Babies and Bucks: Perspectives from a Libertarian Mother

Raising Boys in a Time of War

2008-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a military family, so I feel a great deal of loyalty to the military and I don't often comment on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The military men and women I have known are among some of the highest caliber people you will ever meet in your life. Chief among them is my father, who is a retired Air Force officer. He is a loyal, smart, and dedicated man. I was so proud of him at his retirement ceremony when I heard of his achievements and the admiration his colleagues and superiors had for him. It is from this place that my loyalty springs.

When we first went in to Iraq, I did think the goal of installing a democracy was honorable, but misguided. Very simply, being somewhat familiar with the tumultuous history of Iraq and the fact that Great Britain had failed to install a democracy in Iraq, I wondered why we thought we would succeed. But this post isn't really about our war efforts. It is about being a mother of four boys in a time of war. My oldest is only 10, but at the present time I am not confident that we will see peace in the near future.

My trepidation and fear grows as the war comes closer to home for me. A few years ago, a friend's husband died in Iraq. He left behind a two year old daughter. Just a couple of weeks ago, my brother found out that a childhood friend of his had died in Iraq. He was only 31 and left behind five children. He was the oldest of 12 children and seeing a picture of his mother being handed her oldest son's flag was devastating. Then I think back through history to all of the mothers who have lost boys (and in more recent history girls) to the cruelty of war. My great grandmother lost her youngest son, "Dicky" in the Korean War. She gave permission for him to enter the war at only 17 because she knew he would find a way to go no matter what. It is said that the entire "French Island" where they lived heard her scream when she received the news of her son's death. It is with reverence that I recall these sacrifices, but I gently and humbly ask that all of us think more critically and demand more accountability from our politicians in this dangerous and uncertain time.

I found the following passage in an article at Lew Rockwell attributed to Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, a highly decorated and controversial General who died right before the U.S. got into World War II:

"Now – you mothers, particularly. The only way you can resist all this war hysteria and beating tomtoms is by hanging onto the love you bear your boys. When you listen to some well-worded, well-delivered speech, just remember that it's nothing but sound. It's your boy that matters. And no amount of sound can make up to you for the loss of your boy. After you've heard one of those speeches and your blood's all hot and you want to bite somebody like Hitler – go upstairs to where your boy's asleep. . . . Look at him. Put your hand on that spot on the back of his neck. The place you used to love to kiss when he was a baby. Just rub it a little. You won't wake him up, he knows it's just you. Just look at his strong, fine young body because only the best boys are chosen for war. Look at this splendid young creature who's part of yourself, then close your eyes for a moment and I'll tell you what can happen . . .

Somewhere – five thousand miles from home. Night. Darkness. Cold. A drizzling rain. The noise is terrific. All Hell has broken loose. A star shell burst in the air. Its unearthly flare lights up the muddy field. There's a lot of tangled rusty barbed wires out there and a boy hanging over them – his stomach ripped out, and he's feebly calling for help and water. His lips are white and drawn. He's in agony.

There's your boy. The same boy who's lying in bed tonight. The same boy who trusts you. . . . Are you going to run out on him? Are you going to let someone beat a drum or blow a bugle and make him chase after it? Thank God, this is a democracy and by your voice and your vote you can save your boy. (from a 1939 broadcast) "

That Explains Things

2008-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

"...look, I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

-Barack Obama

Boy, that sure explains why I've got all these kids. Just a couple of days ago when statements like "I don't want you putting ham on your brother's head" and "no, you may not ride the dog" were coming out of my mouth, I figured raising my children must be some sort of cosmic punishment.

Tipping Point

2008-03-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am truly worried about the economy. I hope I'm wrong, but I think things are about to get very, very bad. The thing that scares me even more than a depression is how most people will react to one. A bad economy is just as certain as war is in expanding the size and scope of government.

