Following are my top 5 favorite political cartoons this week, beginning with a nod to Father’s Day (and also today’s Quote of the Day), by Ken Catalino at GoComics.com…
Then back to the overpopulation myth, by liberal Signe Wilkinson at GoComics.com…
Signe was in rare form this week…
Ok, one more Weiner cartoon, this one by Dana Summers at Townhall.com…
Last, a political mirage, by Glenn McCoy at Townhall.com..
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Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
I like the third cartoon – I think we’re seeing mixed messages on how much we value children – one side wants to abort them, but those who survive, we want to lavish spending on them. The other side wants them to be born, but continually cuts programs/education/health care.
I think it is time for a third party to step up!
Back in the olden times: fathers, not the government, took care of their children.
Happy Father’s Day!
It’s hard to find a full time job nowadays to support your family, ninek.
“Back in the olden times: fathers, not the government, took care of their children.”
Where is the father of the baby you aborted, ninek?
“Where is the father of the baby you aborted, ninek?”
That is one of the ruder comments I have seen on this blog, and that’s saying a lot.
I have to agree with JackBorsch, Megan. I think that was uncalled for. Please don’t make comments like that.
Actually I think ALL of us (regardless of whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life or on the fence) need to remember to keep civility alive and well in ALL our comments. I know it’s hard sometimes, but I think civility goes a long way towards having a dialogue verses trading insults and a war of words. That’s just MY personal opinion, I realize not everyone agrees with me, but I figured I’d throw it out there as a suggestion and I’m going to do my very best to follow it. I won’t promise perfection, but I will promise my best efforts.
The Duggars are so nice.
I would love to live in a world populated by more folks like the Duggars. That Planet Duggar looks mighty good to me.
And that question could very well be directed back at you, Megan.
Or to me for that matter. Ask me.
Is the Duggars comic meant to be positive or negative? The father looks inanely pleased with himself, the mother looks world weary and to be honest, the kids look like dullards. That’s not how the real family comes across.
Townhall being Townhall, what they don’t show us is that the barren landscape limiting access to hope and change is created by groups such as themselves.
I wondered that myself, Reality.
Yes, Reality. 9_9
We’d all be swimming up to our necks in hope, change, low unemployment numbers and a booming economy if only Townhall hadn’t come along and…done what, exactly to Obama and his initially Democrat-controlled congress? Explica, por favor.
Not just Townhall xalisae, “by groups such as themselves”. Representing the mindset that just could not and cannot accept the fact that the presidency wasn’t won by some hard-right, evangelical, back-dated conservative. The mindset that has seen so much more time, effort, energy and focus spent on blocking, grandstanding and lowest-common-denominator pandering, rather than doing anything constructive which may move the nation forward. Those who believe in making the rich richer and leaving the poor and less-able to fend for themselves.
6_6
Glenn McCoy’s mirage cartoon nails it.
Representing the scorched earth policies exhibited by extreme elements of the republicans Jerry?
What a rude question! However, I can answer: he has matured into a very compassionate, hardworking, responsible man.
It’s not a coincidence that so many post-abortive women and men are in the pro-life movement rather than the abortion industry.
The Duggars seem to treat reproduction as some sort of contest.
It also seems like the children have to bring up each other rather than being really brought up by Mom and Dad.
A contest with whom?? They welcome every pregnancy with JOY!! The nerve of them!!
I find them remarkable. The love they have for each other is evident.
Hi Denise Noe 8:53am
Like you, I have an issue as well with “older” children, some not much older than 7 or 8 years old, or younger, being responsible for a younger sibling while mom keeps reproducing. When the new baby reaches age two or so, an older sibling takes over and mom is freed up for another pregnancy. Put simply, mom is relieved of some responsibility for raising her children. Call it the “buddy” system or whatever you want, were any other parent to do this for any other reason this would be viewed as at best, questionable parenting and at worst, bad parenting. Michelle does this under the guise of religion and its viewed as acceptable and she and her family become media darlings. Sorry, but the more I see of this the less I buy it.
