This blog is going to be especially difficult for me to write for many reasons, but I feel it is empowering and that it provides a sort-of "outlet" to write about your struggles and your strengths, so here goes nothing.
The freshness of our latest struggle will likely make this post more emotional than it might otherwise be, but we will continue to persevere and to serve the Lord and to hope for our future.
For the majority of you who do not know (and why would you?), Miles and I have been trying to start a family since the summer of 2011. When it didn't happen early, we chalked it up to the idea that maybe the birth control that I had been on since 22 was not out of my system after so many years, or maybe that our timing was off, or maybe, just maybe, we weren't ready yet. We were both 28 at the time, and enjoying what was left of our youth, and not thinking too diligently about the future. It just wasn't meant to be.
After about eight or nine months, bringing us to early spring of 2012, I visited my doctor and asked about the possible causes of our inability to get pregnant. Was it me? Was there something wrong with Miles? Why wasn't this happening for us? At that point I was so uneducated in reproduction that I would've had trouble labeling a poster of the female anatomy (yes, seriously). So the doc did some preliminary hormone testing on me, and Miles was tested as well, and according to the results, we were both healthy and able to reproduce. "Just give it time, sometimes it just takes a while." Right, ok. Keep on trying. Lucky Miles.
By this point in our marriage (going on 3 years), the persistent questions: When are y'all having kids? Why don't you have babies yet? Aren't you ready for children? began plaguing our every day lives. At first, it was easy to say "Yeah, we're just not ready yet!" so as to not provide every single inquirer of our reproductive status the intimate details of our lives. But after a certain amount of time, and after several different horrific situations, you literally get to the point that you want to scream BACK OFF IT'S NONE OF YOUR FRICKIN BUSINESS to every. single. nosy. probing. clueless. person that continues to make your situation worse with the constant interrogation. Side note: some of this is fresh. Forgive my random outbursts. Second side note - February 2014 - wow, sorry for being so rude!
In October 2012, I got some of the best news I've ever received in my life. My little sister was pregnant! Now, most families are not nearly as close as ours and so many people live a life plagued with jealously and contempt. I was THRILLED to hear my sister's news, but knowing of our struggles, she was hesitant to share her amazing news with me. This saddens me even now, a year later, to think about. But, now we have the most precious nephew of all time, and I love him so very very much, and I miss him all the time!
Moving on...
By November of 2012 we decided to give it a rest for a while. Now when I say "give it a rest," some of you might not understand what I mean by that. Simply speaking, when you are trying to have a child and struggling, that is LITERALLY all you think about. Every month, every "cycle," it's the constant tests and checking this and checking that, and before you realize it, it all becomes an obsession. So, we knew we had our big European extravaganza coming in the summer of 2013, so we thought it best to quit "trying" for the time being so we could go and enjoy our long-awaited vacation. BAM. Pregnant. Say whattttt? Literally, at the risk of providing too much information, we did not think it was physically possible for me to get pregnant the month that I did. God's plan, not ours.
So obviously we are THRILLED. It was mid-December when we found out, and we used Christmas as the perfect time to tell our families the great news. They were all aware of our struggles, and it was such a genuine and exciting moment when we told them this amazing miracle of a story. Since Chelsea was already pregnant, we basked in our happiness for each other and the excitement of having cousins so close in age, and of course became Pinterest and "My Baby Center" freaks. Baby photo ideas, baby quotes, nurseries, names, clothes, and the list goes on...
Call it intuition or whatever, but I knew something was wrong. It's very hard, though, to accept that something may not be right when you are that excited. The day after Christmas, December 26, 2012, we went to see my doctor (couldn't get in to my doctor on such late notice, so they stuck us with Dr. NoPersonalityorBedsideManner) and found out I was in the midst of a miscarriage. Talk about devastating. When the doctor said those words, we both lost it. He was very matter-of-fact about it, which, for me, made it much worse. After all this time, all the trying and the not trying, and the constant questions, and the ever-growing desire to have a family, a miscarriage? You gotta be kidding me, Doc!