What kind of intervention will people demand? What will pandering, vote buying politicians promise to obtain power and to stay in power? We've already gotten a taste of things to come... "free money" stimulus checks from the government, bailouts for homeowners who got in over their heads with too much McMansion, and corporate welfare for Bear Stearns. The concept of moral hazard has been tossed out the ARM mortgaged window.

Perhaps not now or even in the near future, but one day a sizeable minority of people are going to say enough is enough. The nanny state reigns supreme and most people like it that way. But there are people who love freedom. There are people who believe the federal government is too powerful and out of control. There are people who have read the Constitution and the radical writings of the founding fathers and other liberal thinkers. When are people going to demand their freedom back? What will be the tipping point?

Women Need Not Apply

2008-02-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

I do so enjoy the intelligent comments from people interviewed for the local news. This evening an enthusiastic Democratic voter exclaimed that we have never had a woman run for President in the U.S. before. I guess Elizabeth Dole didn't get the memo. It was interesting that the reporter didn't correct the statement.

Actually there have been many women who have run for both President and Vice-President for minor parties throughout our history. Guide2WomenLeaders.com is an informative website that lists female candidates and leaders from throughout the world going as far back as B.C. 3000.

That Ron Paul, Such a Jokester!

2008-01-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

While taking a brief moment during the Republican debate last night to actually talk about something substantive, the Fed and the money supply, the so-called top tier candidates did something really disturbing... they laughed. They laughed at Ron Paul when he talked about the Fed printing money. Why did they laugh? Was it because they don't know that the Fed prints money or because they know the general public doesn't know that the Fed prints money? Either answer is disturbing. Hey guys, could we please have a more in depth discussion about the Fed and our currency? Is it beyond you or is it too inconvenient?

Tea Party

2007-11-11T09:22:00.001-08:00

I do so love a tea party! Care to join me?

An Act of Aggression

2007-11-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

OK, this is a new one. I happened upon a UK libertarian blog site wherein a comment was made that giving birth outside of a hospital is an "act of aggression" against a baby. I don't see how a "libertarian" can make the case for a bodily function being an "act of aggression". Maybe libertarianism is different across the pond. If one believes that giving birth to a baby can be an act of aggression, then one also believes that the government has the right to force a woman to go to a hospital. Then if the hospital personnel believe the baby would have better odds of survival with a cesarean, a forced cesarean is then justified. Very libertarian, indeed. Of course we all know that impersonal doctors and government bureaucrats can make the best decisions for families. Who do parents think they are?

Trumpet of the Swan

2006-09-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am reading a most enjoyable book to my son right now, The Trumpet of the Swan. It was a book my mother read to me when I was a little girl. And it was read to my mother when she was a little girl. It is such a good piece of children's literature... well written, wholesome material, substantive and even humorous. Reading the book, a child will be exposed to an engaging and heart warming story about a quirky, less than perfect swan, but that child will be exposed to far more without even knowing it. Who knew a quaint old children's book would include everything from North American geography to the migratory pattern of birds to proper trumpet playing technique?

Which reminds me... I told you that I would chat about some of the bumper stickers I see around here. Let's start with this one seen on a car pulling out of one of this area's many million dollar neighborhoods:

"Why do we always have enough money for war and not enough for education?"

OK. I'm gonna have fun with this one. My first answer for Mrs. Limousine Liberal is this: If you're so concerned, why don't you donate some money instead of putting a two dollar sticker on the back of your car? I know, that was a question, not an answer. Still, I'm sure with what she paid for her second home she could pay two teachers salaries for ten years. And yes, I know, perhaps she has donated some money. But clearly she still has some to spare.

I'm not sure who she's targeting with that sticker, either. Her liberal friends who applaud her message as she drives by have already done their duty. They voted for the candidate who pledged to spend the most of other peoples money. They've attended as many of those tiresome charity wine dinners and art auctions as they can drag themselves to. The families around here who are the ones with the school-aged children floundering in the really poor public schools generally don't have much money to spare. In fact, they are probably lucky to have a roof over their heads. Land is scarce and wealthy people looking to live somewhere chic are buying everything up and driving the housing prices to astronomical levels. Families lack affordable housing while the wealthy, childless liberals are joy riding around town sporting bumper stickers that broadcast how enlightened they are.

