Ebola in Texas

Thomas Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, died this morning at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. I couldn’t help but wonder, had the hospital not sent him home, would he have lived?  My heart goes out to his family and friends during this time as it does to all of those people in West Africa who are suffering from this disease and fighting so hard to treat it.

I know I’ve mentioned this before in an earlier post, that I believe there will be a cure or treatment for this disease within the year. There’s already several experimental treatments on the market today, which we’ve seen when the two US aid workers were brought to the US earlier this summer for treatment. Once these types of calamities show up on our shores we suddenly start to care and the resources are put behind them to stop them in their tracks. I hope that Duncan’s death isn’t in vain and that it helps push the drug companies even further to find a treatment or cure for this deadly disease.

What Ebola in Texas has done, is further reinforced the fact that we are no longer sequestered in our countries as in decades or centuries before. People travel and they travel widely. When an outbreak occurs in one place it will ultimately end up in others.

One thing I am proud of in this whole situation is the treatment that Duncan and his family received from our local officials. Especially Judge Clay Jenkins, who worked tirelessly to secure Duncan’s family a new place to stay and even entered the home without a hazmat suit. He was the epitome of a strong leader and showed true compassion in his goal to show kindness to this family during such a scary and difficult time.

I’ve seen so much fear-mongering on social media, as to be expected, but what’s important to remember is that this was a person, who lost his life to a horrific disease and now his family is left to mourn that loss.

Umbrella Revolution

I’m lucky that I was able to travel to China twice while one of my dearest friends was living there during her ex-pat assignment. While I never  made it to Hong Kong (we chose to go to Cambodia instead on that trip) I was there for National Holiday Week, or as I like to call it Yea! Communism Week. National Holiday Week is essentially China’s version of our Independence Day and begins tomorrow Oct. 1. During the week that I was there we spent a few days in Beijing and it was truly magical to be in the country’s capital during these celebrations. I have never seen that many people in one place in my entire life.

I had one of the best meals of my life in the old American Embassy just off of Tiananmen Square. I climbed the Great Wall of China, visited the Emperor’s Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. We, of course, visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Before we left our van to tour Tiananmen Square, our guide Jerry cautioned us to be careful what we said when we were out on the square. He told us that a lot of the people on the square may look like street sweepers but were in fact undercover police looking for signs of unrest. Most people in China, if they don’t have access to Western new sources and internet, have no idea that Tiananmen Square was once the site of a democratic revolution. Those same people have no idea that another call for democracy is happening in Hong Kong today – anytime news reports are shown from Hong Kong on stations such as the BBC or CNN the screen goes to black on mainland China.

The Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong is in response to Beijing wanting to vet political candidates who will run for office in Hong Kong in 2017. Since Hong Kong was returned by the British to China in 1997 the country has essentially claimed to be one state, two governments. Mainland Chinese must get exit visas to visit Hong Kong for fear that they won’t return to the more restrictive mainland. The Hong Kong government functions with more autonomy than mainland China and has more freedoms for its people. It would have been impossible to take people who had lived under British rule and place them under Communist rule.

The people of Hong Kong see Beijing’s move to vet their political candidates as being in direct violation of the joint agreement. If Beijing is allowed to interfere with those elections they will surely manage to remove political candidates who have more democratic leanings.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Hong Kong this week as millions of Chinese will be off work for National Holiday Week. I hope the police continue to use restraint and allow these people to protest peacefully for their rights and that Hong Kong does not become another Tiananmen Square.

Boobs on the Ground; US Military Veterans Respond – #HeforShe

Fox News, thank you so much for your inappropriate comments within days of the #HeforShe campaign launching. In case you’ve been out of the country, or living in hole, a couple of Fox News hosts mocked the first female fighter pilot from the UAE named Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, who led the charge against ISIS terrorists in Syria. Let’s ignore the fact that she had to fight to become a pilot in a culture that doesn’t hold women in the highest regard; that it was her life long dream to serve in her country’s Armed Forces and that she’s fighting against the worst terrorist organization in history. Let’s forget all of that and just focus on the fact that she’s got boobs.

Greg Gutfeld, of the Fox show “The Five,” made a comment about how Maj. Mansouri couldn’t park the plane after she bombed them; and then his co-host Eric Bolling followed that up with, “Would that be considered boobs on the ground, or no?” And we wonder why people hate us? We wonder why we have lost the respect of the world and especially the Middle East.

