How I Lost Faith in the “Pro-Life” Movement

UPDATE: Welcome readers from facebook and elsewhere! Please subscribe through the buttons at the right if you enjoy this post. The spring of my sophomore year of college I was president of my university’s Students for Life chapter. The fall of my junior year of college I cut my ties with the pro-life movement. Five years later I have lost the last shred of faith I had in that movement. I was raised in the sort of evangelical family where abortion is the number one political issue. My views on fetal personhood and women’s bodily autonomy have shifted since that day, but when I first started blogging a year and a half ago I was nevertheless very insistent that the pro-life movement should be taken at its word when it came to rhetoric about saving “unborn babies” from being “murdered.” I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong. As a child, teen, and college student, I sincerely believed that personhood, life, rights, and the soul all began at fertilization. What about the Zygote?

» Giant List of Self-Care Skills for Babies,Toddlers and Preschoolers Positive Parenting Connection Giving children a chance to practice self-care skills is a fantastic way to help them feel capable and increase their self-esteem. It helps create a great sense of autonomy, a drive to learn and grow. Self-care is also an opportunity for children to feel in charge of their body and know that they are trusted by their parents. Here is a list of Self-Care Skills for Children From Crawlers to 5 years sorted by Age: Self-Care Skills for Babies (crawlers) to 12 months Throw own bib in laundry hamper Clean face and hands with damp wash cloth (finish up with help) Stow own shoes away (with help/works well to have one assigned spot) Feed self a snack (cereal 0’s, cubed soft fruits etc…) Hold a spoon and toothbrush to imitate parents/siblings Play alone for 10-30 minutes* Self-Care Skills from 12-18 monthsContinue all of the above plus Self-Care Skills from 18 months- 2 year olds Continue all of the above plus Undress pants/shorts Explore how to dress self (shirts tend to get stuck!) Peace & Be Well,

16 Moving Images From Trayvon Martin Rallies Across The Country By Igor Volsky "16 Moving Images From Trayvon Martin Rallies Across The Country" Thousands of Americans across the country protested the George Zimmerman verdict on Sunday, “chanting, praying and even fighting tears” after the jury acquitted the neighborhood watchman of all criminal charges for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Though some pundits predicted race riots in the aftermath of a not guilty verdict, the rallies proved overwhelmingly peaceful and deeply moving: NYC, NY via AP NYC, NY via @shokufeyesib NYC, NY via @IrvingDeJohn Miami, FL via AP Oakland, CA via @shadirahimi Milwaukee, WI via AP Newark, NJ via AP Atlanta, GA via AP Detroit, MI via AP Seattle, WA via seattlepi.com Milwaukee, WI via @ShantTHEGREAT Jacksonville, FL via AP Chicago, IL via ‏@soit_goes

Hakula: Learn the Natural State of 'Fearlessness' The Natural Fear-Free State of Calm… Hakula, is the natural state of optimal human performance. It is the opposite of the tunnel-vision-fear state many have experienced, because it creates a feeling of calm, and enables the greatest perspective and flexibility of behavior and response. It is so powerful it is one of the key tools we teach our one-on-one clients in our VIP program. How to Practice HakulaPick a spot on the wall, somewhere higher than eye level, around the center of your field of vision. (This state of focus-with-peripheral-awareness was named ‘Hakula’ by the ancient people of Hawaii). When to use Hakula Hakula is perfect for the kinds of situations in which you used to experience fear because it shifts the mind into a state where it is ‘contextually all-aware’. Typically with our clients, we find that if clients think about a problem, then shift into Hakula, the problem immediately seems trivial.