Family feud: it's on!
Yep, I was right: SIL and brother are pissed at me. But that's okay, because I'm pissed at them. Observe the full exchange:
Brother started it all by posting a link supporting Mike Fuckwitbee's attack on Planned Parenthood. That...just triggered me, so here's what I wrote yesterday:
[Me]: You know they do a helluva lot more than just abortions, right? And that poor people like me have to rely on them for tests because we can't afford 'regular' medical checkups? This is just cutting off the nose to spite the face. There never have been nor will there ever be any federal funding for abortions because of the Hyde Amendment.
[SIL]: "You need to do some research girl! They've cut funding for things like say, mammograms, well woman check ups and other important things for women's health. In turn they've boosted funding towards abortions and abortions only still making it almost impossible for women to get the care they need there. Plus some of the doctors in these places are known for some pretty shady stuff, things like performing abortions WAY after they're supposed to.
As a matter of fact, I went into a Planned Parenthood when I first found out I was pregnant with [Nephew]. The doctor there insisted I have an abortion! He was even ready to do it, thinking he could sway me! It would have been cheaper for them to give me an abortion then help me with prenatal care for nine months! That's the kind of thinking these places have."
[Me]: Was that a PP or was it a CPC (crisis pregnancy center)? Because the CPCs are known for flat-out lying to women and pressuring them to make choices they aren't interested in (even though the CPCs claim they're against abortion). It got so bad that a city up by Maryland, I believe, had to make it a law that all CPCs must post a sign in their business saying that they don't offer certain services, because they were getting a lot of complaints by former patients. The PP funding in general took a hit because groups like Susan Komen got taken over by anti-choicers (though the last leader was booted out, so this may have changed since) and thus came under pressure from neoconservative groups like Huckabee's. (He's a scumbag anyway, he claims he's Christian but doesn't act anything like it, with what he says about people...) I *have* been researching this stuff for years, since at least 2000 - whatever you were told is way off. There have been a few shady PPs; however, those were isolated cases (because like any franchise, it's individually-operated so a few bad apples in the mix are to be expected) and by and large the majority of them do way more good than harm.
Something else, too: the same people who want to destroy PP are also the same ones who want to eliminate ALL social service care for women and children, including food stamps for poor families. Now, if they say they want women to have children instead of abortions, wouldn't it make more sense to keep those safety nets in place rather than yank them out entirely? Not everybody who's poor is a welfare-sucking leech. (I had to apply for food stamps while I was living in Florida when I got whapped with dental expenses (the extractions) that all but killed my meager retail pay, and believe me, that extra money helped. Speaking of 'ol Florida, they did a test about a year or two back that found food stamp abuse was actually pretty rare in that state, and this is coming from a heavily *Republican* state that's loaded with all kinds of wackoes - remember all the tales I used to post about the store from my workdays?) So I would seriously question anything that comes from anybody who says PP should be trashed.
And today, I find this little turd in my mailbox:
[SIL]: "Well you know our views, sorry I'm not going to argue with you. And btw both your brother and I are "wackoe" Republicans. If you don't like what we post then later alligator. I love you to death, but our views are very different. That's why if you were post something we don't agree with we just ignore it or hide it because we don't want to see it."
[Brother]: "Unreal. I'm left without words over this. But I'll leave you with this: If you think Planned Parenthood is such a great program, just wait until the HHS Healthcare Mandate goes into effect. It's such a great cause, so much in fact, that Congress has EXEMPTED themselves from it. Think about it. /end discussion/"
And my reply:
[Me]: When I said wackoes I was referring to the people that would come in the store and act all crazy, not all Republicans in general. (And this is why I am no longer a Republican myself, because that party has gone completely batshit and all the moderates have no voice anymore.) And something tells me that if I were to post certain things they wouldn't go unremarked upon. This is exactly why I didn't want to get on FB in the first place. I have a LOT of friends who are gay, who have had abortions, who are either liberal Christian or some other religion or atheist, and those friends have helped me out more than I have space to type for, and when I see crap like this, it really upsets me, because I have to wonder if that's how you'd treat me.
I'm probably going to delete my FB soon too. I hate this format anyway.
--
And yes, I'm giving serious thought to deleting the FB for family. I don't have that many on there anyway, and what is on there appears to be so closed-minded it's like they poured cement in their heads. I'm no uber-liberal myself, but for fuck's sake, there's so much goddamn evidence out there that's exposed the lies only a fool would deliberately ignore it.
I'm glad at least that I made two FBs - the friends one is where I will doubtless breathe easier. (LJ/DW is still my 'home' though.)
I hope that this stays between us and doesn't involve my parents. They have an annoying tendency to side with Brother and SIL, not so much because they support such idiotic beliefs (though my dad is a Republican and seems to waffle back and forth at times) but because Brother's in the military so somehow that means he can do no wrong and we have to bolster his morale at all times. Bolstering morale is one thing; taking ignorant crap is another, as far as I'm concerned. And it pisses me off that they're allowed to spout their bullshit freely without being contradicted, yet when I speak up I'm "too opinionated." (I have since learned that this is code for "We don't have enough of a spine to take a stand ourselves so let's just shut up and put up.") You know, there's a time to be quiet...and there's a time to make as much noise as possible. And I'm sick of just swallowing my real feelings and having to make nice and going along just to get along while my rights and the rights of those I care about - including those relatives who say such crap - get torn to pieces by assholes all in the name of "morality," which is almost always the last word heard before somebody eventually gets burned at the stake - sometimes, literally.
We shall see. Family truly is the tie that binds - and gags. *grumble*
--
It is a nice day outside, it's Saturday, and I have the car for the afternoon. Now I am going to go and try to have some fun, because damn I need it. Hope your weekends are going better.
