John Kerry was asked what his first executive order as president would be. His response: “Reverse the Mexico City policy on the gag rule so that we take a responsible position globally on family planning.”

The Mexico City Policy required “nongovernmental organizations to agree as a condition of their receipt of Federal funds that such organizations would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.”

This type of policy is particularly important in terms of US support (or lack of) for the United Nations Population funds which has been accused of working with the Chinese government to coerce abortion.

*My thoughts:*
It’s moral policies like this that ’cause me to dislike Democratic candidates in general. I realize Republicans aren’t always saints either, but this kind of issue stands out. For me the election is about morality at least as much as internal/foreign policy. I don’t agree with everything Bush does, but I agree with him on a majority of moral issues including abortion and the importance of the traditional family. In this case especially, Bush reestablished the Mexico City Policy during his administration and for that I applaud him.

*Outside Sources:*
• Mexico City Policy - Wikipedia

Categories: Politics

“So I was figuring I can’t graduate till August.”
“Uhuh.”
“I was wondering if I could still go through the ceremony in May?”
“No, ‘they’ won’t let you do that.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”

So, no graduation ceremony in May. That means if I want the ceremony (I’m not sure I care, but my parents do), I’ll have to come back and do it in August. Or just be here in August when it happens. This only further complicates my presently unexistant post-graduation direction in life. But if nothing else, I know I’ll be in Nebraska for at least one day of it.

Last week I broke my first dish in dining services. I was grabbing a bowl to put fruit in and holding it between a finger and my thumb. Some female student was looking up at the giant TV acting impressed by something. In the midst of turning my head to look at the screen, the bowl slipped from my fingers. If you’ve ever heard the sound of a porcelain bowl breaking in a cafeteria, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a bit different when it’s you that’s done it. I glanced over at a cafeteria worker and she picked up and took away the broken pieces quickly. Having heard enough broken dishes in my time at school, I moved on and got the rest of my meal.

Categories: Life