I don't have anything against wealthy people. Wealthy people spend money and that is generally good for the economy. I just hate it when people who think they are really smart drive around with stupid bumper stickers. Here is an idea for a smart bumper sticker:

"Improve education. Good books, not more money." Truly.

My grandpa dropped out of high school in tenth grade. It is not something he was proud of and not something he liked to broadcast, for he valued education. But he was an educated man. He supported his family during the depression, served bravely in World War II and then went on to become a distinguished cartoonist. He educated himself in the real world and he educated himself using a novel approach called reading. He told me when I was a little girl that all of the great writers were great readers. He was well read, successful and you never would have guessed that he was only formally educated through the tenth grade.

I'm not advocating for increasing the number of high school dropouts. After all, we all know that in order to get a good job in this day and age, you need that little piece of paper that verifies your educashun (never mind whether or not you actually know anything.) The more papers, the better. What I am advocating for is common sense. Want to improve education in this country? It's not hard and it costs a fraction of the amount of money it takes to wage a war. My answer is this: read. Give a kid a real book, not another dollar to the school administrator.

Land of the Free (Or Born Free At Least)

2006-09-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, back to my blog after about five months. It seems that old habits die hard. I used to start diaries when I was a little girl and swear I would write in them every day. I would usually write about ten entries and then quit. Actually, I haven't been gone from the blogosphere. Instead of devoting effort to my own blog, I've been spending my time and wasting my breath at the Homebirth Debate blog. At first it was interesting and then it was maddening. The blog is run by a retired OB who is rabidly anti-homebirth, anti-midwife, and anti-natural-childbirth. Which would be fine, except for the fact that she represents a point of view that is codified into the laws and policies of most states. It continually amazes me that we can legally kill babies in the womb, even babies who have been partially born, yet the same people who would defend that right try to put a guilt trip on women who birth at home for not caring about the safety of their babies. Whatever.

"Dr. Amy's" latest rant is about how homebirth is a gamble. She continually beats the dead baby drum. Well, our family has just moved to Taos, New Mexico, where you will find the highest rate of out-of-hospital births in the nation (about 30%). Amazingly enough, the magnificent landscape is not littered with dead babies, as Dr. Amy would have you believe would happen if you improved access to homebirth and homebirth midwives.

Yes, you heard me correctly. We just moved to New Mexico. Despite my platitudes about finding hidden beauty in the prairies and cornfields of Nebraska, I finally convinced my husband that we had to get the hell out of there. Just kidding. Actually, I had made my peace with the state, but then my husband found an awesome job out here.

So, now I'm in the land of midwives and liberals. My lifestyle fits the state, but my politics sure don't. I guess I'll have plenty of fodder for this blog! I think the first issue I'll have to address is what you find on bumper stickers around here...

Woolly Mammoths: Libertarian Poster Boys

2006-03-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about science and public funding more, lately, thanks to an excellent article I stumbled on through a Catholic midwife's blog. The article, The unholy lust of scientists, chronicles the problems inherent with the public funding of science. It was a refreshing change from the constant calls for robbing tax payers in the name of science and progress. The truth was a breath of fresh air. Speaking of disturbing science, the NIH dudes are going to get together to scientifically justify rising cesarean rates and maternal cesarean on demand. Trust me, I'll have more to say on this in the near future.

But I digress. I really wanted to chat about woolly mammoths. As I have previously alluded to, the Nebraska winters make me a bit loony. During a particularly loony moment, I decided to pack up my three kids, including a baby and a toddler, and take an eight hour road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota while my husband was away on business. Surprisingly, South Dakota is not thought of as a desirable winter destination , so most of the tourist attractions were closed. We did get to see Mount Rushmore and the world's largest mammoth research facility. Ah, finally the transition to the libertarian poster boys.

