Truth in Music

This is one of my favorite songs lately - I feel like it really describes my life right now, and how I feel about it. Just disregard the cigarettes part, since I don't smoke.

"Cigarettes" The Wreckers

Got my headlights shining
Down an old dirt road
Smoke my cigarettes
I should quit, I know

The radio's playing
Old country songs
Someone's leaving
Someone's cheating
On and on

I think I might like
The quiet nights
Of this empty life

'Cause someday maybe somebody
Will love me like I need
And someday I won't have to prove
'Cause somebody will see
All my worth but until then
I'll do just fine on my own
With my cigarettes
And this old dirt road

See I left another
Good man tonight
I wonder if he'll miss me
Lord knows I tried

But I think that maybe
The thing that I did wrong
Is put up with this bullshit for far too long

I think I might like
The quiet nights
Of this empty life

'Cause someday maybe somebody
Will love me like I need
And someday I won't have to prove
'Cause somebody will see
All my worth but until then
I'll do just fine on my own
With my cigarettes
And this old dirt road

I ain't gonna sleep
I don't want to dream about
The things that I used to be
I ain't gonna cry
Don't wanna live a lie
I'm just gonna drive
Oh, oh

'Cause someday maybe somebody will love me
And someday I won't have to prove

All my worth but until then
I'll do just fine on my own
With my cigarettes
And this old dirt road

'Cause someday maybe somebody
Will love me like I need
And someday I won't have to prove
Cause somebody will see
All my worth but until then
I'll do just fine on my own
With my cigarettes
And this old dirt road

(Italics Added)

The Idiosyncrasies of Utah

I have lived in Utah for 4 years now, and for the most part, I've been happy here. At first I loved it; I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. After a while I started seeing the little oddities that are inevitably found in a community dominated by one group of people. And now, well, sometimes I'm just freaked out.

An example of this occured today while I was reading an article in our campus newspaper, The Daily Universe (excellent issue today, by the way, my compliments to the DU staff). The article initially ran in the LA Times and can be viewed at http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-kanab24jun24,0,3479500,full.story
It discussed a resolution recently passed by the city council of Kanab, a small southern Utah town. The resolution regarded the "natural family," a term the council defined as a marriage between a man and a woman, with "hearts open to a full quiver of children." Essentially, a mom, dad, and a whole passel of kids.

Now, I'm all for marriage. In fact, I'm a huge supporter of the Marriage Protection Ammendment. I believe that marriage is something held only between a man and woman, and like the city council of Kanab, I believe that it is ordained of God. Because Kanab is largley a Mormon community, I think most residents would agree. I, however, feel that the Kanab's resolution takes this doctrine too far, and quite a few of Kanab's citizens concur.

My qualms are both moral and political. First, I believe that such a decree violates the Constitutionally required separation of church and state. Until Christ Himself sets up a theocracy, it is simply an ineffective way to govern people of many beliefs. This applies in Utah as well.

Morally, I feel that it is inappropriate to maintain that a specific type of family is superior to another, with the exeption of marriage between man and woman. There are many types of families; a childless husband and wife are no less of a family than a family with twelve children. In more and more cases, people are considering their friends to be more of a "family" than acutal blood relatives. Is this any less valid? The purpose of a family is to love, care for and support one another. When did the look of the family become more important than the purpose?

A quotation from the resolution: "We envision young women growing into wives, homemakers, and mothers; and we see young men growing into husbands, home-builders, and fathers…. We look to a landscape of family homes, lawns, and gardens busy with useful tasks and ringing with the laughter of many children." I personally have a problem with this statement in itself. In my opinion, it limits both girls and boys in their quest to become better, more educated people. It seems to imply that after the good little children graduate high school (if that is even deemed neccessary), they should marry the first member of the opposite sex they see and promptly start making babies. Good little girls grow into good little housewives and spend their days canning produce fresh from the garden, while good little boys grow up to attempt to support a family doing menial labor.

I want to emphasize here that my problem is not with housewives, menial labor or having children. My issue stems from the effect the mindset of the council members of Kanab has of squashing potential in their youngsters. The mayor of Kanab, Kim Lawson, sadly makes a perfect example.