First off, the two female co-hosts barely fought back against these ridiculous and sexist remarks made by two men against someone laying their life on the line for our safety. Sure, Bolling has gone on to apologize for his “joke.” The apology lasts less than 30 seconds. It’s pathetic. I can think of no other perfect response to this childish and inappropriate behavior than the open letter written to Fox News by members of the US military criticizing them for their lack of tact and stupidity.

In my book, this group of men and women who have put their lives on the line for this country said it so well. They are the perfect example of what #HeforShe is all about. The complete article can be found here and I’ve pasted the letter below from these men and women that comprise members of the ARMY, NAVY, Marine Corps, Air Force and National Guard. #HeforShe.

Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld,

We are veterans of the United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that your remarks about United Arab Emirates Air Force Major Mariam Al Mansouri were unwarranted, offensive, and fundamentally opposed to what the military taught us to stand for.

First, foremost, and most obvious to everyone other than yourselves, your remarks were immensely inappropriate. Your co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle was so right to call attention to an inspiring story of a woman shattering glass ceilings in a society where doing so is immeasurably difficult. We never heard an answer to her question: why did you feel so compelled to “ruin her thing?”

As it turns out, women have been flying combat aircraft since before either of you were born. Over 1,000 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) flew during World War II. Seeing as U.S. Army Air Forces Commander “Hap” Arnold said “Now in 1944, it is on the record that women can fly as well as men,” we can probably guess he thought their parking was adequate. The WASP legacy reaches into the present day; on 9/11, then Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney scrambled her F-16. Completely unarmed, she was ready to lay down her own life to prevent further devastating attacks on American soil.

Thus the skill of women as fighter pilots is well established. And before you jump to the standby excuse that you were “just making a joke” or “having a laugh,” let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase “boys will be boys”—inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present—is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word ‘boobs’ is funny.

The less obvious implication of your remarks, however, is that by offending an ally and cheapening her contribution, you are actively hurting the mission. We need to send a clear message that anyone, male or female, who will stand up to ISIS and get the job done is worthy of our respect and gratitude.

We issue an apology on your behalf to Major Al Mansouri knowing that anything your producers force you to say will be contrived and insincere. Major, we’re sincerely sorry for the rudeness; clearly, these boys don’t take your service seriously, but we and the rest of the American public do.

Very Respectfully,

U.S. Army: Michael Breen, Richard Wheeler, Aryanna Hunter, Welton Chang, Michael Smith, Matt Runyon, Jon Gensler, Scott Holcomb, Terron Sims II, Josh Weinberg, Daniel Savage, Matt Pelak, LaRue Robinson, Anthony Woods, Dustin Cathcart, Kayla Williams, Dan Espinal, Jonathan Hopkins, Andy Moore, Kevin Johnson, Brett Hunt, Russell Galeti, Mick Crnkovich, Jonathan Freeman, Dan Hartnett, Dan Futrell, Matt Zeller, Jason Cain, Adam Tiffen, Sharmistha Mohpatra, Justin Graf, Lach Litwer.

U.S. Navy: Shawn VanDiver, Andrea Marr, Kristen Kavanaugh, Leo Cruz, Scott Cheney-Peters, Margot Beausey, Tony Johnson, Gail Harris, Alex Cornell du Houx.

U.S. Marine Corps: Geoff Orazem, Gordon Griffin, Timothy Kudo, Jonathan Murray, Richard Weir, Rob Miller, Sonia Fernandez, John Margolick, Katelyn Geary van Dam, Rob Bracknell, Andrew Borene, William Allen.

U.S. Air Force: Kelsey Campbell, Erik Brine, Chris Finan, Robert Mishev, Karen Courington.

U.S. National Guard: Kristen Rouse.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/us-veterans-send-fox-news-open-letter-about-boobs-on-the-ground-joke-2014-9#ixzz3EjWOVutX

HeforShe – A Game Changer on Gender Equality

I finally had the chance to watch Emma Watson’s stunning speech that she delivered on Monday, September 22, at the UN. Like Watson, I care deeply about women’s rights and I echo her sentiments in knowing how lucky we are that we were both born into societies where there is more support for women than others. However, she is dead on when she said that no country, NONE, zip, zero, can claim that they have gender equality. While most Western countries can claim that they are close, they still have a very long way to go.