It seems that in 1974 an evil capitalist land developer was going forward with his nefarious plan to build houses for people and he stumbled upon some bones. After discovering that he was sitting on a paleontological treasure, shockingly, without any government coercion whatsoever, he turned around and sold the land, at cost, to a non-profit group who would go on to excavate and preserve the site. 26,000 years ago, a bunch of male Columbian and Woolly Mammoths fell into a sink hole and died. Being a maternalistic society, the mammoths didn't let their young females wander off and do stupid things, so apparently it was only the males who made the ultimate sacrifice for science. Hence, I can christen these mammoths as the Libertarian Poster Boys. The Mammoth Site is "the world's largest Columbian mammoth exhibit and research center for Pleistocene studies" and it is privately funded. It was really a phenomenally interesting place and the boys enjoyed themselves. My three year old most enjoyed seeing the size of the "mammoth poo" in relation to other animal dung. My oldest son, my budding scientist, has asked to go back in June for his birthday and participate in the "junior paleo dig".

One can value things such as scientific discovery, environmentalism, and helping the poor without wanting the government to do it. And these things can be done without the government. Yes, some free people will be greedy bastards, but most of us will go on to accomplish things, both great and small, for the betterment of our families and society. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, who sits atop Mount Rushmore, "Liberty... is the great parent of science and virtue; and... a nation will be great in both always in proportion as it is free."

Liberty and Midwifery

2006-03-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

This entry will be short and sweet! Nebraska Friends of Midwives has just launched a new website. This was yet another project I drafted my talented husband for. Thank you honey!

While we're on the subject of midwifery, it is interesting to note that the Libertarian Party is the only major party to take a stand on home birth in their official party platform:

"We hold that individual rights should not be denied or abridged on the basis of sex. It is the right and obligation of the pregnant woman, not the state, to decide the desirability or appropriateness of prenatal testing, Caesarean births, fetal surgery, voluntary surrogacy arrangements and/or home births. "

(Section I, #20 of the National Platform of the Libertarian Party)

Ethanol Blows

2006-03-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

When I get really frustrated with what I see going on around me I start thinking about running for office. Nah. It's not happening anytime in the near future. Not with three kids, a home and attempting to write something worth publishing. For sure I'll never be able to run for office after I write this blog entry. I live in Nebraska. For those of you not in Nebraska, do you know what we call ourselves? Cornhuskers.

When I say corn, what comes to mind? Summer time? Barbecues? Picnics? Well, lately in our fine state as well as in other midwestern states, if you say corn, ethanol is immediately what comes to mind. I never thought I would be interested in agricultural economics. But here I am, interested in it and attempting to write something about it. If your eyes just glazed over after I told you that this entry is going to be about agricultural economics, please just stick with me a few minutes longer. Especially you moms. We are suckers for preserving the earth for future generations and if you've seen any of the ethanol commercials appealing to our greener natures, you might be ready to buy into the ethanol myth. The only thing that ethanol is going to make greener is the wallets of corn farmers. Which is why, living in a state where corn is our biggest crop, I really outta keep my mouth shut. I sure hope there isn't a corn mafia.

I guess this is where I should admit that the title of my entry, "Ethanol Blows", isn't original. I thought it was when I was kicking this topic around in my mind, but then when I googled the phrase, I found an entry with the same title on another blog. (They say nobody has an original thought.) It was a short and sweet entry (unlike those of yours truly) letting us know that the jury is out on ethanol. You can find evidence that the net "energy balance" of ethanol is negative and you can find evidence that disputes that. I personally think the markets can work that question out. But the pandering politicians aren't going to let that happen. They have figured out that they can make big corporate donors happy AND some of the Earth Day crowd happy by subsidizing ethanol production. Subsidies have a tendency to change the supply and demand equation. Some people think that's a good thing, but most economists (other than the academic elitists) will tell you that free markets work out the best solution and will self correct without government meddling.