A 17-year-old-intern at the Southern Utah News wrote a coloumn expressing disapproval of the city council, and especially of the mayor. The mayor, rather than allowing the young man to state his opinion, or even rebutting in a open-minded manner, called on the young man's teachers and religious leaders to bring him back in line. In my opinion, such a bold young man should be commended for his attention, thoughtfullness and courage in addressing such a controverisal issue, or in having an opinion on it at all!

Even worse, when the Southern Utah News editor, Dixie Brunner, defended the young man and continued to publish letters on the subject, some citizens started their own newspaper to counter Brunner's, saying it was a saucy liberal rag.

I'm sorry, but I don't think there is a liberal rag in the entire state of Utah, much less a saucy one.

It is this uber-conservatism and ultra-old-fashionness that most bothers me. One shopkeeper says she is hesitant to burn incense for fear she will be shunned as "New Agey." Local ranchers are suspicious of the "dog lovers" who work at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (Heaven forbid people should care about domestic animals). When a group of newcomers came out against the resolution, a 78-year citizen of Kanab submitted this to the newspaper: "Maybe (just maybe) when you have lived here even a fraction of that time, perhaps you will have earned the right to call Kanab 'your' community. That hasn't happened yet." This statement is frightening in it's exclusion and distain. It seems that some citizens in Kanab take their conservatism a bit too far. Many conservatives believe that fanatisms comes only from the left, but clearly the right can breed radicals as well.

This ultra-conservatism, the close-mindedness, the inablity of some to respect the opinions and lifestyles of others, and the occasional distain for those who voice an opinion outside of the mainstream are some of the reasons I have grown wary of living in Utah. Don't get me wrong, Utah isn't a bad place, and the people aren't bad people. Occasionally, they're just a little odd.

Dixie Brunner, editor of the Southern Utah News said, "They are good people here, and that's all there is to it. But sometimes, I pull my hair out."

I hear ya, Ms. Brunner. I hear ya.

Feminism and Liberalism

Okay, that's it. This blog has become far too depressing, not to mention neglected. I'll try to do better.

I consider myself a feminist, and that's something I'm proud of. I think that a lot of women are afraid of the word "feminist," thinking that it somehow entails being a man-hating bitch. I disagree. The root of feminism is merely asserting that women are of equal worth as men. Feminism does not inherently promote absolute equality, as in interchangibility, among men and women. It promotes equality, as in being equals in worth and ability.

My mother taught me that I can do anything. She taught me to be a strong, independant, capable woman, and for that I will always love and cherish her. I remember her telling me to "be a real woman." She never implied that I was weak, but instead used the phrase as a reminder that I was capable of so much more than society told me I was. Her mother taught her these things, and she passed them down to my sisters and I, and I, for one, will pass them down to my daughters.

Before I continue any further, I feel that I need to make a disclaimer. Many people claim that the Mormon church is wrought with sexual discrimination and oppression towards women. That is simply not the case! In fact, doctrine of the LDS church asserts that women are an integral part of God's plan for mankind, and that a man is not complete without a woman, nor a woman without a man. God meant for us to be partners, not competitors. In addition, Utah was the second state in the Union to grant sufferage to women. Why, those sexist bastards.

Having said that, I often feel that the culture (note: culture, not doctrine) of LDS society persists in oppressing women. Women are so closely pigeonholed into the role of wife and mother (a noble role) that women who do not marry young, or chose not to have children in the first year of marriage, are almost looked down upon. "What?" The faces of judgemental members seem to say, "You want to have a career? Don't you know a woman belongs in the home?" While I fully believe that one of the greatest honors of womanhood is the opportunity to raise children into successful adults, I also feel that no woman should be discouraged from reaching for her dreams.

I believe that God wishes woman to grow to their full potential as much as he wants men to. It seems that President Gordon B. Hinckley agrees. In an interview with President Hinckley and his wife, Marjorie in 1998, Sister Hinckley was quoted as saying, "He never insisted that I do anything his way, or any way, for that matter. From the very beginning he gave me space and let me fly." In response, President Hinckley stated, "I’ve tried to recognize my wife’s individuality, her personality, her desires, her background, her ambitions. Let her fly. Yes, let her fly! Let her develop her own talents. Let her do things her way. Get out of her way, and marvel at what she does." What is that but a vote of confidence in the innate strength and capabilities of women?

As I have made my views of feminism clear, I now turn to the views I recently came across in a blog entitled "Feminist Mormon Housewives." I respect these women for making a statement and developing a place where they can share their opinions. Even more, I respect the men who support them with open-minds rather than being intimidated or threatened.

