The notice is on the front page today. We have lost 2500 Americans in the "war" in Iraq. These soldiers gave thier lives following orders in an undeclared? war. If it was declared I don't remember it. mabey I was asleep.
Now on page 89 thousand something (my uid) here the numbers from the GOP's war on women and their war on babies. The war on women thing is a bit meta for me to post, but since the beginning of the Iraq war, over 3700 women have been killed right here at home. Here's the REALLY bad one. The GOP war on babies has left 84,000 babies (children less 1 year old) dead.
Now I know what you are thinking, even the GOP doesn't go around killing women and babies right here at home but just read on a bit. The deaths of the women were at the hands of intimate partners the numbers have only gotten worse since 2000. The babies were from the yearly infant mortality rate which accodring to
http://www.marchofdimes.com/... has showed no improvement since 2000, breaking the lowering trend that had been going on for decades.
According to the CDC 2004 saw a record high 35.7% of the 4.1 million births in the US were by single women. 25,000 unplanned pregnancies occur each year as a result of rape. (for some reason the conviction rate for rape pales in comparison, even though the pregnancy ratio is 1 in 12 rapes) The infant mortality rate was 6.8per 1000 live births. Poor nutrition, low birth weight, SIDS and poor or lack of prenatal care were cited as major contributers to the numbers.
There are scores of studies that show that breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of SIDS and definitely clears up that poor nutrition problem, but for some reason women still struggle for the right to provide their babies with this essential nutrituion. There was even a 5000 plus breastfeeding woman protest a few months ago. Low income families struggle to pay for health care and well child check ups go for a few hundred per visit. Welfare to work keeps women from being able to stay with their children during those vital months - and pumping is not a realistic way to carry on breast feeding for the World Health Organisations recommended 2 years. Even the AMA says 1 year is vital to proper development.
Prenatal care is also becoming harder to get without good bennies. Alot of so called "abortion" clinics also provide scale cost prenatal care for women who are on medicaid or who are uninsured but dont't qualify for assistance. Medicaid rarely covers prenatal vitamins which can cost up to $40. Prescription Iron suppliments for the high percentage of women who are a little aneamic during pregnancy are also rarely covered.
For the soldiers, the women no judge jury or prosecuter helped, for the infants who were not given a chance, I beg. Please stop this.