What I love so much about this new campaign is that it doesn’t polarize the sexes; there’s room for both. She’s not just calling for the rights of women, she’s also advocating for the rights of men. In recent weeks there have been countless news stories regarding violence against women, this is a very real problem in every country in the world. Every nine seconds in America alone a woman is assaulted or beaten; 1 in 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused; 10 million children world wide have witnessed this abuse.

Dallas, TX, has more nonprofits (and restaurants) than any city in America. Just this year Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law announced a new center that would be devoted specifically to domestic violence, sex trafficking and other crimes against women. This new center will work directly with two of our city’s largest agencies dedicated to serving the needs of women – Genesis Women’s Shelter, which serves women and children fleeing domestic abuse and New Friends New Life, which serves women trying to leave the sex industry, sex trafficking and sex slavery.

The success of HeforShe will rely on multiple partners and both sexes working together to educate men and women on their rights. Watson quoted startling statics that the leading cause of death among men ages in 19 – 40 in Britain is suicide; not cancer or car accidents – suicide, because they are too afraid to get help for issues that are deemed “unmanly” by society such as mental illness.

According to Watson’s speech, if countries do not push for gender equality and things remain at today’s levels it will take 75 years for women to be paid as much as men for the same job; 15.6 million young girls will become child brides; and 2,086 African girls will not receive a secondary education. Those are just a few of the statistics.

I loved everything about this speech. Ladies, what happens to women all over the world and in your own country impacts you whether you know it or not. Men, you all have women in your life that you love and they in turn love you, stand up for them, stand up for you. #HeforShe

If You’re Still Breathing You’re The Lucky Ones

Wow! This video from the #withSyria campaign was the first thing I saw this morning. Turn on your sound on your computer, tablet, phone etc. I watched it twice and I tried not to go into the ugly cry. I spent more than 30 years not crying and then something odd started happening as I headed into my mid-thirties. I started to cry. My friends find this hilarious. I find it annoying.

Syria is one of the most dangerous places in the world for children to live. I’ve been following this story since the civil war broke out more than two years ago. I’ve watched countless videos of people fleeing from chemical weapons attacks and bombings by their own government. I don’t need to understand Arabic to understand pain – that’s etched into the face of every person, young and old, in Syria. The world has largely turned a blind eye and been more focused on other conflicts – Gaza, ISIS etc. Somehow world leaders have missed the link between Syria and ISIS until recently.

Syrian civilians are targeted on a daily basis – a violation of international law. Assad and his regime should be indicted for war crimes. The most dangerous places for Syrians to be are markets, schools and hospitals; many of which continue to operate despite the risk. Generations of Syrian children – many of whom become refugees – are left without an education. What happens when you have generations who live in war and nothing else? Where they are denied their basic human rights and education?

In February 2014, the UN Security Council, which is comprised of the world’s most powerful nations i.e. the United States, stated that if these indiscriminate attacks didn’t stop then they would take further action. Nothing has happened and thousands more have died.

When the US government started its wishy washy approach on Syria – we’re going in – wait, no, we’re not going – eh it’ll blow over – I was appalled. I wrote to my Congressmen (something made so easy thanks to the internet) and asked for help for the Syrian people. I didn’t want another war – we’ve had enough of that – but what I did want is the United States to put the full force of it humanitarian response towards Syria.

We have tremendous power to influence and impact these types of issues. Case in point ISIS – nobody was moving until suddenly the US decides they’re going to do something about it. Months too late, but nevertheless. Like it or not we’re still seen as the leader of the free world (for how much longer I’m not so sure) and other nations rely on our input and action before they’re willing to move in any direction. This is something we inherited at the end of World War II. With that comes tremendous responsibility – a responsibility we have shirked beyond measure.

If you think what happens in these far off places has no impact on what happens here in this country you are mistaken. It’s what the CIA calls blowback or, in simple terms, – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The way we respond and handle these situations has a direct correlation to the safety of our own country. Back to my question: What do you think happens to a generation that grows up in war without an education? Answer: It leads to fanaticism and the desire to do whatever it takes to survive.