I was thrilled to find this blog, as I saw it as a place where I could express my opinions without incurring the wrath of pretentious Mormon zealots. Or, I could at least read the opinions of others and find comfort in the fact that I am not alone in my feminism. As I read the blog, however, I found it to be littered with blatantly liberal statements. Not that I'm against liberalism. I think one of the wonderful things about our country is that people are free to believe as they would. The thing is, I'm not liberal. Not really at all. I'm more liberal than my parents, but please, Charleton Heston is probably more liberal than my parents. I my heart, though, I'm conservative. I'm against abortion. I'm pretty much okay with guns, to an extent. I like George W. Bush, although I don't agree with all of his policies.

As I continued reading and continued to find blatant anti-Bush comments (such as "I’ve even considered taking down the US flag that hangs on the wall in my garage because I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about my beliefs . Just last week a neighbor complimented me on it and I had to suppress the urge to clarify that I was certainly not making any kinda pro-war pro-Bush conservative (shiver) kinda statement"), I felt more and more uncomfortable. Instead of finding a place where I could share my opinions on one topic, I felt that my opinions on other topics would be shunned.

This led me to an interesting question. Do I have to be liberal to be a feminist? Is there some strange dichotomy between feminism and convervatism? Are they mutually exclusive? I don't believe they are, and yet, I think the lovely women over at FMH may disagree.

Emptiness feels like a virus

I’m lying in bed, thinking, like I’ve done so many nights lately. I just watched a movie, and for some reason they always bring my emotions to the surface.

I’ve overcome so much this semester – just being able to say that shows how far I’ve come. I was drowning in that bottomless pit of hopelessness, and I managed to fight my way back. I say fight because that’s what it was every step of the way. I’m not saying I did it alone, I’ve been so blessed to have so much help to deal with my problems. When I was going through it, I felt like I was leaning on everyone, and floundering rather than fighting. But now I can see that what I did, what I have done before is a great achievement and something to be proud of. I’m still so surprised that I made it, that I really did overcome . . . still, things aren’t quite right.

Emotionally, I feel like myself again. The feelings of going crazy, of worthlessness, of general irrationality are gone. Yet, I find myself thinking, “How am I going to survive this?” Only now the “this” isn’t unbearable depression, it’s the overwhelming loneliness that I feel so often lately. I feel like there is part of me missing, so empty.

I’m a people person. I always have been. I love my family and friends with ferocity and loyalty that often surprises people, even myself occasionally. I don’t think I’m made to be alone. Throughout my childhood, I struggled with the juxtaposing ideas I was faced with. One came from my family, whom I adore and respect. It was the idea that we should be independent and happy without people. My mom always said, “It’s nice to have people around, but you shouldn’t need them.” I never quite understood this principle, because it so opposed my nature; the part of me saying, “That’s ridiculous, everyone needs people.”

In reality, it’s still something I contemplate occasionally, especially at times like this. I firmly believe that people need other people, and that we aren’t meant to be alone. We’re gregarious animals, such as is found so often in nature. Like sheep, cattle, horses, birds – we belong in flocks and herds. I guess the human version is family. Still, no matter how firmly I believe this, when my heart aches with loneliness, I can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign of weakness. If only I were stronger, would I be able to live my life independently, without so much pain?

I wonder, but only fleetingly. In my soul, I know that “it is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) I know there is no weakness in sharing life with other people. There is a country song by Garth Brooks called “Standing Inside the Fire.” It’s about the people who stand on the outskirts of the life, watching because they are afraid of risk. The second verse talks about those who battle the fire and walk the wire; those who are convinced that without risk, there is no purpose. One line says, “Life is not tried, it is only survived, if you’re standing outside the fire.” Being strong and independent enough to not need people may prevent pain, but it also prevents joy.

So I can’t help but wonder now, when will I find my help meet? Where is the one I’m meant to share my life with, and how long must I endure this loneliness? And most of all, how will I bear it? The emptiness seems to grow stronger each day, and sometimes I fear that it will encompass me, leaving only bitterness. I know who I am. I don’t need anyone to provide me with an identity. I need a partner, a friend, someone to laugh and cry and love with. How much longer must I endure?