Last summer I thought it would be a fun and spontaneous adventure to take the boys and accompany my husband on a business trip to neighboring Iowa. I thought there might be some quirky, interesting little sights to see in rural Iowa. We didn't make hotel reservations because I couldn't fathom that the lodging would be full in a hole in the wall Iowa town. (I can say that because I'll never run for office in Iowa.) Well, sitting in a hotel lobby one night in the middle of the summer and receiving the news from my husband that the only room left in town was one with a broken air conditioner in a nasty old motel, was the moment in time I decided that spontaneity was over-rated. There was an ethanol convention in town and the rooms had been booked up for months. Who'd have thunk? That's when I became curious enough about ethanol to do a little research. I had driven five hours through nothing but cornfields only to arrive at a destination overrun by corn minions. This wasn't what I had in mind when I was thinking about quirky, interesting little sights. I was thinking more along the lines of seeing the largest tractor museum in the country or a covered bridge where Clint Eastwood kissed Meryl Streep in the Bridges of Madison County.

Another one of my interests that has led me to consider the impact of ethanol subsidies is sustainable agriculture. My family's eating habits have changed in the last year to emphasize fresh, locally grown produce, dairy products and meats. I like to buy as much of my food directly from farmers as possible. If I could get my butt in gear and plan properly I could probably bypass grocery stores all together. I have a network of farmers and a food co-op from whom I could conceivably buy everything we need. My husband calls them "my people". I have learned that growing the same crop year after year on the same land eventually depletes the land of the very elements that made the land so fertile in the first place. Massive fields of homogeneous crops require huge amounts of fertilizers and pesticides that run off into the streams and rivers and perhaps into neighboring farms that may be seeking to naturally or organically farm. One farmer I purchase milk from was telling me how hard it can be to get organic certification because of the impact of these neighboring farms. I think more people would like to buy fresh, local food. Unfortunately, there are politically introduced forces working against the natural market mechanisms that could make that possible for more people. Ethanol is a perfect example.

Another irony of the ethanol subsidies is that they are encouraging a practice that another government entity is paying people NOT to do. Our farming practices in Nebraska have destroyed animal habitats and native grasslands. So, the government has a program that is paying farmers to stop farming and to return the land to its native state through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. So, to summarize, in Nebraska and other agricultural states, farmers are being paid to both farm and not farm. Does that make sense to you?

I must admit that I rather enjoy the government wildlife refuges that I have found in Nebraska and Iowa. My oldest son is our little scientist and would like to become a marine biologist one day. (I haven't told him that the prospects in the field of marine biology are not very good in land locked Nebraska.) But I love sharing the wonder of nature with him. Many of these government protected and funded lands have provided educational and enjoyable afternoons for our family. I do have a heart for conservation and a love of natural beauty. As much as we have enjoyed our nature excursions, I still believe that if government would get out of the way, private markets would do a better job of conservation. The knee jerk reaction of most environmentalists is that if the government didn't step in, big business would destroy the planet. The fact that governments have historically been the biggest polluters is an entire subject for another blog entry.

If you continue reading my blog for long enough, you'll get a good sense of my love hate relationship with the Midwest. Either that or a sense of my manic depressive tendencies. There are some days when I think that if I have to look at another corn field I will truly go off the deep end. But it is that desperation that has caused me to look a little harder for the hidden beauty. Part of that hidden beauty can be found in the interesting history of this fertile land. Learning about cultures of native tribes from the past, seeing pictures of how this land must have once looked, and knowing that the pioneers from days gone by had the same longing for freedom that stirs in my heart (ratcheting up the melodrama now), makes me want to stick around here just a little bit longer.

Check Your Sources

2006-02-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Local news has the ability to tie my stomach up into knots. I know, I shouldn't watch if it bothers me that much, but I can't help myself! Last week, one of Omaha's favorite news anchors, Julie Cornell, did a shticky piece on an "e-myth" that microwaving plastics causes cancer. I'll just cut to the chase. I agree with Julie that there is no real proof for that specific claim at this point. However, she missed a few things along the way and while she was busy proving her point, she proved a couple of mine.