The next day we were leaving for Park City, Utah to spend a week long vacation with Miles's parents, my parents, my sis and Mikey, my aunt and uncle and cousins. The doctor said it was fine to go, and that if I began to feel pain I could get a prescription filled in Utah. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so I figured it was unnecessary, but I'd take it with us just in case. If there is one thing that can always cheer me up, it's my family (did you think I was going to say pain pills??? :). But since everyone in Utah knew, they were almost walking on eggshells around us because of the growing sadness of our situation. We've been praying for God's plan for our family for years now, knowing all the while that His plan may not match our own, so we also pray for our trust in His plan. That's the hardest part. It does, however, help us to accept each situation for what it is, and it enables us to move forward.
We spent 5 days in Utah, me taking it easy, Miles hitting the slopes with his family and Mikey. We had as good of a time as possible, considering the circumstances, and celebrated a Tuesday night New Years Eve with everyone. That night things got ugly. I couldn't sleep because of the pain; Miles couldn't sleep because I was hysterical. It was a long night to say the least. I've never felt such pain in all my life. He kept offering to take me to the hospital; I kept declining because I assumed it would get better. Eventually it did, by the next morning, but only for a couple of days. I was so glad I had the prescription because I started popping pills like an addict. Thursday night, after we had flown back home, the pain came back. Friday morning we were back at the doctor. This time they did an ultrasound and realized the pregnancy never made it out of my tube. It was ectopic, and it was on the verge of rupturing. A second doctor, again, not my own, gave me my options: check in to the hospital (without explaining why that might be necessary), or go home and hope that it "heals itself." We went home, not knowing the possible damage my body could face. More pain meds prescribed, more pain to come. Again, the pain went away for a couple of days, but returned with a vengeance on Monday morning, January 7th. We had to get to the doctor's office as soon as it opened. I was doubled over in pain, couldn't stand, couldn't function. Another day and another doctor (that makes 3 - none of which were my own). He did another ultrasound. This time it wasn't "let's hope it heals itself." This time it was immediately wheeling me into the hospital for emergency surgery to remove my left tube. Which to us also meant cutting our chances even more of being able to get pregnant.
Two weeks later at my follow-up visit, the doctor who performed the surgery discussed our situation with us. Knowing we'd been trying for 18 months at that point to get pregnant, he referred us to a fertility doctor. Fertility doctor? Shit. Now we are really infertile??? Lord help us. Here we go.
We had to wait two months after my surgery to see the fertility doctor. We discussed our options, and after my first exam, we were both in love with this doctor and his staff. Dr. K said we would try IUI first. Basically it's the first step in fertility treatments. Because I only had one tube at this point, I had to get it checked through another procedure with another doctor. That test showed that my remaining tube was supposedly functioning properly. To continue with IUI, through each cycle we had to make sure I was ovulating out of the proper ovary attached to the remaining tube to achieve the results we wanted. As long as that was the case, "This should definitely work for you."
So the hormone shots begin. First month and things went perfectly. The day came, we did the procedure, then we were sent home to wait for TWO WEEKS to take a pregnancy test. Unfortunately before the two weeks was up, my monthly friend visited. SLAP.IN.THE.FACE. So it didn't work. Moving on. God's plan, not ours. Try again next month. More shots, more hormones. Time for the ultrasound: ovulating on the side with the missing tube. SLAP.IN.THE.FACE. TAKE TWO. No chance to get pregnant. Stop the shots, have sex and hope for a miracle. Again, lucky Miles, but no miracle. Next month, more shots, more hormones...but, ovulation will take place on the good side, 3 eggs and an increased possibility for multiples...BRING IT ON. Two weeks later, pregnancy test: POSITIVE!
Because of our past situation, we decided to be excited, but super cautious because it was very early. I went back in for more blood tests a few days later. Numbers were going up just as they were supposed to, and all seemed very well! It was now June 2013, and I decided to go home to see my new nephew for the week after good test results. I spent five wonderful days at home with Chance and my family before the "something's not right" feeling came back. Great. Here we go again.
Of course this happened on a Saturday, and the fertility office wouldn't be open until Monday. I packed my stuff up and headed back to Fort Worth, and straight to the doctor on Monday morning. They told me they likely wouldn't be able to see anything so early on ultrasound, but that we'd try it anyway. I just needed some peace of mind.
Another ectopic.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
We knew it was a possibility, obviously, but never in a million years thought it would happen AGAIN. What happened to "your other tube looks great, nothing wrong, fully functioning, blah blah blah." At this point we had to decide if we wanted to remove the remaining tube or try a medication designed to "eliminate" the pregnancy. We knew we couldn't keep doing the tubal pregnancy thing (there is no way for the embryo to survive after it has been stuck in your tube - just fyi), and this would inevitably leave scar tissue in the tube, thus increasing our chances GREATLY of another tubal. So here we go again. Another surgery, no tubes left. Last option for pregnancy: in-vitro fertilization (IVF). But hey, there's no reason THIS won't work for you.