A Change of Plan

Life doesn't always go according to plan. This is a tidbit of wisdom that I have gathered over the last few years. In fact, life rarely goes according to plan. I don't know why that is, I just know it's true. Sometimes the things that are most important to us are the things that we have the least control over
It can be anything; this change. Maybe you were convinced you would fall desperatly in love in college and life would be perfect. Instead, you have a degree, but have yet to find any men of consequence. Or maybe someone you loved and lost returned to your life years later. That's the thing - these changes in plan aren't always for the worst.
Plans aren't the only things that change. It has often been said that people can't change. Let me tell you a secret: that's not true. It's an excuse for all the people in the world who don't want to change. But people do change, and it can be a beautiful thing. A father who struggles to be supportive can become a tender and loving parent. I swear it can happen. I've seen it.
I know why we make plans. We are afraid of the unknown - the "what ifs" can drive a person mad. I don't know why life doesn't go according to those plans. But I do know that life has a way of workings itself out for the best. The key is to find joy in the unknown.

Knights and Damsels

In the days of fairies, socercy and the basic fight against good and evil, things were more simple. The damsel, hidden away in her tower, bound by magic and guarded by a dragon, would await the knight in shining armor that destiny required would rescue her. She whiled away her hours, doing whatever is it that damsels do, and dreamed of her rescuer, and her freedom. This is not to say that the damsel is helpless. The phrase is "damsel in distress," not "hopelessly helpless damsel." She probably fought tooth and nail against going up in that tower. There was probably some shin-kicking, sratching, and definitly some name-calling. The bad guy probably came out of that struggle with some battle wounds. But there are some things that a damsel, no matter how fierce, just can't stand against. Maybe he threatened the people she loved. Maybe he bribed her with chocolate and accesories. Whatever happened, the damsel ended up stuck in some stupid tower, awaiting rescue from a hero that would inevitably show up.
And rescue would come. It may have come in the form of a knight in shining armor who slew the dragon with one fierce blow and managed not to get a drop of blood on his armor; or a peasant who outwitted the dragon and fought his way, tooth and nail to get to the woman who needed him. Whomever the savior, he needed no encouragement to save the damsel. He thought not of the dangers, the risk of failure. He only needed to know that there was a damsel who needed him, and he knew that saving her would be worth the risk. And in the end, love conquored all.

Today, in the days of business deals, politics and trans-atlantic flights, things seem so different. There are no towers in which to hide away innocent maidens. There is no evil socerer who simply wants to deprive others from happiness. No spells are cast. Perhaps the lore of the damsel and her knight have been cast aside; but they have not been forgotten. The desire to be rescued and protected lies in every woman - the desire to rescue lies in every man. The setting has just changed.
There is no socerer to cast the damsel into her tower. She either builds it for herself, or life builds it for her. Fear of failure, broken hearts, female competition - it all builds around her, brick by brick. She's a competant woman, she can get a degree, have a career, make a five-year-plan, but she can't completely control the world around her; she can't control others. And so, unwittingly, she locks the deepest, most sincere parts of herself into a fortress, guarded not by a dragon but by cynism. And she waits. Day by day, she pushes aside the loneliness, goes about her life, and waits for her knight.
The difference between the knights of old and the men of today may seem simple. It seems that the knights were invincible. But just because you never hear the stories about when the dragon ripped the knight's entrails out, it doesn't mean that it never happened. In fact, the difference is simple. The knights were simply willing to take the risk.
Granted, the men of today fight a different battle. Knights fought dragons controlled by socercy; the modern man faces a fortress of the damsel's own design. She knows it's weaknesses, surely, but she will not reveal them until the knight has proven worthy. It's a fierce battle, one with many casualties. Understandably, the men of today question whether the risk of this quest is worth the reward. What if the damsel turns out to be a real shrew?
And so the damsel waits, fierce on the outside, but trapped on the inside. She waits for her knight in shining armor, her peasant boy, the one man who can break through her cynicism and unlock her prison. Take pity on the modern men of this world. For unlike the knights, there is no map to lead the way, no years of training. There is simply the hope that the reward is worth the risk; assurance that true love still conquors all.