It is my opinion that Michelle has a compulsive need to be pregnant, that it satisfies an emotional or physical need. The two are often intertwined.
What clinched it for me was when Michelle had just recovered from a severe bout of pre-eclampsia, had a critically ill child in the NICU who’s future was at best questionable, and she stated she may be pregnant again. A critically ill child and barely escaping intact herself and she’s fantasizing about another pregnancy? This to me is the equivalent of someone recovering from a horrific motorcycle accident who can’t wait to purchase another motorcycle. Your reaction to this would be what??
That’s my reaction to Michelle’s comment.
Hi Carla, 9:22am
I like and respect you tremendously but I must disagree with your post to some degree, for reasons I have stated in my previous post.
One thing my old age has taught me: All that glitters is not gold. I would not be surprised if 20 years from now a book is written by one of the Duggar kids that tells us a side to this situation that we will be very unpleasantly surprised to hear. I have seen and heard it in my life more times than I can count, both on a personal and public level.
Mary,
You do realize that “horrific tell-alls” (ranging from the sincere to the fabricated) can happen with any size family, for any number of reasons, that it is not a function of “family size”, and that such a testimony might well say very little about the actual state of family affairs (since the same child, if temporarily transplanted in another home with, say, 2 children, might return counting his/her blessings at having such wonderful parents, and saying “I had no idea I had it so good!”)…? Beyond this, I’m just going to have to leave you to your opinion on the matter, and disagree categorically.
Hi Paladin,
Yes of course I realize that. Horrific tell-alls by children have also been confirmed as true by parents. Most recently was an “ideal” Mormon family of singers who’s daughters finally spoke of some unpleasant truths, that the father confirmed and faced prosecution for. Since I am not a prophet I am making no predictions. I am saying only that I will not be surprised. As I said to Carla I have lived long enough to know that all that glitters is not gold. When we don’t live in people’s homes or lives, we do not know what goes on. Also Paladin, people only know of our lives, what WE want them to know. The Duggars are no exception.
Its a free country and you may disagree or agree as you see fit.
Hi Mary,
You are free to disagree with my opinion of the Duggars. :)
They are not the end all, be all family for me. I do not aspire to be like Michelle but I do enjoy their show and my kids do too. There are things they do as a family that I like and I take what I like and leave the rest. The way she deals with her little boys has helped me a great deal with mine.
There may be a tell all book one day that could be negative or positive.
What I don’t understand and probably never will is the absolute hatred for them. I have read some seriously vile comments about them. Michelle especially. Her body, her choice only if she aborts I guess. :O
Hi Carla,
Like you I cannot understand the venom either. While I have my own issues and opinions concerning this situation, and for that reason have stopped watching the show, I most certainly do not hate them.
The advantage she has with her little boys that I’m sure you never enjoyed is an older sibling took over some of her parenting responsiblities when they became toddlers, which we know is a particularly difficult age. This enabled Michelle to be free to enjoy her new babies. Were you to put the the daily care routine of one of your toddlers in the hands of a 6 or 7 year old sibling, so as to free you up for another activity, I’m sure more than a few people would question your judgment.
Mary,
Just to explain a bit of my reasons for saying what I do: I’ve also experienced more than my share (first-hand and second-hand) of family dysfunction not to have any starry-eyed, crumble-at-the-first-touch-of-seamy-raunchy-reality ideal about any particular family. I also, however, try very hard not to fall into the temptation of what I call the “tut-tutter’s school of oblique criticism”. To wit:
Do you see what I mean? Nothing overt, nothing that could be proven in a court of law to be outright disparagement or defamation. Just a bit of subtle, nattering seeds of rash judgment and detraction. I’d rather avoid that, thank you.
Hi Paladin,
What you describe here are a couple of gossiping ladies. Obviously they do not know what actually goes on in someone else’s life. My point exactly. Thank you.
(*wry look*) There were a few more morals that one could glean from the example, madam… but I’ll leave you to ferret them out at your leisure, as you please.
