I’ve had a few things rattling around in my brain that I felt like I needed to write out and express. And with a few friends saying they missed my weekly blogs, I figured there was no time like the present to get some of those thoughts out.
Wanna know what the biggest one is? It boils down to one word – one number really: 1864.
Seriously Arizona?
Look, I understand there are people that are dug in on ending all forms of abortion, and hey, you be you. But this the straw you’re grasping at?
If we’re going that far back, let’s go all the way back. Let’s outlaw the cars you drive to get around. Give up your phone. Say goodbye to your indoor plumbing and electricity while you’re at it. (Honestly, there might be some people who’d be OK with all of that because it would mean no one would be bothering them about their guns – of course, there wouldn’t be semi-automatics, so maybe not.)
That’s the thing about the whole abortion battle that baffles me – the complete disregard of science and technology. We have the ability to know exactly what is going on with a pregnancy for almost every step of the way. Doctors can now know if the fetus isn’t viable. They can diagnose conditions that will put the mother in danger for her long-term health (and ability to have more children down the road) with a level of certainty that if it was cancer, we’d have no problem believing or supporting it.
But for abortion? No. Can’t have that.
Look, again, believe what you want to believe. I’m not here to say that abortion is the answer in every case, but we need to start realizing that not every law or rule needs to be this or that. There has to be spaces in-between – and not just some randomly chosen cut-off date.
How about we start thinking about it this way: Maybe if a doctor (or two doctors if you wish) give their expert opinion, maybe we don’t fight against it. There should always be exceptions for those who are victims of rape and incest. Who knows, maybe if you got off your high horse, maybe you could convince some people that there can be a cutoff date for women to decide to have an elective abortion – but if something changes after that date and there is a medical emergency, then they should still be allowed while under a doctor’s care.
Of course, none of that will happen because it makes sense. And there are too many people who are stuck in the “my-way-or-the-highway” mode of thinking to listen to reason. We see it in the House of Representatives whenever someone suggests that the two sides *gasp* work together to get something done. The extreme members would rather burn the whole thing down than do something that the majority of Americans want done if it goes against their personal beliefs – including abortion, gun control, health care, infrastructure, etc., etc., etc.
But maybe, just maybe, the invoking of 1864 will be a tipping point toward some sanity in this country. We sure could use it.
PRETTY GOOD, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT: So Gwen Stefani (my alma mater’s most famous alum) and her fellow Orange County ska brats played together on stage for the first time in nine years, and all seemed right in the world.
For those who missed it, No Doubt stepped back into the spotlight at Coachella this past Saturday, and sounded pretty good despite the time apart. I watched along on the livestream on YouTube, mostly because I’m not hip enough to spend a weekend in the desert (or, more accurately, my hips wouldn’t survive a weekend at a festival), and was hopeful that it would be a grand return.
I did get a little worried at the start, as they opened with “Hella Good,” which had some Hella Bad sound quality – something I chalked up to them starting on a stage extension that was separate from the main stage. Once they got back to the stage, however, it was all old school Orange County.
Gwen was a foul-mouthed OC Gen X brat, and the rest of the boys rocked out as a group that had been going strong for years, bopping and bouncing around the stage like they did 30 years ago (yes, it’s been that long). Olivia Rodrigo was a pleasant surprise on stage, and she looked excited to be there, and fit right in with the SoCal vibe.
I only had one major quibble: When she introduced “Just A Girl,” Gwen mentioned that the song seems more relevant that it ever has … and then she just left it there. I get not wanting to alienate any fans, but it wouldn’t hurt to use the platform to encourage all the women in her audience to be informed and – if they agree to the sentiment of the song - get out the vote. If not, it seems like there are some that would like her words “Oh, I'm just a girl, living in captivity; Your rule of thumb makes me worrisome” become the law of the land.
QUICK HITS: Wrestlemania 40 was amazing, top-to-bottom. Yes, I watch WWE. And the product has become one worth watching. The stories make sense, they follow logic, and the performers are putting on great shows, worthy of returning the phrase “pro wrestling” to the lexicon instead of “sports entertainment.”
* The Arizona Coyotes are apparently headed to Salt Lake City for next season. Yeah, it’s time for the NHL to get the team out of the 4,600-seat college arena, and into something more appropriate. Not that Salt Lake City’s Delta Center is a perfect location (it was built for basketball – hockey games there aren’t well lit in the corners), but it at least is a professional facility that will be able to better handle the demands that professional hockey places on its arenas.
* The former president’s trial starts today. If you thought your jury summons was inconvenient, can you imagine what the people reporting in New York are dealing with as they show up to the courthouse for their public service? I wish them well.