Two weeks of recovery post surgery, and it was time for our summer vacation. Ahhh, two weeks in Europe. Just what I needed! It was amazing. The trip of a lifetime, and something I would not have been able to experience had I been pregnant back in December. A two week vacation certainly does not take the place of a child, but it was a great outlet and an unbelievable experience. God's plan, not ours.
So this brings us to the latest. It's now August 2013, school has started back, volleyball season is upon us. New year, new team, new trials and expectations. Great group of girls. I felt it was necessary to share my situation with this group of girls because there would be times that I could not be at work, and I wanted them to know how important they were to me, and that my missing time with them was due to my personal circumstances. I am completely and totally dedicated to my job, but at this point, our desire to have a family comes first.
Throughout September I was on medication, Miles was on medication, and our house was beginning to look like a pharmacy. I started a massive amount of hormones, injections and patches and pills. We are so lucky to have great insurance, but there is only so much fertility that insurance will cover, and it's very expensive. The way we see it, when it works, it'll be so worth the money, the pain, the amped up mood swings, the weight gain, the break outs and the freak outs. God's plan, not ours.
We went through the process from September to early October. The procedure to remove my eggs, the anesthesia (3rd time in 2013), the bloating, the pain...and on to the procedure to transfer our "two perfect embryos" to the uterus and again wait the two weeks for a pregnancy test. The anxiety is unbelievable. The weeks leading up to these procedures and tests seem like months. So finally it's here. October 18, the day of the pregnancy test. We just know we're having twins. Pretty sure that everyone who was aware of our situation has named these precious twins.
I went in that morning, bright-eyed and excited, ready to get my blood drawn. I asked the nurse to please call me first with the results, and she agreed. The people at the fertility office have fallen in love with Miles and I, and the feeling is mutual. That place is so freaking depressing, so we always try to be happy and laugh at all of our billions of office visits, and the people that work there love that. They've told my mom (yes, my mom has gone with me to the fertility doctor! haha) how they adore our attitudes and how much they like us. We feel the same about everyone there. They're so helpful and kind. Unfortunately by mid-afternoon my gut feeling was telling me that it was not going to be good news. I know how difficult the phone call must've been for the nurse who called with the results. I could sense it in her voice when she said my name. I knew it was not good. She told me my test was negative, expressed her condolences, I tried to get off the phone immediately, more condolences, and our goodbyes. As much as we've tried to convince ourselves not to get overly excited, it's impossible not to. Especially knowing that "there's no reason THIS won't work for you." It's heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. Disappointing. Sad. Infuriating. Expensive. Sad. Depressing. Overwhelming. Sad. Ok, I seem to keep repeating myself, but I assume you get the point. You re-live everything you've been through over the past few months (years, really) and realize it was all for nothing. Miles and I spent the majority of that afternoon and evening crying and questioning and consoling each other.
Everyone in our families knew, several friends and colleagues knew, so to have to continue to answer the inevitable questions is difficult but completely unavoidable. I'm so thankful to my mom who did the bulk of the answering questions so that Miles and I didn't have to, but that put her in a heart-breaking situation as well. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
Yesterday (October 22, 2013) we went in for a consultation with the doctor. Everyone who worked there was as shocked as we were to see the negative pregnancy test. Dr. K apologized for giving us false hope, but stood firm in his belief that this will work for us. We have decided to do some additional testing before we head down the road to another IVF transfer. The initial shock and disappointment are beginning to fade, and it's time to move forward and take all available routes to ensure a future positive test and a precious perfect baby to follow.
We don't know when we'll do another transfer, but we have four frozen embryos that we hope will someday become little Cobb kiddos running around, acting crazy and causing chaos while mommy screams "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE WENT THROUGH TO HAVE YOU??? :)
God's plan, not ours. Time to move on and pray for His will to be done through us!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Abortion, Filibusters and Texas's Hatred of Women, OH MY!
Because I refuse to use Facebook as a means of promoting my personal opinions and forcing people who could care less or those who disagree with my opinions to have their news feed bogged down with my political and personal viewpoints, I will use this blog as a means to do so instead. That way, if you care about my opinion, you can read it. If not, no one forced you to click on the link!