Earlier this summer I commented on a post on Amnesty International and stated that I had written my Congressmen about a particular topic. A young man from Syria responded begging me to write my Congressmen to tell them what was happening in Syria. His exact words were: “There are real people here who don’t want to die.” I told him that I had already done so. I’ve done it again today. So if you’re bothered by what you see, you can sign the petition here to demand world leaders take action, or you can contact your Congressmen/women and demand they uphold our end of the bargain as leaders of the free world. And yes, I said demand. Here in the US we vote these people in and out of office. They work for you – make them earn it.

Murder on the Mediterranean

European countries along the Mediterranean have seen an influx of immigrants in recent years due to the ongoing conflicts and Africa and the Middle East. This year is one of the biggest surges yet. Not unlike Haitian or Cuban refugees in North America; migrants from Africa and the Middle East often board vessels bound for Italy in the hopes of giving themselves and their families a better life.

In the past two days, three shipwrecks have claimed more than 700 lives; more than 3,000 this year. One of these boats was intentionally sunk by the smugglers when the people refused to be transported from one vessel to another. The Guardian is reporting that up to 100 children are presumed dead in this heinous act. Imagine you’ve survived rape, famine, bombs, or ethnic cleansing to find yourself drowning in the middle of the Mediterranean.

While the root of the problem is obviously to try and resolve the conflicts in these migrant’s home countries, the interim solution is to provide better protection on the seas by having better coordinated rescue missions. This falls under the watch of the European Union which has a track record of turning people away instead of letting them in. Once a refugee has reached a country’s shores, the host country is under a legal and moral obligation to assist them in any way possible. This of course directly applies to countries in the EU as they are part of the UN and thus subject to international law. Immigration reform is another issue and with better practices and better access people would no longer need to risk their lives to get to safety.

We have these same problems here in the United States with the massive influx of Central American refugees fleeing corrupt and war torn regions. Once they are on American soil they must be interviewed and vetted before they are turned away and sent back home. The reception and treatment many of them have seen from my fellow Americans has been nothing short of shameful. Instead of standing at the border and screaming why not do something useful to try and help the people that do arrive on your shores. Organizations like the International Rescue Committee are a great place to start.

Child Interrupted

One of the daily reports from Human Rights Watch really caught my eye today regarding children with special needs. I know I’ve been missing in action, primarily due to too much going on in the evenings and too many meetings during the day. On Saturday we held our annual special needs celebration to thank all of the volunteers and families that participate in our programs for children and adults with special needs. It’s a program through my church but is open to anyone in our community who has a family member with special needs; you don’t have to be a Christian or even believe in God, oh and the best part is – all of the programs are free.

When I read this article about Russia’s special needs children being dumped into state-run institutions and orphanages it made me cringe. Around 30 percent of the special needs children in Russia live in orphanages; and the vast majority of them have at least one living parent.  When a child is born with special needs, in Russia, their parents are told that they will never develop, they will never have normal lives and it is best to turn them over to the state. What happens next is criminal.

Most of the children are left in cribs, sedated constantly and never given any affection or therapeutic attention. Teenage children look no larger than an eight-year-old. They receive little to no stimulation or care and are often underfed. Healthcare workers are under-trained on how to work with children with special needs and have not been educated on the basic rights of the patient. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of the children in the orphanages the caretakers rely on restraints and heavy doses of sedatives to keep any sense of order. Had these children remained with their parents and received any type of therapy they would have been far better off and for many of them they would have led fulfilling lives.

Parents who have taken their children out of these orphanages are amazed at the transformation once they are home. They begin to open up and engage with the world around them. Anyone who has ever worked with special needs kiddos knows what I’m talking about. Just because on the outside their life doesn’t look the same as mine it doesn’t mean their life is any less meaningful.

Russia needs to place more focus on providing community based programs for children and families with special needs. A major shift needs to take place in the medical community where parents are encouraged to keep their children instead of turning them over to the state to be neglected. This whole idea that because the child is not born “normal” and thus are a burden to themselves, their families and their society it outdated and completely wrong. I’ve linked to the video that HRW posted on this topic. I will warn you it is not easy to watch, but it’s important to know.

I can say with a doubt that the kids that I work with are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and the joy that they have brought to my life, and continue to bring, each Friday night that we meet, is beyond compare.

