Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood thoughts

There has been a lot of debate on the internet over the Susan G. Komen foundation withdrawing funding from Planned parenthood and in 99% of the debate I've read it has soon turned into a circus of political mud throwing and more importantly a renewed debate over abortion rights. It seems people are getting very incensed about this issue all the time on both sides; seems like pro-lifers like to call the other side "baby killers" and the pro-choicers are constantly on the defensive because they fear Roe vs. Wade will be reversed if a Republican gets elected or public opinion sways enough to the right. Both sides are very emotionally invested in the issue judging by what I've read.
I'm a firm believer in the separation of church and state and this is a good example of what happens when religious issues hold too much weight in the political arena. Not to mention the enormous amount of money getting poured into lobbying and the creation of the super PACs to sway public opinion and votes.
I feel that religion is obviously no measure of a political candidate's capabilities and more often than not it's been proven no motivator for moral behavior. Anyone remember the vocal religious conservative who was a gay pedophile behind closed doors? Or the hundreds of self-proclaimed solid christian men who not only proved to be gay but cheated on their wives with prostitutes or did tons of drugs? This kind of hypocrisy only wins votes by dividing the country into left and right, because obviously the very people who are loudest about the importance of religion have no concern for morals when it comes to themselves.
What happened to the moderate middle? Or to religion being a private issue? Especially with so many churches and religions existing in the U.S.? I doubt a Buddhist would be supported in this country even though i admire their religion more. 
I'm somewhat scared of the consequences if someone radically religious would gain enough power to make changes in this country, especially since these religious types seem to have no respect for opinions opposed to theirs and others personal rights and our wishes to live our own lives without having our rights trampled on.
I've always wondered where these religious zealots would draw the line for abortion. What if the mother would die if she keeps the pregnancy? What if it was the result of a rape? What if the fetus was diagnosed with a deadly illness and it would die shortly after birth, even further hurting the parents? What if the fetus is diagnosed with something like Down syndrome and the parents can't imagine going through life caring for a child who will never be anything but a burden? What if the parents do not have the financial means to even begin to care for such a child? What is the opposite to abortion in these cases? Forced birth?
One common phrase used seems to be "If she didn't want to have a baby why didn't she use birth control?" It seems to me that we all conveniently forget about the mistakes we've all made when we were young. How about all of us? How many of us have made some not so smart choices when we were younger? Even though we've outgrown those times or we have gotten smarter how many of us can say they have never had unprotected sex? Maybe some smoked pot a couple of times or experimented with other drugs or drank a few times at a college frat party? What if every single instance you made one of those not too smart decisions meant a life sentence with no recourse and no way out?
As a girl i have to say that i have yet to hear a dude begging me to have sex with a condom; they all beg to do it without one. Yet this whole debate has nothing to do with the guy, it's all a war on the girl; even though the way i remember it, all the guys were trying to get into some girl's pants, not the other way around. It's mostly the guys hustling and "being players" trying to get a girl to sleep with them, not the other way around. Where is their responsibility? I'll bet that if the guys were to have to get pregnant after sex abortion would have been legal a long time ago.
I too have thought about what it would mean if i had gotten pregnant and i am nothing but terrified of the possibility to lose control over my own reproductive rights. When i was younger giving birth would have but destroyed my life, i wouldn't have been able to finish college, not to mention the poverty I've lived in for a while, i see no way i would have been able to support myself, a non-working husband and our child on my rather meager pay. The girls who end up pregnant are mostly poor and minimally educated, their lives made so much harder by having a baby, almost impossible to continue schooling and thus condemning herself to a life of perpetual poverty, not to mention becoming another drain on a system that only helps very little. The guy that sweet-talked his way into her pants? Not so much.
The decision must be a hard one to make anyway and it all rests on her shoulders. Some have pointed out that when using Planned Parenthood's services out of necessity, even though they were there for something entirely different than an abortion, they were greeted by protesters and picketers, getting guilted and insulted. How hurtful it must have been to be forced there out of poverty yet be insulted for it.
To me it's sad to live in a world so controlled by mindlessness, in darkness of the reason, so unmerciful yet so self-righteous that people are trying to take my freedoms away from me. I understand that certain things are illegal and there is a reason for them to be that way, but infringing on a woman's reproductive rights because your religious leaders tell you it's ok to unleash your inner bigot, that just enrages me. Just like the rest of the people involved in this debate, on both sides. This is just my side.

My new Jambalaya findings and recipes

  After poring over countless recipes i found this one that seems the most authentic to me. Thanks cooks.com :)

BEST CAJUN ANDOUILLE AND CHICKEN GUMBO




1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3/4 cup of canola or peanut oil
1 cup of plain flour
4 quarts of chicken stock (plus additional water if needed)
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tablespoon of fresh or dried thyme
2+ tablespoons of Tony Chachere's seasoning, to taste
1/2 pound or 4 cups of fresh or frozen okra, chopped
1 lb chicken meat, cooked and deboned
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced thin
4-6 cups of cooked white rice
chopped parsley and green onion tops for garnish
1 lb. of cooked deveined shrimp (if desired)
ground file' (if desired)

Start off by prepping the "Trinity" vegetables (onion, celery and bell pepper) by chopping them, then set aside with the onion separate.To a cast iron skillet warming up on med-high heat, add the oil and then the flour, blending well to make a roux. Continue stirring constantly on medium to medium-high heat with a metal spatula or wire whisk for about 15-20 minutes as the roux turns color from white to tan, then to a peanut butter color, and then a medium to dark brown color like melted chocolate.

Note: Make sure to scrape the entire base of the skillet as u go along and never stop stirring for any longer than about 5-10 seconds or it will scorch and be fit for nothing more than the garbage can.)

(*SHHHH this is a secret technique*) At this point add the onions first and cook for at least 5 minutes until they start to caramelize in the roux (which will turn it even darker), then add the celery, bell pepper, garlic and thyme to the hot roux, stir and cook on low heat for about 5 more minutes. Be sure to have a bottle of drinking water and a towel for your forehead nearby...it's like working over napalm :-P
Transfer the cooked roux mixture to a large stockpot and add the chicken stock over high heat (plus extra water later if needed to cover the remaining ingredients) along with the chicken, sausage and Tony's seasoning. While allowing the assembled gumbo to come to a boil, fry the bare okra in a few tablespoons of oil for a couple minutes and then add to the pot (or if desired, breaded okra can be substituted and served on the side).
Once brought to a boil, lower heat to med-low and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Serve hot over a bed of rice with green onions and parsley garnish, plus ground sassafras leaves (file') can be added for even more authentic Cajun flavor.
This recipe is the real deal and I have yet to taste a restaurant gumbo better than this (at least not here in Mississippi) lol.

Submitted by: Ty Jankowski / Jackson, MS

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2227,152183-229204,00.html