I'd like to start by saying that this is one of those days where I'm having trouble controlling my emotions because I feel so passionately about the topic on which I'm blogging. That's not to say that I refuse to look at all viewpoints and opinions on this particular topic, but, just as everyone does, I've based my opinions on personal experiences and ultimately, on the way that I was raised.
Ok. Now that I have you wondering what on earth I am talking about, I'll dive right in. My Facebook newsfeed was filled with "#standwithwendy" hashtags and stories yesterday and this morning. If I'm being perfectly honest, at first I had to do a little research on the topic, because I've paid too little attention to what is going on politically these days. I was curious. I googled the event and saw that Democratic Texas Senator Wendy Davis was filibustering a (GOP) proposed bill that would (basically, and I'm shortening it here) make getting an abortion more difficult than just finding a clinic to do so. It would place restrictions on where and at what point (none after 20 weeks) an abortion would be legal.
Now, the fact that this woman was able to stand (she could not sit, go to the bathroom, or go off topic) and talk about her personal experiences and her opinions on this particular topic for more than 10 hours is astounding in itself. She used her inherent right to filibuster something that she was opposed to, and for that I commend her.
That being said, I have a very difficult time with the fact that she's being called a "hero" and that she's being heralded for pushing the idea of "equality for women." National critics are suggesting the idea that "Texas hates women" because of the proposed legislation. If Texas hates women because we are opposed to aborting 20 week old fetuses, then I guess I hate women, too. To me, the subject of abortion is not about a woman having the "right to choose," but rather, it's about when a fetus is considered a living being. If we really want to talk about "equality for all," you can make the argument that aborting an innocent fetus is not equal treatment for that growing baby, who, by 20 weeks is certainly a living being with a heartbeat and the beginning stages of growth and development.
I get the arguments about when a woman "should be able" to have an abortion. "She's too young," or "she was raped" being the main topics that come to mind. Of course, I feel for these women who have already been through hell and cannot imagine the devastation it would cause for them to carry a baby that was created by someone who hurt them so badly. Mentally, physically and most of all emotionally, that would be beyond excruciating. Now, to me, the "she's too young, it'll ruin her life" argument is a lot less simple, and plainly speaking, it's for the birds. A female knows the possible "consequences" of having sex and made the choice to do it at a time in her life when she wouldn't be able to handle the possible outcome. Now, I'm no saint. We have all done things we are not proud of, and looking back, there are several decisions I made when I was younger that could have come with devastating consequences, and for whatever reason, they did not. But, if we stop holding people responsible for their actions, where will we end up? As a (semi-retired) teacher and coach, I see all too often the "it's not fair" situations that ultimately end up costing teachers their jobs, and creating an education system that is controlled by the parents who would rather be friends with their kids than role models to growing, easily influenced future members of society.
Okay, slightly off-topic tangent there, but let's get back to what this is really about.
As for the idea that a woman should have the right to choose, and what a woman does with her body is her own business and no one else's, to that I have to ask, where does it become okay to step in? When a woman is on drugs and shooting herself up with illegal substances, is this her right to choose? When a woman is caught contemplating suicide and we try to put her in a rehab center, is this her choice? When a woman gets pregnant and decides a week before her third trimester that she is not ready to have a child, thus killing an innocent, very much living being, how is this okay?? We cannot live in a world where we seek pure equality for all because that is not feasible and would create more harm than good. In theory, it sounds like a great thing. But history shows us that all too often things that seem too good to be true probably are.
I'm also confused about the liberal stance on abortion and the polar opposite stance on the death penalty. How is it fair to murder a pure, unprotected, unbiased fetus when they have done nothing except become a creation from God, but it's not okay to kill a grown man or woman who has inflicted harm, pain, and death on other living beings? I see how one could make the same argument on the opposite side of the spectrum and say why do you think it's okay to say you shouldn't abort a fetus that is not a member of society, but that it's okay to kill a grown individual who has made poor choices? I get it. To me, it's again about being held responsible for our actions. Why does a baby have to suffer from the poor choices of his/her mother? Once again we all have our opinions. We live in a democratic society that gives us the right to have these opinions and to put people in office to make our laws on the way our country should be run. For that I am so thankful.
