ROAD TO HELL

Melissa Ann Rowland truly was not a pretty sight. However one wonders if anyone of us would look any better the next day after undergoing a Caesarean section to deliver twins.

Especially if we too had a history of mental illness since the age of 12; especially if we too were frightened of being sliced open from "breast bone to pubic bone."

Holly Mullen questions the first-degree murder charge in The Salt LakeTribune:

"One thing for certain, this is a first for Utah -- where adults can leave handguns lying about the house and refuse their child standard medical treatment for cancer and chalk it up to parental rights. Women have served time for child abuse in somewhat similar cases, but never have any been charged with first-degree murder. "

Why drop a boulder on a mentally troubled woman when a small stone might do? Because in Utah, he can. "This is not a political decision," he says, in all seriousness. "Utah law permits this kind of charging. http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Mar/03142004/utah/147640.asp

"Because, in Utah he can" is a phrase that chills the heart. Utah has always been addicted to extreme Conservatism -- the endgame that Conservative Republicans like Bush are aiming for.

The treatment by Utah of this woman and women in general is abominable. But it is a treatment that may well face all of us if this country is destined to renew Bush's stolen lease on the White House.

If women are going to vote for him out of their fear of terrorists and what they would do, then they'd do well to consider the terrorism waiting within the White House policies in the next four years.

In this first nearly four years of his term, we've already seen assaults on our civil rights where laws have been passed to restrict our reproductive rights.

We've seen his effect on the environment our children will inherit. We've seen what can happen when Republicans take over a state's governorship. "Vermont has gone from No.1 to No. 34 in the number of women appointed to top-level positions in government." -- The Center for Women in Government and Civil Society Report

We've seen an unnecessary and costly war continuing to be fought in Iraq with the blood of our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, children and friends.

Spain has shown us the answer. Following their equivalent of our 9/11, they kicked the president out of office who led them to support the Bush war in Iraq. They knew what many in this country refuse to acknowledge.

They knew the fallacy of the explanation, touted by the Bush administration, that the Iraq invasion was a way to destroy terrorism so we don't have to fight it on our own land. They know the invasion just pissed the terrorists off even more than ever.

We also have a lesson to learn from another country we invaded to capture Osama and destroy al-Qa'ida. Remember how George and Laura bragged that we were bringing freedom and democracy to Afghan women?

KABUL (CP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered Afghan men a trade today in an attempt to convince them to let their women vote in upcoming elections. "Please, my dear brothers, let your wives and sisters go to the voter registration process," Karzai told a gathering to mark International Women's Day. "Later, you can control who she votes for, but please, let her go. [our emphasis]

twanda@sover.net

2004-012

Copyright 2004 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net.