita Halappanavar’s?

Republican Voter Fraud in Virginia

Republican installed voting boothsThe Washington Post reports that Virginia is charging a former employee of Strategic Allied Consulting ­– the Republican contractor facing allegations of voter fraud in Florida, Colorado and Nevada – with 8 felonies and 5 misdemeanors involving election fraud.

The young republican operative allegedly registered people to vote, then threw the completed registration forms into a recycling bin.

But, rather than focusing on the Republican voter fraud hypocrisy and the deliberate disenfranchisement of voters, progressives should take heart in just how far we’ve come in society. After all, he did use the recycling bin.

God's Day Planner, by Richard Mourdock

Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said: “…even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape.  It is something that God intended to happen.”  In other words, rape and subsequent pregnancies are all part of God’s plan.

Mourdock’s God sounds like a pretty busy guy – kind of a micromanager – and about as nice as a hemorrhoidal cobra.

What else is in God’s planner?

6:00 am: Beat up old people.

10:00 am: Genocide update conference call.

Noon: Lunch with Hitler. I hope he brings Pol Pot, that guy cracks me up.

2:00 pm: Promotional tour for my book “Children with Cancer: All Part of My Plan.”

3:00 pm: Call mom. Tell her I never loved her.

4:00 pm: Sacrifice to myself.

5:00 pm: Taliban fundraiser. They’re having a hell of a time.

7:00 pm: Turn more people into salt. I’ve been a bit moody lately, and punishment by condiment always cheers me up.

9:00 pm: Late dinner at Jeffrey Dahmer’s – remember to bring the puppy pilaf and the baby livers he likes so much.

10:00 pm: Watch Fox News and go to bed.

Matt by Mitt: 3 + 7 = Bacon

Romney’s tax plan is so idiotic even Fox News says it’s mathematically impossible. Bloomberg, Moody’s– they’re all piling on.  You’d be forgiven for thinking Romney hasn’t mastered basic math.

But, it’s not true. Romney can add…to 270, and he’ll do and say anything get there. As Katrina vanden Heuvel of the Washington Post says: “He was for a woman’s right to choose before he was against it. He was for tax cuts for the rich before he was against them. He was for – no, he wrote – health reform before he was against it … before he was for the parts that everybody liked. This isn’t a platform — it’s a punchline.” Multiple-Choice-Mitt doesn’t have a problem with math so much as its selective application.  Either that or he believes in magic. I’m not sure which, but at this point I wouldn’t be surprised if he said he’d nominate Gandalf to be the Secretary of the department of Alchemy and Pseudoscience. ***Don’t miss Romney’s Greatest Hits!Romney v. Jesus, a tale of the tapeRomney: More positions than the Kama SutraGods are people, my friendRomney campaign’s top 5 retroactive changesRomney can’t help himself, it’s geneticIt’s not a triple if you’re born on third base

An Economy based on one of the Seven Deadly Sins

Is it really a good idea to base the American economy on Greed?
 
Nothing’s wrong with profit motive.  People need to pay their bills and meet their needs.  But at some point profit becomes greed.

For example, billionaire David Siegel, who recently said “we’re the most profitable we’ve ever been,” told his employees that they risk losing their jobs if Obama is reelected, because if he has to pay any more taxes, he’ll have to reduce staff. This is crazy.  Mr. Siegel could reduce his profit this year from, say, 100 million to 80 million, but his greed prevents that.
 

Sure, it’s not always easy to tell when profit turns to greed, but gluttony provides a good indication, like David Siegel’s 90,000 square foot house. 
 Adam Smith said: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”  I guess. But people like David Siegel aren’t self-interested butchers or brewers or bakers.  They’re greedy gluttons. 

 
                                                                                                                                                          
When a rogue angel starts a polygamist cult in Utah, all Hell breaks loose! Get The Valley of Fire today!
"Rolling on the floor laughing." Goddiscussion.com
Click to buy it on Amazon!
 

 

What The Debate Taught Me About Mitt Romney

Are those dollar signs on his tie?As President, he'll punch Big Bird in the face. (He'll smack Snuffleupagus, too, if he can find him.)

Romney hates Jim Lehrer. Either that or he always shouts over people when he doesn’t like the rules. I half expected Romney to put Lehrer in a cage on top of his car. Move over Shamus, you’ve got company.

Mitt Romney’s a liar. Both of them. Which Romney should we believe?


Romney’s sons are also liars. So much for the "proud pappa" routine.

He thinks argument volume = argument validity. It's called a microphone, Mr. Romney. There's no need to shout.

Ted Kennedy once said, "I am pro-choice, my opponent [Romney] is multiple choice." Kennedy was onto something - Romney has more positions than the Kama Sutra.


Romney used to say anything to get elected. Now he says nothing. I’ve seen more detailed instructions for boiling water.

For all his tantrum's trying to get the last word, it's amazing how little he said.  The man who can talk for an hour and say nothing is the man who believes nothing.

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When a rogue angel starts a polygamist cult in Utah, all Hell breaks loose! Get The Valley of Fire today!"Rolling on the floor laughing." Goddiscussion.comClick to buy it on Amazon!

 
 
 

Baltimore Book Festival

Had a great time yesterday at the Baltimore Book Festival.
 Yes. I do know Tico the Steeler Dog. And no, I won't get you his autograph.

  I tried to show 'em that I'm the boss. It didn't work. It never does.
 
 

It’s not a Triple if you’re Born on Third base.

Romney saidthat 47% of Americans are lazy moochers. This isn’t new. It’s not even surprising. Romney hardly hides his disdain for the poor, and we should never be surprised by what he says because he’s willing to say anything. Lost in the kerfuffle, was this gem: “So, I had inherited nothing. Everything that Ann and I have we earned the old-fashioned way, and that’s by heard work…95% of life is set up for you if you’re born in this country.” Inherited nothing? Maybe Romney gave away his inheritance when his father died in 1995, but not all inheritances are given at death. Compare Romney’s inherited 95%starting point to yours: Expensive prep school.College tuition and “allowance.”No need to work during college (you have stock to live off of)No college loans or debt.A car for college graduation.Top shelf health care.A loving family and community.Freedom from want.Freedom from poverty.Son of a governor.Oh, and his father’s name. We should laud his parents for providing for their son’s education and surrounding him with every advantage they could give him – his inheritance. Unfortunately, Mitt did not inherit the ability to tell the difference between being born on third base from hitting a triple. Also see: Jesus v. Romney: the Tale of the Tape.   _________________________________________________________________When a rogue angel starts a polygamist cult in Utah, all Hell breaks loose! Get The Valley of Fire today!"Rolling on the floor laughing." Goddiscussion.comClick to buy it on Amazon!
 
 

Europe Joins the Protests against America

A sign that will live in infamy.Sure, the video on YouTube about Islam wasn't funny - it was just stupid - but it's not fair for Europeans to blame all Americans!

If there's any justice, the ghost of Redd Foxx will give this man a whuppin'.

Redd Foxx is not amused.