In order to check the truthfulness of the plastics rumor, she checked "reputable" websites: two government websites, the FDA and the USDA, and an industry website for the plastics industry. Well, there you have it! If the government says it's not true and the industry says it's not true, then you better not worry your pretty little head about those silly rumors!

Now, lets go off on my tangent. She also checked out a website that tracks internet rumors. I did the same thing and was led to a refutation of this plastics rumor by the American Council on Science and Health. Ms. Cornell was too busy wrapping up her story in a neat little package to pick up on a point that is true and is readily admitted by even "reputable" sources, which is that plastics do leach into food when microwaved. The point of contention is whether or not this leaching is a health hazard.

If you do a little more research, you'll find that you don't know what else might be leaching into your food along with the plastic. One study looked at the possiblity of lead leaching from some plastic ware made in Thailand. If you do a little more research, you might stumble into a story about MTBE and benzene leaching into drinking water from plastic water pipes. Julie is right. There is no proof that microwaving plastic causes cancer. But I'd say that plastic is a bit suspect in some cases.

The media treats many complicated health matters in a shallow manner and I'd say that relying on the final word of the media is about as silly as relying on one or two internet rumors for your information. Media health reporting routinely turns to a governmental bodies as their reliable authority. I had the opportunity to chat with another local news anchor about the way another (unrelated) subject had been reported, and though she agreed that the subject was more complex, she told me that they report what the governmental health agencies advise.

Do I really need to devote an entire paragraph to using an industry website as a reliable source on a controversial health issue? I'm not going to demonize big business. I love (pure) free market economics. (Follow some of my libertarian links.) But c'mon. You've got the government, a giant industry, and big media in a cozy relationship. Are you really going to get the whole truth?

I would have drawn some different conclusions had I done the piece. I would have confirmend that there is no proof that microwaving plastic causes cancer. But, I would have shared the fact that plastic does indeed leach into food; some plastics are worse than others. If you don't have a problem with eating plastic, then keep doing what you're doing. Otherwise, it's perfectly easy to use glass instead of plastic in the microwave.

Wanderlust

2006-01-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I swear I must have been a gypsy in a previous life. My mom refers to it as a bad case of "ants in the pants". Apparently it is genetic because my dad has it too. The long, boring Nebraska winters are particularly hard for me. I thought I was going to go crazy yesterday. First I spent an hour searching the classifieds for my husband trying to find a job for him in another state, or better yet, in a Mexican resort town. I didn't have any luck with that so I decided to pack my three kids up and pile them into the van for one of my searches for adventure within a two hour radius of Omaha.

I have been searching for five years now and as of yesterday, everything within a two hour radius pretty much looks the same. I used to live in New Jersey and the variety of the northeast was the perfect prescription for my ants. Within 45 minutes to two hours I could be hiking in a forest, swimming at the beach, skiing in the mountains or shopping in the Big Apple. Another area I have recently become enchanted with is the mountains of northern New Mexico. My parents just built a cabin there and we spent a fabulous Christmas visiting my parents in their new digs. The culture of New Mexico is a fascinating blend of Native American, Mexican and Anglo Saxon. The landscape is unbelievable, most deserving of the state's slogan "The Land of Enchantment". The other draw of New Mexico for me is their acceptance of alternative medicine and midwifery. You can open the yellow pages and find an ad for a naturopathic physician or a lay midwife. Over a fourth of all births in Taos County take place in a birth center or a home, an enviable statistic in my mind!

This morning, however, I was reminded of some of the things I do love about Nebraska. Every other Saturday is my "day off". My husband takes care of the kids and I can go wander around town. This morning I sat and had a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop, Caffeine Dreams, and then took in a breath taking exhibit at our first class art museum. I really do enjoy the city of Omaha. I find Omaha to be a culturally enlightened city with great music, great artists, interesting museums and tasty restaurants. I dream of moving to New Mexico, but after an enjoyable day in our city and after thinking about the truly amazing things that have happened to me here I wonder if when moving becomes a viable financial option for us, will I really want to leave?