To the thousands of women who suffer from infertility, those who have the overwhelming desire to have a child but for whatever reason they cannot, this issue is especially heart-wrenching. And to the thousands of children who were adopted by parents that so desperately wanted a child, but couldn't or wouldn't have one on their own, they got that second chance that so many fetuses will not have.
I'd like to start by saying that this is one of those days where I'm having trouble controlling my emotions because I feel so passionately about the topic on which I'm blogging. That's not to say that I refuse to look at all viewpoints and opinions on this particular topic, but, just as everyone does, I've based my opinions on personal experiences and ultimately, on the way that I was raised.
Ok. Now that I have you wondering what on earth I am talking about, I'll dive right in. My Facebook newsfeed was filled with "#standwithwendy" hashtags and stories yesterday and this morning. If I'm being perfectly honest, at first I had to do a little research on the topic, because I've paid too little attention to what is going on politically these days. I was curious. I googled the event and saw that Democratic Texas Senator Wendy Davis was filibustering a (GOP) proposed bill that would (basically, and I'm shortening it here) make getting an abortion more difficult than just finding a clinic to do so. It would place restrictions on where and at what point (none after 20 weeks) an abortion would be legal.
Now, the fact that this woman was able to stand (she could not sit, go to the bathroom, or go off topic) and talk about her personal experiences and her opinions on this particular topic for more than 10 hours is astounding in itself. She used her inherent right to filibuster something that she was opposed to, and for that I commend her.
That being said, I have a very difficult time with the fact that she's being called a "hero" and that she's being heralded for pushing the idea of "equality for women." National critics are suggesting the idea that "Texas hates women" because of the proposed legislation. If Texas hates women because we are opposed to aborting 20 week old fetuses, then I guess I hate women, too. To me, the subject of abortion is not about a woman having the "right to choose," but rather, it's about when a fetus is considered a living being. If we really want to talk about "equality for all," you can make the argument that aborting an innocent fetus is not equal treatment for that growing baby, who, by 20 weeks is certainly a living being with a heartbeat and the beginning stages of growth and development.
I get the arguments about when a woman "should be able" to have an abortion. "She's too young," or "she was raped" being the main topics that come to mind. Of course, I feel for these women who have already been through hell and cannot imagine the devastation it would cause for them to carry a baby that was created by someone who hurt them so badly. Mentally, physically and most of all emotionally, that would be beyond excruciating. Now, to me, the "she's too young, it'll ruin her life" argument is a lot less simple, and plainly speaking, it's for the birds. A female knows the possible "consequences" of having sex and made the choice to do it at a time in her life when she wouldn't be able to handle the possible outcome. Now, I'm no saint. We have all done things we are not proud of, and looking back, there are several decisions I made when I was younger that could have come with devastating consequences, and for whatever reason, they did not. But, if we stop holding people responsible for their actions, where will we end up? As a (semi-retired) teacher and coach, I see all too often the "it's not fair" situations that ultimately end up costing teachers their jobs, and creating an education system that is controlled by the parents who would rather be friends with their kids than role models to growing, easily influenced future members of society.
Okay, slightly off-topic tangent there, but let's get back to what this is really about.
As for the idea that a woman should have the right to choose, and what a woman does with her body is her own business and no one else's, to that I have to ask, where does it become okay to step in? When a woman is on drugs and shooting herself up with illegal substances, is this her right to choose? When a woman is caught contemplating suicide and we try to put her in a rehab center, is this her choice? When a woman gets pregnant and decides a week before her third trimester that she is not ready to have a child, thus killing an innocent, very much living being, how is this okay?? We cannot live in a world where we seek pure equality for all because that is not feasible and would create more harm than good. In theory, it sounds like a great thing. But history shows us that all too often things that seem too good to be true probably are.
I'm also confused about the liberal stance on abortion and the polar opposite stance on the death penalty. How is it fair to murder a pure, unprotected, unbiased fetus when they have done nothing except become a creation from God, but it's not okay to kill a grown man or woman who has inflicted harm, pain, and death on other living beings? I see how one could make the same argument on the opposite side of the spectrum and say why do you think it's okay to say you shouldn't abort a fetus that is not a member of society, but that it's okay to kill a grown individual who has made poor choices? I get it. To me, it's again about being held responsible for our actions. Why does a baby have to suffer from the poor choices of his/her mother? Once again we all have our opinions. We live in a democratic society that gives us the right to have these opinions and to put people in office to make our laws on the way our country should be run. For that I am so thankful.