Finding Peace

It's almost two in the morning. I can't sleep. I'm tired, but not sleepy. I think there is something wrong with my mind. I feel this panic, a need to get away, but where to go? I hope to find peace in my empty apartment, but it's not there. I hope for it alone in my car, enjoying the rythmn of driving, but it's not their either. I look for it in the outdoors, in fresh air and sunlight - I've always found it there before. But this time, it's not there. I know in the logical side of my mind that I can get through this, that it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. But in my heart, I feel like it's different. Where all my illogical feelings are built up, I feel like this is the time I won't be able to handle it, that this is the time I really will go crazy. I think of all the place were I could feel safe, and it's always with the peope I love. Anywhere would be safe if I was snuggling with my mom. If anyone can save me from insanity, it's her. She has before. She saved my life. And now she's so far away. If I was with Best Friend, staying up too late and sleeping in all day, things would be right again. Therein, I believe, lies the key; the reason that this time is different. The sun came out, and the gloom dissapaited. But when I stop working, going to class, pretending like everything is okay, the lonliness descends like a cloud. The worst part about this time is that it IS real. There is a reason for the ache deep inside that it feels as if my soul is weeping and my heart is ripping open. Heartache. They should tell you that it's not just a metaphor. It really aches. The worst part? Not that it's real, but that there is nothing I can do to change it. I can't bring my family closer. I can't go see a movie with my best friend. I can't develop a trusting, tell-each-other-anything-unconditional-support-and-love in the next week. Or in the next month, for that matter. Worse, the one person I thought I could depend on, I can't. I don't know what happened, I don't know if it was somehow my fault. I just know it's not there anymore. It vanished so quickly - maybe I've been fooling myself all along. There was a reason I didn't want to call him by his full name. It's Frasier all over again.

I'm moving in six months. Six months - not long enough to establish a real relationship, and then I leave to a place where I know no one. How long is this desolate loneliness meant to last? These times, they challege my deepest and most powerful beliefs. "Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace? Where, in my need to know; where can I run? He answers privately, reaches my reaching. Who, who can understand? He, only One." Yet, in my darkest hours, when I most yearn for peace, when my reaching is greatest, I don't feel Him reaching back. I can recite the right answers, I can listen to pithy comments on faith from others, but the fact remains - I "know" the answers, but I'm not sure I believe them. "Faith precedes the miracle." What if my faith isn't sufficient. And that, that is my greatest fear. That in my anguish, the faith that I have based my life on will prove false. Perhaps peace can only be found within ourselves. Perhaps peace comes from having faith. And yet, no matter how I yearn for it, peace exceeds my grasp, and the ache remains.

My mom thinks this whole blog thing is ridiculous. She says it's like having a diary that the whole world can read. I tried to explain to her that you didn't write personal stuff in it, but she doesn't get it. I guess I don't really get it either. Good thing nobody reads my blog, because this might be one depressing entry. I think the thing that I like about blogging is that it is kind of like writing in a diary that anyone can read. The typing is calming, and I like the idea of sending my thoughts out into the universe, hoping that there might be answers somewhere.

Today was a sad day. I don't know why. I went the the Sundance Film Festival in Park City last night and had a ball. I went with The Writer and her two friends. It was fun, and I had a great time. But then I woke up this morning, and I didn't want to get out of bed. When I did get out of bed, I didn't want to shower, then I didn't want to do homework, and eventually I went back to bed for a couple hours (actually, that was an accident, I attempted to read a textbook). It's so strange - not a depressed feeling, like I'll never be happy again, it's just more of a not happy feeling. Like something is missing in my life. Maybe something is.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm lonely, although sometimes I'm not sure for what. Sure, it's not like I have a possy, but I've got a lot of friends, and a lot of people who love me. I have The Writer, The Best Friend, The VT, The Alaskan, The American One. Not to mention my Family, Mom, Dad, The Sisters and Brothers. I'm not even unhappy with the state of my life. I just feel like something's missing. Maybe it's because things haven't been so great between me and The American One lately. I think he's been avoiding me, and that hurts, even though I've decided I don't want to date him. We had a little tiff last week because I stated disappointment with The Old Friends, who are still his friends. It's part of why I've decided that I don't really want to be with him. It's not that he doesn't think the way I do about The Old Friends, it's that when I said how I feel, he talked to me like I was an uber-sensitive, irrational female, and it pissed me off. I think the worst part though, is that I think that's really how he feels about me. I can't be with someone who sees me like that. Partly the whole avoidance thing hurts because I told him not to do this, I told him that if there was something wrong to just come talk to me. I guess it's not meant to be though. The American One, is a guy, after all.