My two youngest babies were born here. My youngest baby was born in the big, comfy king sized bed that feels so good to crash in at the end of a long day. This house is truly filled with memories. We live in an old house, which when I think of all the repairs that need to be done, I want to sell and be done with. But then when I think of the fun projects we have planned for our huge, tree filled yard, like planting an herb garden or a strawberry patch, I am sure that I never want to leave.

I don't know if we will ever leave. My husband has asked me if I will really want to stay put in a new place if we leave here. Maybe not. Maybe I just need to learn about contentment and remind myself that the grass is not always greener on the other side (the New Mexican desert is definitely not greener!). Maybe I just need to learn to be thankful for the blessings I have. Because I most certainly am blessed. Its just that I, like most people, can forget about those everyday blessings that are most certainly there, but just take a conscious decision to focus upon.

I think the only thing that will chase me out of Nebraska is becoming pregnant again and not being able to find a midwife to attend my homebirth. I know that may sound trivial to many people, but my homebirth was one of my most life changing experiences. I am thoroughly convinced of the fact that home is the ideal setting to bring a new life into this world, ideal for the baby, ideal for the mother, and ideal for the family. The state I live in is enlightened in many ways but the political and economic grip that the allopathic medical community has in our state is at best unfortunate and unproductive and at worst harmful to the health of families. A look around the world and around the country at birth practices, studies of homebirth and midwifery, infant mortality and morbidity statistics, and maternal mortality and morbidity statistics will show any open minded and thinking individual that midwifery care in a setting of the mother's choosing is most certainly a rational option that should be open to the citizens of our state.

One City, One School, One World?

2006-01-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

I was just reading "Saint Anothony and the Chicken Poop", a great essay about the lost art of storytelling in the sciences. I came across this essay while tripping through the internet, researching some questions I have about the Charlotte Mason Method of education, which I use in homeschooling my children. Finding the essay was a pleasant surprise because, though the author probably doesn't know the obscure 19th century English educator, his beliefs about using storytelling in the sciences fits in perfectly with Miss Mason's beliefs and underscored for me the importance of what I am doing. It is a shame that I had to refer to Miss Mason as an "obscure" educator, because really she shouldn't be. Her methods are experiencing a renaissance in the homeschool community, but I think if you mentioned her name to your average public school teacher, you would be met with a blank stare.

OK, public school. And now here is what I really want to talk about, Omaha's "One City One School" fight. My take on it is this: we have a large, mediocre school district that wants to take over a smaller, better school district in the name of social equity (and a higher tax base). That's all well and good but I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out how the kids in the poor, underperforming OPS schools will be better off after the take over. I guess it will be better because everyone will have an equally bad education and equality is what it is all about, right? Money is not the answer for improving education. Our per capita spending on education has continued to increase exponentially over the past few generations and educational outcomes have continued to decrease.

I have a novel idea, for OPS. Why don't they fire a few administrators (which I think to myself every time I drive by their huge administrative building), drop the NEA's communist manifesto and concentrate on teaching! Nothing makes me hotter under the collar than the NEA. They are categorically opposed to any system of school choice in the form of vouchers, hate homeschooling and want control of my kids from birth, yes birth, through graduation.

If OPS really wants to improve their schools they could chop the district up into smaller pieces, making "neighborhood" districts where the parents and the teachers (non-union preferably) call the shots. I am in the midst of a love affair with nineteenth century education and that is after all, how it was done then. Small communities and churches were in charge of education and they did a lovely job! Yes, I know many children dropped out after grade school to work their parents' land, but let's be honest, a grade school education in the late eighteen hundreds was more than equivalent to our high school education now. Really, take a look at some McGuffy Readers or other textbooks of the day. Before compulsory education and mammoth school districts we had a very high literacy rate.

