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Snuff It #3 |
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This Old Cervix
by Sister Catherine
Excommunicate: to expel from communion with a church; to exclude or
eject from membership in or the privileges of a church by ecclesiastical
authority.
In September Rev. Korda was required to perform the Church of Euthanasia's
first excommunication. As we have only one commandment, there is only one
reason for excommunication--pregnancy. The Rev. and I both counseled
this young woman, but we were too late. We learned of her pregnancy
secondhand; by this time she was already 12 weeks from conception and had
received significant amounts of counseling from her therapist, counselors at
organizations such as Planned Parenthood, and her friends. It seems that
these caring individuals convinced her that having a child was a personal
decision that would affect her own life only, and that she could be
independent and raise a child.
This pregnancy might be her last chance at motherhood; she's had several
previous abortions and another abortion preformed this late could have
serious effects on her reproductive system. Quite obviously she's had
trouble remembering to use contraceptives, but knowing that she did not
want to be a mother, she had abortions. This time was different. This
time the liberal do-gooders and care providers got to her. Their
diagnosis was that this woman's actions prove that she wanted a baby,
and since (1) this could be her last chance at having a healthy pregnancy,
and (2) she is a loving and generous (albeit lonely) individual, then she
should have this baby! Hooray for modern psychology. We are women
of the nineties. We have every right to be as selfish as white men have
been for centuries. If I can't find someone to love, I'll just create
someone to love!
We find ourselves in a very sad and desperate situation. All over the
world women are making life-long commitments and promises to potential
humans, while many of them are incapable of committing to an already
living human! Many women admit that they don't want to be mothers, but
have the babies for religious, spiritual, cultural and selfish reasons.
Our former Church member admitted to me that she does not want to be a
single mother. But she will have and keep this baby because, get this,
"It spoke to me and it wants to be born." It's about time we
consider the awesome responsibilities and burdens of breeding: personally,
practically, environmentally and spiritually.
Say, for example, that this young mother to be decides to raise her
child with all of the advantages of a progressive society. What are the
requirements for such an existence? Disposable diapers, pediatricians,
Disney, day care, computers, music lessons, television, schools... you
get the picture? All of this costs a lot of money, to be earned
only by working a minimum of forty hours a week, either selling her soul
to some big corporation or waiting on obnoxious customers in a cafe or
nightclub. Providing children with the necessities of the popular
American dream means that parents become slaves to the Spectacle, allowing
them precious little time to personally care for, educate or even interact
with their children. The Spectacle is the parent of these children. The
children are raised by day care workers, school teachers and television.
Children of the Spectacle grow up to be fine, strong consumers! They
learn to perpetuate the dominant world view and not cause any ripples in
the cesspool of "modern" society.
The young woman has insinuated that she doesn't really want herself or
her child to participate in the machinations of the Spectacle. She spoke
of breast feeding and shopping at the Salvation Army. I'm sure that she
already recycles. But I'm afraid that's not enough. To protect a child
from the influence of the Spectacle requires a lot more strength and energy
than any other job I can imagine; most of us can't even protect ourselves.
I can imagine what the ideal circumstances might be for raising an
"un-Spectacular" child:
A safe, comfortable home in the country with organic gardens. The small
town nearby has a few cooperative stores that provide the necessities for
basic living. Currency is seldom used, as everyone has something to offer:
from vegetables to spiritual healing, the barter system is preferred. The
adults share the responsibility of caring for and educating the children.
There are no formal classrooms or standardized tests; children learn by
doing, talking and questioning. Neighbors know and care for each other.
People offer help without being asked. They learn from all of the Earth's
species and the Great Spirit how to live with compassion, for the Earth and
for each other.
This scenario isn't very different from some contemporary cultures: Amish,
Native American and "Dreamtime Village"-style communities. But
guess what--the Amish and Native Americans are part of the Spectacle! Their
communities are tourist attractions maintained by the Spectacle. They serve
as examples of the less fortunate, helping to keep the workers content in
their television lives, reaffirming the American Dream. It's to the benefit
of the Spectacle to keep these communities alive but not allow them to grow.
The children born to these communities may be lucky enough to grow up without
the direct influence of consumer America, but their physical freedom is
controlled by the Spectacle.
Is it possible for a mother to protect her child from the Spectacle?
Maybe, but it's sure to be a damn difficult task. And even if a mother is
able to protect herself and her child from the Spectacle, what about the
future?
Regardless of the lifestyle a mother might choose to brainwash her child
with, there is a pending revolution, armageddon, or even worse--the world
may stay the same. The world is overpopulated and the planet's resources
are diminishing. I for one do not want to be responsible for bringing another
life into this world. I am frightened enough for my own life and the lives
of those already living. Our former Church member used to share that feeling
with me and took seriously our commandment: "Thou shall not procreate."
I urge everyone to reconsider their responsibility to the Earth. It is not
necessary to procreate to preserve the human species. In fact the opposite
is true. To preserve all life forms we must reduce the human
population. The greatest gift is not life, but love and compassion. Truly
loving people love unselfishly. With so many living beings, there is no need
to create someone to love.
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