Alabama - God's country

[Elf01]

I always saw the Church’s support of nuns and religious sisters as, at least in part, a powerful statement that a woman’s life has value completely independent of her reproductive capacity. And that statement would be entirely negated if nuns and religious sisters were to be used as “incubators.”

I thought viewing a pregnant woman as an incubator was a pro abortion thing.

Certainly noone should be forced to adopt an embryo any more than they should be forced to adopt a born child.

 

[DaveBj]

Can we get back to talking about Alabama?

Please. This thread has been well and truly hijacked.

D

 

[JLP1]

I’ve seen some Catholics argue that some Protestants effectively reduce the status of the Virgin Mary to that of an “incubator,” (their word for describing the idea prevalent in some circles that she was a “vessel”) so I didn’t think that use was unique to either side. I agree no one should be forced to adopt an embryo, and such a scenario would be incredibly dehumanizing for both parties.

 

[Peeps]

I think Rep. Ocasio-Cortez grew up in The Bronx, as did I. The Bronx has a checkered history, and it has something in common with the small towns you mention, that is, it too has been stereotyped, in this instance as consisting mainly of gangs and violence. Not so, as I can tell you from personal experience growing up in this borough of New York. And I think Ocasio-Cortez knows this too. There are a majority of hard-working people who have lived and are presently living in The Bronx, who have the same hopes and dreams for themselves and their families as all Americans have. I agree with you, though, that more exposure to the communities and neighborhoods across America would open the eyes and mind and heart of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to the needs and aspirations of people whom she has probably had little or no contact with.

meltzerboy2, my husband and I have been talking about your comment about The Bronx being a community of hard-working people.

I don’t disagree with you. My daughter has lived in Queens for several years, and works very hard (theater, teaching, events, etc.) It’s definitely a “working area.” Along with cheaper rents, another reason my daughter chose Queens over Manhattan is that it kind of feels more like Northern Illinois…

…but it ISN"T Northern Illinois.

The difference between The Bronx and many other working communities in the U.S. is that The Bronx is urban due to the closeness of NYC.

The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It’s not a small town. It has little resemblance to many of the small cities and towns across the U.S., where people are hundreds or even thousands of miles away from a major city, and tens of miles away from a small city like mine.

I’m NOT saying that the people of The Bronx aren’t working hard, or that they’re “privileged”–no! I recognize that they are working people living in a neighborhood. But they are part of one of the largest cities in the world, and that means that other than working for a living, they really don’t have much in common with the people in Decorah, Iowa, or Eureka Springs, Arkansas, or Wempletown, Illinois.

So I repeat–Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow “urbanites” would greatly benefit taking that road trip, preferably with a native “fly-over” resident who can point out any bias and correct any misconceptions and help them not to be “afraid” to stop at a local diner.

 

[Peeps]

Recently, my other daughter (not the Queens resident) took a “girls trip” through her state to visit a famous winery with several friends who happen to be extremely liberal politically.

As they drove through the countryside, the young ladies kept making comments about “this town looks like a good place for a horror movie!” and “WHAT on earth do the people DO in this backwater?!” and “These women look so oppressed.”

Finally, my daughter spoke up and said, “You all sound very prejudiced against people you don’t even know. Most of these people are highly-intelligent, and I’ll bet that many of the men that you’re making fun of are mechanically more handy than your husbands and many of the women aren’t oppressed at all, but are happy to live out in the country where they can have animals and a big garden!”

Within a short time, they had a chance to experience the truth of my daughter’s words when they had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. They waited for 45 minutes before they saw a car in the distance, and my daughter said, “I’ll bet you cash that the car will stop, the person will get out and offer to help, and that they’ll probably change the tire for us.”

Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. A young farmer stopped, asked if the ladies were OK, and then changed their tire for them.

That sure shut 'em up!

 

[JLP1]

I think it would do everyone good to take not only road trips but also to live in different regions. And that goes for both sides - I’ve lived around the country, including Indiana, South Carolina, California, and Arkansas - and I’ve seen more than enough negative stereotypes and misconceptions in and about all of those regions to go around. There’s nothing like living in multiple regions to prove that people are people and that no one has a monopoly on directing withering scorn towards people and places unlike their own.