Stolen Land

Early today the state of Israel stole approximately 1,000 acres of land from Palestinians in Gvaot near Bethlehem. The official media language is “seized” which is typically a term used when an aggressor forcibly takes over something that isn’t theirs. The state of Israel has long been in violation of international law with the illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

It’s part of the reason that there is so much turmoil in the state and what sparks the majority of the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis. This latest land grab is one of the largest in the past 30 years and would effectively create a chain of illegal Israeli settlements that could have the potential to grow into another city. Currently Gvaot is occupied by 16 Israeli families. Israel’s recent actions are in direct response to the murder of three Israeli teenagers earlier this summer and the fuse for this latest war. Actions like these fly directly in the face of the Israeli stated intent of peace. How can you make peace with someone when you consistently act in an non-peaceful manner. The same can also be said for Hammas.

The land grabbed today belongs to the Palestinians and for many people it is their sole source of livelihood. Any homes that are on the land will be bulldozed and walls will be erected to keep the Palestinian people out of their land. Israelis will live in nice communities with all the modern conveniences while their neighbors look at the land that once belonged to them from behind the wall. It’s heart breaking and I don’t understand that type of cruelty; especially from a group of people who had the exact same thing done to them more than 70 years ago.

The people of Israel are split on this issue of occupation and find themselves divided between more Zionist, Orthodox Jews with hardline rhetoric and more moderate, secular Jews who see the occupation as the main reason that peace can not be achieved by the two sides. I’ve stated before that I believe in both sides right to self determination, but that right should not involve violence or force.

In most of the Western world children have started another school year. In Gaza their first day of school has been pushed back to the middle of September because the schools have been turned into shelters and most of them have been badly damaged by bombs. So imagine those kids, and countless kids around the world, who are going back to school and they look around their classroom and half their class isn’t there – they didn’t over sleep, they’re not stuck in traffic, they’re not home sick with the flu – they’re gone, wiped off the face of the earth because two groups adults are so busy throwing stones and protecting their own agendas that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win. Even if that means by stealing and killing.

Lebensraum 75 Years Later

Today marks the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II. On September 1, 1939, Hitler’s army marched into Poland as part of the Nazi’s plan to conquer Europe in order to gain more living space, or lebensraum, for the great Aryan nation. Hitler, being the master of propaganda that he was, actually staged a fake attack to help sway German public opinion in favor of a war. SS men dressed in Polish Army uniforms “attacked” a German radio tower along the Polish border giving Hitler the ammunition he needed to portray Poland as the aggressor and unleash his invasion.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know what happens next – a massive, full-scale world war that claimed millions of lives. World War II and the horrors that it produced were the impetus for the modern human rights movement. From the ashes of Europe and Japan rose the United Nations, the UN Declaration of Human Rights and more stringent international laws, all aimed at preventing another war like World War II and another Holocaust.

I’ve been fortunate in my travels to have spent two weeks in Eastern Europe visiting Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. As can be expected in those countries there are hundreds of years of history and a strong emphasis on their role during World War II. Visiting Auschwitz is an experience that I think everyone should have, and is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The enormity of the place and the horrors held within those barbed wire fences were beyond anything anyone could have imagined at that time; and while I was there I tried to remain conscious of the fact that every single place that I was walking, someone had suffered horrifically – to me that place is sacred.

I’m often asked by those that don’t know me well if I’m Jewish because of my interest in the Holocaust – I’m not, just an honorary Jew. I want to know why humans do the things they do, what makes someone capable of murdering innocent men, women and children based on their religion, the color of their skin or their political beliefs? Eleven million people died in the Holocaust, six million of them Jews. The phrase, “Never Again,” was used following the war as a battle cry for the prevention of future genocide – a cry that has sadly fallen on deaf ears.

While we have definitely made tremendous progress in the realm of human rights in the past 75 years, similar atrocities continue to happen. Genocide and ethnic cleansing is still rampant today. The word genocide gets tossed around a lot in the media but what most people don’t know is that there are specific criteria that acts of aggression must meet in order for mass killings to be considered a genocide. God willing there will only be one Holocaust – so defined by Hitler’s design to murder every single person in the world of the Jewish faith – that’s what sets it apart from other genocides. The word genocide wasn’t even invented until November 1944 when a Polish Jew, living in America, named Raphael Lemkin created the word from the Greek word geno, meaning race/tribe, and the Latin derivative cide, from caedere, which means killing.

