Being raised in a Red State

I was listening to npr yesterday, as I regularly do, and was fascinated by a discussion on Talk of America about the difference in family values in the red states and blue states. Naomi Cahn and June Carbone explain this apparent paradox in their book, Red Families V. Blue Families. I have not read it yet, but plan to. Here's a short excerpt from the conversation on npr yesterday:
"Many of our assumptions about the cultural divide between red and blue states may be wrong. New research shows that more liberal states, like Massachusetts, tend to have the lowest rates of divorce and teen childbirth. In other words the most stable families, the homes with two parents to nurture their kids, are found in the liberal strongholds along the East and West Coasts. Conversely, the higher rates of teen childbirth and divorce occur in the red states that conservatives so often celebrate as the heartland of family values."

This led me to think about the culture of the state that I have resided my entire life and the way it has shaped my values and beliefs. Red states, such as Oklahoma, tout themselves as protectors of family values, and as crusaders for God. I myself believed this notion for a large portion of my life. In fact, it has only been in the last couple years that I have started to really question the sanity of some of the beliefs I was spoon fed from my culture since birth.

To begin with, let's talk about the disconnect this state has with reproductive issues. Follow me here. Abstinence only education is taught regularly in most homes, schools, and churches. Not only abstinence now, but abstinence til marriage. (It's no wonder people here get married so young) No discussion of contraceptives takes place in any form of institutional setting for most young people and from my experiences, very little education of this type takes place in the home either. Does this lead to a decreased rate of teen sex: NO. Is the teen birthrate lower in this state as a result: NO.

Okay, fast forward to the teenagers who end up pregnant as a result of bad sex education and are then faced with the decision of whether they want to have the baby or not. The culture in a red state does not lend itself to a teen mother choosing anything but having the child. If for some reason a female decides that she does want to have an abortion, the state legislature has made sure that she will have to face every form of barrier before this can occur: harassment, guilt, unneeded and harmful medical procedures, waiting periods, exorbitant costs, etc. In fact, a woman can only have an abortion in 3 counties in Oklahoma: 3 out of 77.
But 75% of teen pregnancies in Oklahoma end in live birth, and this statistic is similar in most red states. So for most pregnant teen females, they're choice is to have a baby that the state and culture seems to want so badly to come into existence. Surely then, this culture and this state who has failed to educate teens in methods of avoiding this situation, and has failed to give them access to all choices after the fact will then be sure to go to great lengths to support this teen mom and new baby that chose life, right? NO. This state makes sure that welfare is an impossibility to gain access to (look it up), that Medicaid is cut to bare bone levels, and that anyone on these services feels guilty for taking taxpayer services. But what about the churches, surely these institutions are making sure to take care of their own, right? From what I've seen, NO. I have never seen a church support a teen mother, because that might send the wrong message.

I am not taking a stance on abortion here believe it or not. I am trying to make a point that there is a large disconnect in our culture in red states that is very disheartening. Somewhere there needs to be a change if we want to be able to tout family values without speaking in bold faced lies.


-If you would like to listen to the npr story, here is the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126780035

Corporations are people too

I have been too busy with midterms and other responsibilities to do much blogging lately. Instead of going on a long rant about something that only a few of you will read, I am going to leave you with a video of a segment from last night's Daily Show. John Stewart just has a way with words. Enjoy!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
In Dodd We Trust
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Globalization

Globalization is an idea that is discussed in nearly all of my political science classes. In previous generations terms like the "Cold War" or the "Space Age" have been used to describe the time, but the current generation in which we live is called the "Age of Globalization." It's real, and it's here to stay. The explosion in technological innovation has changed the way we live our lives but is it for the better? The following is a great simplistic explanation of globalization I found on the internet: People around the globe are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow more quickly than ever. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are increasingly available in all parts of the world. International travel is more frequent. International communication is commonplace. This phenomenon has been titled "globalization."

This is an issue that has already affected each and every one of us whether we realize it or not and it is not going away. Borders no longer exist to business, politics, social activists, or culture. Just last week an example of globalization hit me smack in the face. A friend of mine ordered a pair of boots from an internet site that was offering these boots at about half the rate you can buy them in the local store. You paid online and they came shipped directly from China. At first I was very excited to order a discounted pair but then I realized that if I did so I would be going against something that is rooted deep in my core. Please understand, I do not judge at all if you have ordered from these types of places, I know these are tough times and sometimes we all need to save money, myself included. I just made a personal decision that the cost wasn't worth the savings. If I had saved the money on this pair of boots I would have cut out the city, county, state, department store, mall, etc. If enough transactions like this take place, the jobs, establishments, and services that we all enjoy as Americans might just disappear.

Did you know that if you shop or eat at locally owned establishments the money you spend cycles through your city and state an average of six times? If you shop at a "big box" retailer or chain restaurant the local economy sees it once. If you shop online directly from another country the local, state, and federal economy receive no benefit.

Please understand that I know we all do what we can with what we have. This is just food for thought. I am far from perfect in my shopping habits, I just happen to think about it more than the average American. What are your thoughts?

For more information and a great read on globalization, I suggest The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.

Here goes nothing...

I tried this blogging thing once before but got bored quickly because it seemed like I was posting the same things here that I was posting on facebook: pictures of my kids, stories of recent events, cute things that were happening in our lives, etc. I am going to try this again, but will blog less about family happenings and more about things that I will not share on facebook: school experiences, current events, politics, and random thoughts.
I invite anyone and everyone to comment or read anonymously, I just ask that people respect others. Please no name calling or profanity. This is a place for adults who want to have a conversation. I hope you enjoy this outlet as much as I hope I will.

-Erin