I grew up in a family of 8. The older kids helped with the younger kids, but Mom was the Mom. Anytime any of the older kids tried to be “mother” the younger ones they were reminded that the kid had a mom and it wasn’t them. Sometimes the elder kids were asked to help with the younger. It’s inevitable. Yes, Mom is the ultimate say and is in charge, but a 7 year old can get diapers, help put on shoes, play with the younger kids, hold hands, help pick up toys. I used to do that with my younger sibling. It helped my mom so that she could do what needed to be done and none of us suffered from it. Mom gave each of us personalized attention and she was unquestionably the mother. The “buddy system” didn’t hurt any of us and it actually taught us responsibiility and how to treat each other well and loving. We’re all close because my parents love each other so much and taught us how to love each other.
Unfortunately people make snide comments about big families all the time. People would give my mom weird looks and ask questions like “Are these ALL yours?” others would say “You have heard of birth control?” (well they used NFP both to avoid and achive pregnancy).
Just because a family is big doesn’t mean the kids aren’t happy, secure and well looked after and loved. It’s possible bad things are happening, just as it’s possible in a small family of one to four kids has bad things happening in it. I don’t think family size is THE [only] determining factor, I think it depends on the people, how the family is run and how the people treat each other.
Mary says:
June 20, 2011 at 10:55 am
It is my opinion that Michelle has a compulsive need to be pregnant, that it satisfies an emotional or physical need. The two are often intertwined.
What clinched it for me was when Michelle had just recovered from a severe bout of pre-eclampsia, had a critically ill child in the NICU who’s future was at best questionable, and she stated she may be pregnant again. A critically ill child and barely escaping intact herself and she’s fantasizing about another pregnancy? This to me is the equivalent of someone recovering from a horrific motorcycle accident who can’t wait to purchase another motorcycle. Your reaction to this would be what??That’s my reaction to Michelle’s comment.
(Denise) Yes, I think Michelle may be addicted in some sense to the feeling of pregnancy. I think she has indicated that she doesn’t feel as normal as usual unless she is pregnant. She may feel kind of “hollow” unless she is pregnant.
Menopause might be rough for her for that reason.
Hi Mother in Texas,
My point exactly, your mother was the mother. Helping your mother was one thing, in fact young children often like to help, but her putting the responsiblity of dressing, feeding, washing, teeth brushing, toileting, etc. of a toddler on you or a sibling as a 6 or 7 y/o child would have been quite another. Of course older children helped, my older siblings helped with me, especially when my mother had to go to work. I must say I remember being very resentful of being expected to care for my sister’s small children from morning to night on a daily basis.
I have no issues with large families, I have/had many among my own relatives. I have an issue with any family large or small, where young children are expected to take on parental responsiblities so that mom can be freed up for whatever reason.
My fourteen year old son is a great help. :)
What I mean is she KNOWS the energy of little boys. She understands their need to do physical activity, the running, jumping, hollering is what comes with the package. I love the episode where she takes a handful of boys with her to the thrift store and they play and play and are loud and riding on the toys and she never raises her voice or loses her patience. THAT I like.
I question the back story. The Quiverfull Movement is one I need to do more research on.
We shall agree to disagree on this but link arms to fight the good fight for the lives of innocent human children and their mothers, Mary!! :)
Amen, Carla! (*salutes jousting partner, Mary*)
Hi Denise,
I read of a similar situation of a woman who had six pregnancies. Whatever it took, she would deliberately become pregnant to satisfy her need, and she described it as a very real physical and emotional need, almost an addiction. In this case as well, the older siblings were responsible for the younger ones while mom was either working, partying or reproducing.
I believe pregnancy, like anything, can become a compulsive need.
Hi Carla, 12:58PM
At least she never raises her voice and is a bastion of patience on camera. Like I said Carla, you and I would likely have been very patient mothers if we had older siblings to take care of some of our parental responsiblities.
Its like when I hear how Madame Celebrity can stay so beautiful and be such a loving mother. Well dahhhh. Madame Celebrity has a staff of professionals to keep her gorgeous, a household staff, and nannies. Who wouldn’t look gorgeous and be the perfect mother?