On December 9, 1948, the newly formed United Nations passed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The convention states that genocide is committed when the following acts are committed against a group: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberate calculations of ending life, preventing births and forcibly transferring children of the group. To be found guilty of the crime of genocide the perpetrators have to carry out any of these acts with the intent to destroy all or part of the group in question. Lemkin’s life goal was to see the United States ratify the convention – a goal he worked so hard for that it literally cost him his life and he succumbed to a heart attack on August 28, 1959. The United States finally ratified the Convention on November 25, 1988.

So ask yourself this: where are genocides taking place in the world today? Do the current conflicts in Israel, Sudan, Darfur, Syria and Iraq, to name a few, count? Look at the definition and explanation above and decide; and when you’ve made your decision do something about it.

Judge Not, Yet Ye Be Judged

I’m behind on so many posts that I want to write – Ferguson, terrorism, etc. My actual day job is getting in the way of my life job, but I just got a little fired up so I figured I’d write about it. At this point you’ve probably figured out that I am a Christian. After almost 13 years of not attending church regularly, except for the 12 times I was a bridesmaid, I started going again after I turned 30. I thought it might help my singleness – desperate times, call for desperate measures- and while I may still be single it has provided me with a tremendous outlet for service to others.

I happen to be a United Methodist and if you don’t know much about Christian denominations I jokingly say we are like the Democrats of Christianity or there isn’t a social cause we haven’t championed. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m fully aware that as with anything there are hypocrites and people that turn Christianity and the big JC’s words around on other people in order for it to fit their own agenda. I always say, “Don’t confuse God with something mankind is doing. Once mankind gets involved we will figure out a way to fuck it up.” We’re human, we’re flawed.

So, this leads me to my post. I follow the United Methodist Women on social media and this group has been serving the needs of local and world communities for years. Today, they posted a link about a recent report they did in Nepal about helping needy children get the nutrients they need in order to thrive and survive. In that post they asked for others to share what they’re doing in their community to help improve maternal, child and reproductive health. Those last two words is what got me all fired up. Another woman on the site said the following: What is “reproductive health?” Seriously, it sounds like a Planned Parenthood catch phrase.

And yes my friends that’s what this nice Christian lady who is supposed to love and provide for everyone had to say about that. Good ole’ Planned Parenthood, you know the demon organization that provides other life saving healthcare services besides abortions to women who are in need. I’m proud to say that Dallas will open one of the first clinics that meets stringent new laws imposed by the state of Texas on abortion clinics. If you remember the epic Wendy Davis filibuster that’s what she was bustering about.

Thankfully I’ve never had to make the choice of whether or not to have an abortion; but I know plenty of women who have. Just because it isn’t something that I would do doesn’t give me the right to judge. I believe in a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body. If you don’t agree with abortion, don’t get one and leave everything else up to her and her God.

Jesus was the ultimate human rights activist – he died for freedom of speech – where once we were told an eye for an eye he said turn the other cheek, when the Pharisees were after him to try and trap him with his words and accuse him of blasphemy (a crime punishable by death back in the day, and in some 3rd world countries still today) asked what the greatest commandment was he said this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. That is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

So with that I’ll leave you with my post back to my lovely friend who apparently missed these passages.

Post from UMW: Read our maternal and child health story from Nepal: bit.ly/VOCXd0. Then share your own story! What are you doing to improve maternal, child and reproductive health in your community or around the world? Share your success stories and challenges right here on our Facebook page, and get inspired to take action!

Follower’s post: What is “reproductive health?” Seriously, it sounds like a Planned Parenthood catch phrase.

My response: Reproductive health is defined by WHO as the the entire reproductive system and the healthy maintenance of that system. It could be a Planned Parenthood catch phrase since they provide life saving services like mammograms and pap smears to women who do not have access to adequate health care. One of our human rights as outlined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights is the right to healthcare; something people in our own country and many countries around the world do not have. Women and children in developing nations are especially susceptible to reproductive health issues during and after child birth. As a United Methodist I am extremely proud of this church’s staunch support of basic human rights. You don’t have to agree with everything, and if you don’t like something don’t do it, but judge not least ye be judged on anything that does not pertain directly to you as a person.