Why I'm Pro-Choice

After reading the article "Abortion" on Joe's blog, http://magnoliapolitics.blogspot.com/2006/02/abortion.html, a post that outwardly opposes the practice of abortion, I felt I should respond. In doing so, this is what I said:

I'm pro-choice and don't mind saying so. It is a tough enough decision for a woman to make without some fool like me who is not in their situation leveling them with my own self-righteous moral judgements.

As far as God would be concerned, he ain't the mother and he ain't the would be child so he wouldn't be living the would be life or the life that is the mothers. Creator or not, casting judgement on one from a pulpit of "purity" is rather hypocritical and tyrannical.

For a child in a pro-choice view is born out of love, not sex. The world is growing overcrowded in population while 30 million Americans live in poverty (about 10%). When we can't take care of the ones we have, why sentence more to a life of squalor, single parent homes, and a trap "down in the ghetto" as elvis once sang.

When a child is ready to be born, it shall come of a union of love between two people (married or not) who care deeply and fully about having a child. Having a child is not something to be taken lightly or played by the sex lottery. It should and must be a decision that comes with thought and time and love, not a one night stand.

Not Just A Dog

Musings by Richard Biby
Contributing Editor
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog." Just smile, because they "just don't understand."

To Beau, Hershey, and Lacelei: you'll always be more than "just dogs" to me.

SA Senate, the Reflector Editorial Board, and the SA President

The SA Senate does its work. The Reflector Editorial Board did not in its Editorial in Friday, February 11th's edition of the Reflector or in the front page article. In accordance with such, below is my response as a Graduate Student Senator.

Dear Reflector Editorial Board:

FYI, the SA Senate had quorum the whole night. Not that the Reflector or the SA President would check the Constitution as the SA Attorney General Seth Robbins did or the Senate records for the night. Or that any of you were in attendance yourself, just one Reflector writer who did not bother presenting the full story.

The Senate, which passed badly need SA Executive and Homecoming election reform last fall, had one of its best debates of the year concerning Senate size.

A little credible reporting would have discovered that the 2005-2006 SA Senate has has had one of the best attendance records of the last several years. And that, of those Senators absent, all but a couple had class at the time or were sick which would have been discovered had adequate reporting been done.

And as for as the SA President goes, Cabinet had the same percentage of members at the State of the Student Association as Senate did. Cabinet and the office of SA President Jon David Cole were also in charge of advertising and promoting the event to the student body. And the Reflector by virtue of being the "student" newspaper. Yet zero to maybe three students outside of Cabinet, Exec, or Senate attended. That was not reported either if you are taking score.

And lastly, the only real reason the SA President was upset was because he didn't get to speak until after 8 because the Senate, as is their job, was debating a bill. Simply put, the SA President was upset b/c he did not get the moment in the sun he had hoped for.

And for the record, the SA President never asked once to speak earlier in the event (for instance, after Dr. Lee spoke) or asked to have the State of the SA moved to another time.

You, the Reflector Editorial Board, say the SA Senate needs to step up, yet your actions in reporting on the SA Senate have not even come close to comparing to your half information, high horse attack on the Senate. In fact, Vice-President Cory Carter's response was buried in the middle of the second page of the opinion section and a combined response from 12 members of the Senate including myself was not even printed. Apparently, the importance you placed on the SA Senate disappeared by the next edition.

Lastly, you, the Reflector Editorial Board, say cutting the number of Senators is a good thing. Yet you really do not explain why. In fact, there will be less Senators representing the students in 2006-2007 than before the bill passed. And in all likelihood, the more popular people, not necessarily the best Senators, are going to be elected. So Senators who have not missed a meeting this year might not have been elected under the new legislation which must be approved by Constitutional amendment on election day February 21st by the student body.

Things People Should Know About Me

After reading the great blog of laura rayburn (laurayburn.blogspot.com), i figure i should of course copy and come up with lists of my own. So here is the first of a "I dunno number of " series.

Things People Should Know About Me

1. I talk to myself. I rather enjoy it in fact. There's not much better than a good conversation and I'm usually right.
2. I think way too damn much, especially on certain things.
3. I love a good thought out plan. Strategy is always the best option.
4. My friend, at his astonishment, said "You're more calculating than I ever would have thought." My response: "Duh." followed by "Vote Donkey" of course.
5. I'm basically a 5 year old or a 40 year old in a 23 year old's body.

Hmmm, that seems like too much. I'll stop there.