Friday, August 25, 2006

Abortion, Adoption and Hope for Humanity

One of the most disgusting images your eyes can ever come upon are the remains of a human fetus that has been aborted.

As usual, I Googled images that have something to do with the topic I'm writing about to give the post a little pop, and to drive home a point if needed. I just could not post what I found online. It is offensive. It is humanity at its worse conceivable level. Please don't go looking for those images...

My personal stand on abortion is simple... I believe abortion is a medical procedure and should not be used as a form of birth control. There are instances in which an abortion would be medically preferred to an actual birth. The examples usually given are rape and if the well being of the mother is in jeopardy.

I agree with those. There is no way I would lose my wife for my baby. We posess the power to create another child and I could not survive without her and neither could my children. I believe God would sort out the ramifications of our choice. That's the same position I would take in the case of a rape that results in pregnancy. It may be best for the health of the victim to terminate the pregnancy and again, I believe God would sort out the ramifications of those human choices.

It is clear that abortion is now accepted in the United States and that it is a hideous form of birth control.

Mother Teresa said "The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion, which is war against the child. The mother doesn't learn to love, but kills to solve her own problems. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want."

In my own life I have seen examples of where unwanted pregnancies carried to birth are positive experiences in the life of the mother and the child. I have also seen couples spend close to $15,000 to adopt a child from another country because they cannot find babies for adoption in this country.

I believe there must be negative psychological effects on a woman having an abortion. I cannot imagine carrying a child or childbirth, and I also cannot imagine being responsible for ending the life of a human being for no reason other than inconvenience.

Every evening in America there are tens of thousands of couples begging a Heavenly Being for a baby. When we can celebrate the choice to put a baby up for adoption instead of stigmatizing young mothers and focusing on their mistakes, we can lift the humanity of this country.

TK

Thursday, August 10, 2006

JFK and Defending Democracy Around the World

John F. Kennedy said some amazing things during his life time. When I was in college I became fascinated with JFK and found a book on the speeches he gave during his adult political life.

Now there are speech writers and then there are people who give speeches - I believe Kennedy may have been both. If you go to his presidential library in Boston you can see written speeches that looked as if they were final drafts... only to have Kennedy personally make changes in the margins. A word added here, a new phrase there, but the changes would make the statement perfect and the ideas come to life.

During his 1961 inaugural speech President Kennedy made two remarks that lay the foundation for defending democracy around the world.

Quote 1
"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home and around the world!"


Kennedy layed the ground work for American political and military interest and intervention in other parts of the world that were free or pursuing freedom. "... and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home and around the world."

The man most democrats would choose as the most influencial member of their party in the last 50 years clearly stood for pursuing democracy around the world. Almost every current democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate would stand against John F. Kennedy today, including his own brother.

Quote 2
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."

We shall pay any price and oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. According to the first quote, not just in this country but around the world.

It amazes me to see how many democrats idolize JFK but don't agree with his politics and the things that he beleived to be right. Iraq is a serious challenge and our troops must come home quickly, but what we've tried to do there was worth pursuing. Read Kennedy's writings and you'll see that he would have agreed.

TK

Friday, August 04, 2006

Endless Summer...

I didn't write once in July on tomkauffman.com - it was vacation month. Our trip to Imperial Beach, Cam's trip to Camp Geronimo and just general down time at the compound took up the entire month.

As August rolled in, its been very warm here in Scottsdale, almost too warm for man nor beast. The pool has been a wet and welcome respite from the heat. When the pool isn't enough I reach for a Dryers Tangerine fruit pop... and the world is right (for about 180 seconds until the thing has been inhaled.)

California was a great trip. We stayed in a beach house for two weeks that was just killer. Brand new and decked out. Amanda loved it and was contained and safe upstairs. When she got to the beach she was in heaven. Is she beautiful or what?

Cam and Chris turned a room without any windows into their official game room by taking my projector and playing xBox on an entire wall. Katie and I enjoyed the sound of the ocean all night. Megan enjoyed torchering the boys.

Jack really had a thrill over in Sea World. On the way in to see the Shamu show we stopped to ask someone if we could get some special seating for Amanda. The person we asked was in a wet suit and she was just looking at Jack the entire time I was asking her for help. Turns out she was the trainer designated to find someone for the Shamu Show... someone to star in the Shamu show.

So out of the blue she said, "how would you like to meet Shamu?" What do you say when someone asks if you want to meet a celebrity? "Heck yes." So not only did Amanda get special seating, but Jack was the star of the Shamu show and actually got to throw fish in the beasts mouth! He was brought down in front of the tank and got to touch Shamu and then toss him (or her) some chow.

Jack then proceeded to get really wet. He said the water was VERY cold. How exciting for Jack. He was the star of the show, I don't remember much about the whale - it was black and white I think. Jack even had a line in the show. The head trainer asked Jack, "who did you come to see today?" Jack, being coach in his lines delivered a firm answer - "Shamu" and things really got moving after that! Mo (short for Moses, which is a nickname Jack has had since being born) had his picture thrown up on these huge rotating jumbo-tron screens. The music was pumping through the place and there was Jack - rotating 180 degrees on screen. Amazing.

We did a lot of other CA things with our friends Jeff and Angie and their girls. I got away for eight of the days before heading back to work. Those were eight awesome days. I needed the rest and the chance to rejuvenate. Mission accomplished.

Katie, Chris, Cam, Jack, Meg and Amanda has a great summer. As it winds down I thank each of them for making my life incredible.

TK