A salute to you as well, Paladin.
Hi Carla, 12:58PM
“We shall agree to disagree on this but link arms to fight the good fight for the lives of innocent human children and their mothers”
Amen to that my friend. BTW Carla, I know what you mean about boys. My son has been and is the most incredible gift any mother could ask for.
the world is NOT overpopulated. I wanna have like 20 babies .
Paladin, those matrons gossiping is an image of traditional mores and standards being enforced. To a large extent, the wagging of the tongues of middle-aged women is what has traditionally kept the young in line.
Cartoon #4
First Weiner denied it. Then his apologists blamed unknown hackers. Then Weiner confessed and refuses to resign. Then his apologists said, “So what, he broke no law. No reason to resign. Then Weiner announces he is checking himself into some sort of rehab clinic, where ostensibly he will learn the skills require to ’keep it in his pants’.
[Hey, if 30 days can cure Ted Haggerty of homosexuality then surely Weiner can be trained to keep his zipper up.]
Then b o throws Weiner under his campaign bus and the next thing you know Weiner announces his retirement.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43385259/ns/today-today_news/
“In an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Ann Curry that will air on Tuesday’s show, President Barack Obama said that if he were Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner right now, he would resign in the wake of the scandal in which Weiner admitted to sending explicit photos of himself to women online.”
“I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign,’’ Obama told Curry.
Then like the requisite fly buzzing around the starving African child’s face Gloria Allred appears on scene representing porn star and stripper Ginger Lee.
http://www.gloriaallred.com/CM/Custom/Stmt.%20Ginger.6.15.11.pdf
Ms Lee makes the following statement:
“When the scandal broke and people started e-mailing me, I didn’t know what to do.
I asked Congressman Weiner.
He asked me to lie about our communication.”
…“I refused to lie so I went silent and went into hiding.”
“I knew I couldn’t lie for him, but I couldn’t be the one who kicked him [Weiner] under the bus.”
“I think that Anthony Weiner should resign because he lied to the public and the press for more than a week. It might never have turned into this if he had told the truth, but he kept lying.
If he lied about this, I can’t have much faith in him about anything else.”
When Weiner’s porn star constituent says his sleaze factor is too much for her, then you know Anthony’s career is circling the drain.
Give ms Lee credit at least she waited til after b o threw Weiner under his campaign bus before she washed her hands of him.
It says something when porn stars exhibit more loyalty and require a higher standard of behavior than the democrat leadership.
Ken the Birther -
I think you have a Weiner obsession.
EX,
You deliberately or incompetently missed the point.
The porn princess has some standard of right or wrong. She has a line she will not cross and a line she expects her elected representative not to cross.
Just another reason Jesus had more grace for prostitutes than he did for self serving tyrants.
The democrats judge by political expediency. There is no right or wrong.
That is why you are not bothered by a man who swears an oath to uphold and defend the constitution, but in the next breath is looking for ways to avoid it and evade it.
The constitution also requires that in order to be eligible to be president a person must be at least 35 years old.
Would it only be racism or visceral hatred that motivates a person to demand that b o prove that he is old enough to be president?
duces tecum
Ken -
And you believe the GOP would have handled it differently? Are you saying that they act first, and then look to public opinion polls later? Let me let you in on a secret…both parties work really hard to cover their butts and keep whatever power they have.
I am not bothered through with Obama and the requirements for President because the evidence is overwhelmingly clear. The long form certificate, the postings in the newspaper at his birth (that came from the state health department)… in fact, the only alternate opinion I could give is that Obama is a super-human, traveled back in time and falsified information, and then came back to present day.
Is that maybe what you believe Mr. Birther?
I am glad you’ve moved past your Weiner obsession, though disappointed that you went back to the side of a fear-mongering, paranoid hermit – living up in the woods somewhere and screaming about how the government is out to get them…
Saw Rick Santorum on Glenn Beck last night. I liked what I heard.