I attempted to make a comment to your last reply, but I'm not allowed to even look at that post anymore. Did I do something wrong? I thought we were having a decent discussion. Do you just not want to know what I have to say in response to your last comment?

That's okay. Perhaps you're right, and we should let it go. I'm really sorry we didn't talk at the marathon. It's sort of ironic that we can say so much here - often more than we probably should - yet didn't find time to hang there. I'd like to rectify that in the future.

America Lite!

what I got from the attached article is that Oz is going the way the US has where abortion issues are decided at the state/regional level. Kinda like Irish women going to England for the weekend. It might mean more inconvenience in the short term but in the long run at least they aren't caring for and/or neglecting another life.

I don't expect welfare to pick up every woman's abortion but there has to be something in the works to help the poor since abstination doesn't work.

These people must have easier pregnancies. My morning sickness was enough to make that an unattractive process. Also, where do these people come up w/ these schemes to work the system? We take anti money laundering classes every year for compliance reasons and I am always amazed at the complexity of some of these schemes. I can't see how it's worth it but if you don't get caught apparently it pays off.
I certainly don't agree w/ lifelong welfare and multi-generation welfare either.

In all things balance.
Just got to find the middle ground.

At the school meetings tonight we were discussing Thanksgiving donations for 2 known families in trouble. One is living in a hotel, mom w/ cancer, lost everything in a fire last year, started to rebuild and has now been hit by a tornado. This family has it rough.

The other family at least has a roof overhead and could cook a dinner if it's provided (which I'm voting for).

The lady in charge of the PTA meeting said she wanted to cry the 1st time a 6th grader's parole officer came to the school and then was telling (no names) about one boy whose hobby was carjacking (caught pretty regularly, but still a minor so...) because it paid better than any hourly job he could get.

On the plus side - the school newspaper came out today and Kay has 2 articles and is the major editor (since it was her idea last year anyway). And at the 1st mtg tonight we found a space in the school for a parent resource library/center and will be raiding closets next meeting to outfit it and we're all getting various pamphlets, books and ideas to fill it in. It'll get parents out of the main office and give them a chance to explore options they may not know about (various food banks, clothing closets, utility help, parenting skills, 1st time homebuyer stuff, etc.). We were very well pleased with the progress we made tonight. I'd like to hook up with the Spanish teacher. Seems like she's got a good parentnetwork going, including books in Spanish book club(not sure if that's generally a community thing or not but that's the feeling I get).

When I was a teen I took care of my own issues unless they were brought to my parents' attention by other people.

I would like to be notified by my child. No parent likes to be informed of issues by outside sources but I would like to know what's going on. If my child takes care of his/her own issues and deals well with it then so be it.

Life teaches everyone some tough lessons. It would be nice to be informed so I can at least run damage control (once the anger tempered itself, ya know!).

I'm such a fence sitter on this kind of thing. I see both sides entirely too easily. Personal responsibility is where I finally end up here. If you're old enough to do it then you're old enough to deal with the consequences.