To the thousands of women who suffer from infertility, those who have the overwhelming desire to have a child but for whatever reason they cannot, this issue is especially heart-wrenching. And to the thousands of children who were adopted by parents that so desperately wanted a child, but couldn't or wouldn't have one on their own, they got that second chance that so many fetuses will not have.
Opinions, beliefs, and a few facts...
Apparently, I wrote this little tidbit a while back and never posted it. Probably felt the critics would feast on my carcass or something, but at this point in life, who cares?
What I believe:
What I believe:
As a member of a society that thrives on expressing every thought and opinion we have through Facebook or Twitter, I've decided that I want to write down my beliefs on certain political issues for my benefit and anyone else who cares. So here goes nothing.
1. When you make money, you should reap the benefits of the money you earned. It should not be taken from you and used to support those who refuse to get a job and would rather overuse government funding originally meant for those who came upon hard times (in which case I am completely okay with welfare/unemployment compensation - for a limited amount of time). Also, if the government is going to give my money to those "in need," it's only fair for them to take a drug test to make sure that our money is not being used to fuel an addiction. I do not wish to be an enabler. If we must take drug tests before we work, welfare recipients should be drug tested before they receive a handout. I truly do not understand an argument against that. I also do not understand how those on welfare or other forms of government funding are able to afford the finer things in life, i.e. iPhones, manicures/pedicures, fancy cars, etc.
2. If I want a gun, or more reasonably, if my husband wants a gun, he should be allowed to have one. Do I believe he should have to take a course to carry it? Absolutely. Would I like for him to be able to protect us and use it if necessary? Yes. Do I feel the government should have the authority to take that right away from able-bodied and educated Americans? No. If we keep law-breakers and criminals off the streets and behind bars without giving them 30 chances to squirm their way around the system, we would have to worry less about gun control. See #7 for more of my opinion on consequences.
3. I believe that God had a plan when he created each and every one of us. Do I always understand why people love the ones they do? No. Do I judge them for that? No. Do I believe the government that allows so many freedoms should be allowed to place restrictions on who can marry whom? No.
4. I believe that I lived through my parents' struggles to keep our family afloat during good times and bad. My dad worked hard for his money and a huge chunk of that money was taken out to afford health insurance for my parents and their three kids. It was expensive but necessary. As a teacher myself, I've seen the unbelievable premiums removed from my checks each month for health insurance. Expensive but necessary. Now, how is it that we pay those premiums each paycheck and others sit back and are provided with free health care? I am all for sick citizens being afforded insurance post-diagnosis, but I am not okay with hearing horror stories from nursing friends about patients that come in talking about how "they ain't paying for shit" and "Obama is taking care of it." This is beyond frustrating knowing the struggles my parents went through and of the struggles many of my friends and their families are currently going through to make sure they can ration their earnings properly.
5. I believe the government is responsible for providing structure and order in a chaotic world. It is responsible for protecting its citizens. This country was based on the idea of Federalism, affording extensive power to the states in an effort to ensure the federal government did not abuse it's power. Do I feel like the national government is abusing it's power? Please see previous beliefs for this answer.
6. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing, but social networks make it very easy to express your ideas, beliefs and opinions through text with little repercussion. People exhaust their opinions endlessly and have developed a very low tolerance for anyone that disagrees. Our country is becoming more and more divided and I believe social networks (while excellent for keeping in touch and developing relationships) are fostering a platform for further divisive material.
7. This brings me to another point: I believe there should be consequences for our actions. Actions without consequence promote reckless behavior. Without repercussions, it becomes an endless cycle. I believe shows like "Teen Mom" promote inexcusable and reckless behavior and that our country was a lot better off before such shows dominated our TV channels. Take that for what it is; whether it has to do with government or not is irrelevant.
If these beliefs and ideas make me "conservative" or "Republican," then I am proud to be just that. I think if more of us discussed WHY we are affiliated with the political party of our choice instead of bashing the opposing side, it'd be easier for others to be tolerant of our opinions. It's very simple, but our apathy is out of control.
Some of my favorite tolerance quotes:
1. Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. -John F. Kennedy
2. In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. -Dalai Lama
When referencing the government, several of my favorite quotes come from the great Thomas Jefferson.
2. "A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government..."
3. "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty."
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