Brother started it all by posting a link supporting Mike Fuckwitbee's attack on Planned Parenthood. That...just triggered me, so here's what I wrote yesterday:
[Me]: You know they do a helluva lot more than just abortions, right? And that poor people like me have to rely on them for tests because we can't afford 'regular' medical checkups? This is just cutting off the nose to spite the face. There never have been nor will there ever be any federal funding for abortions because of the Hyde Amendment.
[SIL]: "You need to do some research girl! They've cut funding for things like say, mammograms, well woman check ups and other important things for women's health. In turn they've boosted funding towards abortions and abortions only still making it almost impossible for women to get the care they need there. Plus some of the doctors in these places are known for some pretty shady stuff, things like performing abortions WAY after they're supposed to.
As a matter of fact, I went into a Planned Parenthood when I first found out I was pregnant with [Nephew]. The doctor there insisted I have an abortion! He was even ready to do it, thinking he could sway me! It would have been cheaper for them to give me an abortion then help me with prenatal care for nine months! That's the kind of thinking these places have."
[Me]: Was that a PP or was it a CPC (crisis pregnancy center)? Because the CPCs are known for flat-out lying to women and pressuring them to make choices they aren't interested in (even though the CPCs claim they're against abortion). It got so bad that a city up by Maryland, I believe, had to make it a law that all CPCs must post a sign in their business saying that they don't offer certain services, because they were getting a lot of complaints by former patients. The PP funding in general took a hit because groups like Susan Komen got taken over by anti-choicers (though the last leader was booted out, so this may have changed since) and thus came under pressure from neoconservative groups like Huckabee's. (He's a scumbag anyway, he claims he's Christian but doesn't act anything like it, with what he says about people...) I *have* been researching this stuff for years, since at least 2000 - whatever you were told is way off. There have been a few shady PPs; however, those were isolated cases (because like any franchise, it's individually-operated so a few bad apples in the mix are to be expected) and by and large the majority of them do way more good than harm.
Something else, too: the same people who want to destroy PP are also the same ones who want to eliminate ALL social service care for women and children, including food stamps for poor families. Now, if they say they want women to have children instead of abortions, wouldn't it make more sense to keep those safety nets in place rather than yank them out entirely? Not everybody who's poor is a welfare-sucking leech. (I had to apply for food stamps while I was living in Florida when I got whapped with dental expenses (the extractions) that all but killed my meager retail pay, and believe me, that extra money helped. Speaking of 'ol Florida, they did a test about a year or two back that found food stamp abuse was actually pretty rare in that state, and this is coming from a heavily *Republican* state that's loaded with all kinds of wackoes - remember all the tales I used to post about the store from my workdays?) So I would seriously question anything that comes from anybody who says PP should be trashed.
And today, I find this little turd in my mailbox:
[SIL]: "Well you know our views, sorry I'm not going to argue with you. And btw both your brother and I are "wackoe" Republicans. If you don't like what we post then later alligator. I love you to death, but our views are very different. That's why if you were post something we don't agree with we just ignore it or hide it because we don't want to see it."
[Brother]: "Unreal. I'm left without words over this. But I'll leave you with this: If you think Planned Parenthood is such a great program, just wait until the HHS Healthcare Mandate goes into effect. It's such a great cause, so much in fact, that Congress has EXEMPTED themselves from it. Think about it. /end discussion/"
And my reply:
[Me]: When I said wackoes I was referring to the people that would come in the store and act all crazy, not all Republicans in general. (And this is why I am no longer a Republican myself, because that party has gone completely batshit and all the moderates have no voice anymore.) And something tells me that if I were to post certain things they wouldn't go unremarked upon. This is exactly why I didn't want to get on FB in the first place. I have a LOT of friends who are gay, who have had abortions, who are either liberal Christian or some other religion or atheist, and those friends have helped me out more than I have space to type for, and when I see crap like this, it really upsets me, because I have to wonder if that's how you'd treat me.
I'm probably going to delete my FB soon too. I hate this format anyway.
--
And yes, I'm giving serious thought to deleting the FB for family. I don't have that many on there anyway, and what is on there appears to be so closed-minded it's like they poured cement in their heads. I'm no uber-liberal myself, but for fuck's sake, there's so much goddamn evidence out there that's exposed the lies only a fool would deliberately ignore it.
I'm glad at least that I made two FBs - the friends one is where I will doubtless breathe easier. (LJ/DW is still my 'home' though.)
I hope that this stays between us and doesn't involve my parents. They have an annoying tendency to side with Brother and SIL, not so much because they support such idiotic beliefs (though my dad is a Republican and seems to waffle back and forth at times) but because Brother's in the military so somehow that means he can do no wrong and we have to bolster his morale at all times. Bolstering morale is one thing; taking ignorant crap is another, as far as I'm concerned. And it pisses me off that they're allowed to spout their bullshit freely without being contradicted, yet when I speak up I'm "too opinionated." (I have since learned that this is code for "We don't have enough of a spine to take a stand ourselves so let's just shut up and put up.") You know, there's a time to be quiet...and there's a time to make as much noise as possible. And I'm sick of just swallowing my real feelings and having to make nice and going along just to get along while my rights and the rights of those I care about - including those relatives who say such crap - get torn to pieces by assholes all in the name of "morality," which is almost always the last word heard before somebody eventually gets burned at the stake - sometimes, literally.
We shall see. Family truly is the tie that binds - and gags. *grumble*
--
It is a nice day outside, it's Saturday, and I have the car for the afternoon. Now I am going to go and try to have some fun, because damn I need it. Hope your weekends are going better.