well said leftist guest person (I can't figure out if you are a man or a woman but I suppose that's of no real consequence...). I say the same type of thing to myself regarding the lesser of two evils merry go around but I seem to get no where...

I don't know if this is hijacking your post or not but I wanted to say something about the Kerry/Edwards vote.

As a leftist who lives in fear of what will happen with gwb in office again, I cannot bring myself to vote for kerry/edwards. Here's one of many specific reasons why:

Edwards made tons of money from a system that commits indesputable violence against women and children by the thousands everyday. He played a HUGE role in leading american obstetrics to its current horrific state. By this sytem's very nature women are bullied, misinformed, terrorized and violated. I can back this statement up with THOUSANDS of studies, testimonials, trials, etc and be more than happy to point anyone in the direction of this information. There is simply not room here on mudcat and I am also aware it is quite beyond the scope of the forums purpose and want to maintain respect for that. I bring it up at all because the group does show a great interest in discussing politics and I think this information deserves a mention.

Obstetrics is not motived by healthy mothers and children. It is motivated by money and the protection of it. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology barely even bothers to mask its legally motivated guidelines by cherry picking a few flimsy studies that support its downright harmful mandates. They advocate a medical model that actively goes AGAINST the best interests of women and their babies. But that's okay because guys like Edwards and fear-mongering, wealthy doctors will profit. Women and children are just capitalist commodities.

Woman are no longer being informed enough or even "permitted" to choose the SAFER options like having a vaginal birth instead of a cersarian (which is major abdominal surgery with all the intrinsic dangers to mother and baby as opposed to a natural, biological occurance) quite simply so that doctors make more money per woman and protect themselves from being sued while they are at it.

The public never hears of this assault on women in the mainstream media (nor in any leftist material that I know of for that matter). The public hears that doctors saves innocent babies and protect endangered mothers. OF COURSE there are very valid reasons for a cesarian birth. The current statistics show the cesarian rate at 1 in 4. ONE QUARTER of the births. The rate is insanely higher among poor women, women of color etc etc basically women that are marginalized in our society and so have no voice or tangible recourse.

Perhaps this seems a very personal concern because I happen to be a birthing woman who has worked with literally hundreds of in many ways powerless birthing women but what is more far-reaching than the santity of the human body, of birth, of choice?

Selima N.