If you take the time to wade through the NEA's platform and poke around on their website you will find that they are concerned with a lot more than education. Their platform, in fact, sounds like a Miss America contestant on crack... world peace, non-nuclear proliferation, birth control and justice for all. While I'm not gung-ho on nuclear proliferation, I do think that problem is better dealt with in another arena. Carl Marx in his Communist Manifesto advocated a state run, compulsory educational system as necessary for a communist takeover. I do see more than a few shades of socialism (socialism is the necessary step before communism) in the NEA's platform and I don't think it's a far reach to make the connection between the One City, One School and a One World socialist mind set. Wake up parents! Our schools are very broken and we need to throw it out and start again. One City, One School is not the answer.

2006-01-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

Milk. Yes, my maiden post to Babies and Bucks is going to be about milk. Those who know me might think I'm about to give a breastfeeding lecture. No such luck. If you'll permit me, I'd like to talk about cow's milk, raw cow's milk to be exact.

Raw milk proponents are trying to get LB 132 scheduled for a hearing this month in the Nebraska Legislature. This law would allow dairy farmers to advertise and deliver raw milk directly to consumers. Current law allows consumers to obtain raw milk from farmers only if they pick it up or own a share of the cow. My skin crawls at the thought that we have to have a new piece of legislation for every move we make, but LB132 makes sense from a libertarian perspective because it takes a prohibitive law and expands freedoms for producers and consumers.

For anyone worried about my ties to special interest groups, no, I am not a producer. But I am a consumer. Yes, my family drinks unpasteurized milk. Before you beat me over the head with a diatribe about Louis Pasteur's (a good Catholic boy) contributions to science, I will remind you that Louis didn't invent the pasteurization of milk, but of wine and beer.

Why on earth do you drink unpasteurized milk, do you ask? Raw milk affecianados like to make many grand health claims, claiming that raw milk cures everything from asthma to arthritis. I do have an asthmatic son who has been much healthier since we switched to raw milk, but I don't believe the improvement can be solely attributed to his consumption of raw milk. We do believe raw milk is healthier than processed milk, in particular organic raw milk. But we believe that most whole foods are healthier than their highly processed counterparts. Raw milk contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and good bacteria that ultra-pasteurized, homogenized milk does not. There are times that we have chosen to pasteurize our milk at home, such as when I was pregnant. I still felt that by getting our milk raw and fresh from the farm and then low heat pasteurizing (180 degrees for three minutes) I was getting a nutritionally superior milk. This may also be a better option for those on certain medications that supress the immune system (such as certain asthma medications). See, people are capable of analyzing the situation and making all kinds of decisions without big brother's help!

Can you get sick from raw milk? Most certainly you can. But you can get sick from any food that is improperly handled. One of the usual suspects testifying against the legislation in committee was the politically correct university contingent (raw milk is not a politically correct food.) While they're testifying, maybe they should add to their list of foods that should be outlawed because we are not smart enough to avoid them. Sushi and soft french cheeses come to mind. Actually, the more I think about it, fast food restaurants come to mind. Have you read Fast Food Nation or seen Super Size Me? No, even though fast food has probably single handedly doubled the weight of our children and halved their life expectencies, you'll never catch industry special interest groups letting that one go through. On the other hand, you will find the Nebraska Dairy Industry Review Board,(representing the big guys in the dairy industry) testifying against raw milk legislation to make sure that small family farms can't sell their products directly to consumers looking for a wholesome, local product. Also testifying against the legislation, you will find the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association, representing those who treat an awful lot of sick cows in huge, unsanitary, unhealthy dairy herds.

Before you misunderstand me, I am not in any way shape or form anti-business. I am as much of a free market enthusiast as you will find. What I am against is big business using government and our government funded universities to take away my freedom to go to my local health food store and purchase a product I'd like to consume. Our family likes to purchase our food as locally as possible and we like to know who we are purchasing from. That is what this legislation is about... local, fresh food and consumer choice.