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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 3, 2005
/ 29 Elul, 5765
Sometimes it is black and white
By
Kathryn Lopez
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
When recently asked about his state's parental-notification ballot
initiative that would prohibit minor-age girls from getting
abortions without a parent's knowledge, California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger replied: "I have a daughter. I wouldn't want to have
someone take my daughter to a hospital for an abortion or something
and not tell me. I would kill him if they do that."
Now that's refreshing!
Hold on, hold on. Before you run off, I'm not slamming "choicers"
this week, and I'm not lauding "lifers." This isn't the debate about
whether you or I began at Day 1 or at 24 weeks. And, mind you, I'm
not endorsing murder here -- and the governor later clarified he
wouldn't actually kill the hypothetical person. But that was a
totally normal Dad reaction he had (a fact that, as a good
politician, was surely not lost on Schwarzenegger). You can be on
any side of the abortion debate (the Terminator wants it legal) and
have that healthy gut instinct.
The Schwarzenegger reaction came in somewhat stark contrast to some
other recent parenting news. September was a bad month for
motherhood, at least on the news wires.
A New York mother decided it was time for her 13-year-old daughter,
and her 14-year-old female friend, to each "have sex and get it over
with."
Mom got a hotel room, hit the mall with the kids, and found an 18-
and 19-year-old who'd do the dirty deed with the girls. Mom was in
the hotel room with them during the loss of innocence (though it's a
safe bet this woman's daughter lost that long ago).
In Colorado, wanting to be a "cool mom" of a teen boy (making up,
she told police, for her own outsider days in high school)
41-year-old Silvia Johnson is accused of boozing and drugging it up
at parties at her house with teenagers -- and having sex with some
of the boys in attendance at these regular bashes.
On the West Coast, there's the tragic case of young Eliza Jane. Her
mother, Christine Maggiore, is HIV positive and insists that the
virus doesn't cause AIDS. So she has taken no medication, has had
children, breastfed, and kept the kids away from reputable doctors.
And now 3-year-old Eliza Jane is dead. Though this Mother of the
Year is disputing it, the coroner's report says the toddler died of
AIDS-related pneumonia.
I bet Arnold Schwarzenegger would have some healthy thoughts on that
California mother.
These Motherhood Hall of Shame stories are obviously not the norm.
We know that because they still make headlines. And for that, at
least, we can be grateful -- though it doesn't help Eliza Jane or
the most likely messed-up kids of their sexed-up mamas. It's the day
we stop finding these stories extraordinary or are not outraged when
we'll be diagnosed with a fatal cultural malady.
When you put these recent cases beside some other
against-all-that-is-good-and-right-and-natural stories like the case
of Andrea Yates, who infamously drowned her five children in a
bathtub, and New Jersey teens Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson who
almost 10 years ago tossed their apparently beaten-to-death newborn
(he had suffered multiple skull fractures) in the dumpster, you get
the feeling that we do have something to worry about -- beyond
individual cases.
The dumpster story has repeated itself enough that there are now
drop-off slots at hospitals and other locations for mothers to
abandon their living babies. I'm all for doing whatever it takes to
give a kid a chance at life, but it's a disturbing perceived
necessity.
It's disturbing to realize that the instinct for some supposedly
thoughtful, sophisticated types is often to defend and accommodate
bad behavior. There are mental-health issues in a lot of these
cases, obviously, but regardless, a society can and must say loud
and clear: "That's wrong. That's evil. That can never happen again."
Instead, when Yates murdered her children, folks at the National
Organization for Women and others rushed to her defense.
Instead of making excuses and defending crimes, we should make sure
we all have our heads on straight about the preciousness of human
life. Because there is no greater gift.
Again: Obviously, in all these shameful, criminal stories, there is
a necessary discussion to be had about prevention. In most, if not
all of these cases, there were sick people involved who clearly
needed some kind of help. But when a terrible deed has been done,
they also need punishment. And despite the virtues of forgiveness,
there is a place for unwavering societal condemnation. You can still
love the sinner and condemn the sin. But we've got to do the latter
in each and every one of these despicable cases. It will say
something shameful about us the day we don't see that -- the day
your instinct isn't to have an "Arhnuld-like" Dad kind of reaction.
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