Sometime I'll tell the story about the people in my life, The Current Friends, and The Old Friends. It's an interesting story.

Some things are everpresent

I've been noticing increasingly lately that life never seems to hold still. There are those few glorious moments that you want to hold onto forever, to live the rest of your days in. But it never quite works like that, does it? Too soon those moments pass, and we're thrust into the moments that we must endure to get to the treasured ones.

Was it FDR that said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself"? It makes me wonder if he was ever afraid of anything. Lately it seems that I'm afraid of everything. I hate the near overwhelming fear - it makes me feel weak. Those who love me tell me I'm brave and strong, but it's hard to believe at times like this. I hate not knowing where my life is headed.

On to more interesting topics. Am I the only one who's love life seems to be a constant display of irony? For a while, I enjoyed a lack of love life, which really just translates to a lack of interest. Now it seems that I'm bombarded with unwanted events. In order to really explain, I guess I'll have to introduce you to the two of them: The American One, who I want so much it confuses me, but who shows annoyingly little interest in wanting me back; and The German One, who started out as a pen pal and now has evolved into more of a . . . situation.

The German One and I "met" through a mutal friend who spent some time in Germany. When The German One wanted to email me, I thought, "What the heck? He's in Germany." Oh, how little I knew. He's still in Germany, but is now convinced that I'm the greatest girl in the world. He's such a nice guy, I hate to tell him otherwise. He sent me a Christmas package. Strategically placed on top was a red plush heart with "I love you" written on it. And he doesn't even know me!

On the other hand, The American One knows me better than most and still shows no interest. I try not to take it personally, but I'll admit it's frustrating. The German One hasn't even met me and realizes how amazing I am. The American One has me right in front of him and fails to see me. Oh, the ironies of love!

Stupid People Who Think They Are Smart.

I heard a great thing on Fox News this morning. Yes, I know it's a Saturday morning and there is nothing more dorky than watching Fox News on a Saturday morning. In my defense, conservative talk and television shows, including but not limited to Rush Limbaugh and The O'Reilly Factor, seems to be omnipresent in my parent's house. But I digress.

Back to what I heard this morning. I was making waffles and listening to the news with one ear, because I find it somewhat interesting. They were debating the placement of Sam Alito as a supreme court justice. Actually, the topic was, "How will Sam Alito effect the stock market?" This seemed a little ridiculous in and of itself, but then one of the guests said something that blew my mind.

"Anyone who is so pro-life clearly has no respect for basic property rights."

My response to that? WHAT THE HELL?!?!? You've got to be kidding me. Now, I'm generally a pretty tolerant person. I strongly believe that all people have the right to believe how they choose and have their own opinion. But this is crossing the line. Where does this guy get off correlating being anti-abortion to having no respect for property rights?

I understand how he could make such a statement sound logical. Theoretically, a woman's body is her property, and she should have the right to do what she wishes with it. This is simply a case of how something that is completely wrong can be twisted to sound okay. Okay, maybe a woman's body is her property. So let her get tattoos and piercings and sexually transmitted diseases. I don't care. But when it comes to another human life, I DO care. You wouldn't hear this sort of argument to support drunk driving. I mean, hey, the drunk person's body is his or her property, as is they vehicle. Why shouldn't they drive? Maybe being firmly against drunk driving makes me loose all respect for property rights.

Of course this position is ridiculous, and the shmuck who was on Money Matters on Fox News this morning would be sure to agree. "It's different," he would say. "Drunk driving is illegal because it protects other people; the people on the road who can't protect themselves." And I would say, "Aha! That is exactly my point." One of the first political ideals that I was ever taught in school was that sometimes we have to give up some of our rights in order to protect ourselves and others.

Being pro-life isn't about refusing to recognize a woman's "basic property rights," just like banning drunk driving isn't. It's about protecting people who can't protect themselves. In the case of drunk driving, it's protecting the mother who is running the pharmacy for more cough syrup and doesn't know a drunk driver is speeding her way. In the case of abortion, it's about protecting the life of a child who deserves the chance to live, regardless of the mistakes of it's parents. It's not about basic property rights, it's about life.

If you want to talk about respect for basic property rights, Mr. Money Matters Man, let's talk about imminent domain and see how you feel about that. But that's a different topic.