Mothers Matter

Food for thought:

"••A typical female in Afghanistan, Angola, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea and Guinea-Bissau
receives less than five years of formal education. In Niger, women receive less than
four years. In Australia and New Zealand, the average woman stays in school for
over 20 years.

••Forty-five percent of children in Djibouti and Papua New Guinea are not enrolled
in primary school. Out-of-school rates are 48 percent in Eritrea. In comparison,
nearly all children in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands,
Spain and Sweden make it from preschool all the way to high school.

••1 child in 5 does not reach his or her fifth birthday in Angola, Chad, Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Somalia. In Afghanistan, child mortality rates are higher
than 1 in 4. In Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Singapore and Sweden, only 1 child
in 333 dies before age 5.

••Over 40 percent of children under age 5 suffer from malnutrition in Bangladesh,
Madagascar, Nepal, Niger and Yemen. In India and Timor-Leste, nearly half of all
children in this age group are moderately or severely underweight.

••More than half of the population of Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria and
Papua New Guinea lack access to safe drinking water. In Somalia and Afghanistan,
71 and 78 percent of the population, respectively, lack access to safe water.

**In Afghanistan, the average woman does not live to see her 45th birthday
while in Japan women on average live over 86 years.

**In Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan,
Syria and Yemen, women earn 25 cents or less for every dollar men earn. Saudi
Arabian and Palestinian women earn only 16 and 12 cents respectively to the male
dollar. In Mongolia, women earn 87 cents for every dollar men earn and in Mozambique
they earn 90 cents.

••In Belize, Comoros, Micronesia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Solomon Islands and
Qatar, not one seat in the lower or single house of parliament is occupied by a
woman. In Bahrain, Papua New Guinea and Yemen, women have only one seat.
Compare that to Rwanda where well over half – 56 percent – of all seats are held by
women. (Go Rwanda!). In Sweden, women hold 46 percent of parliamentary seats.

Source: http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/SOWM-2010-Women-on-the-Front-Lines-of-Health-Care.pdf

Mother and child mortality are linked to access to safe drinking water, access to health care (particularly female health workers), and education among other things. This is not to minimize the role that father's play, but we must recognize the role that mother's play in their child's wellbeing and life. 

Why should [we] be so concerned with mothers? Because research has shown . .  "that the quality of children’s lives depends on the health, security and well-being of their mothers. In short, providing mothers
with access to education, economic opportunities and maternal and child health care
gives mothers and their children the best chance to survive and thrive." (see above reference)

Go moms!

Believe in America

I'm sure trying since my post-election disillusionment on Wednesday.  I just had to get last night's rant off my chest -- gave me motivation to blog again for the 5 people who read this.

I'm praying for our current and future Commander in Chief. I am praying for Congress. I am praying for the people. WE THE PEOPLE. I take responsibility for my part in this country too.

I'm praying. And I am THANKFUL. So grateful today for those men and women who have or are serving our country. Willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. THANK YOU. I am praying for you.

We have to. We have to have FAITH. Faith in our leaders, faith that there is good in all people, faith that we will find common ground and solve the problems before us---personal, professional, national.

FAITH. I am exercising it. I want to Believe that America will be the great land I love for my children in twenty years, 30 years, 50 years. That I can do my part to make it so (even if it means paying higher taxes). Shoot, I would give 5 or 50% more if I knew that they were to be used to make this country greater and help my children. So I have to BELIEVE.
 
At least I have to try. 

11/11

Taxes

Warning: Soap box follows . . .

Current Tax brackets are:
Tax Bracket     Married Filing Jointly                 Single
10% Bracket     $0 – $17,400                    $0 – $8,700
15% Bracket     $17,400 – $70,700         $8,700 – $35,350
25% Bracket     $70,700 – $142,700       $35,350 – $85,650
28% Bracket     $142,700 – $217,450      $85,650 – $178,650
33% Bracket     $217,450 – $388,350      $178,650 – $388,350
35% Bracket     Over $388,350                 Over $388,350
source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2011/09/30/2012-federal-income-tax-brackets-irs-tax-rates/

With the Bush tax cuts expiring, everyone GETS to pay more! Yay! The top people could pay about 40%. Sweet. Almost half of their paycheck. Robin Hood at it's finest. Except these people aren't the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and King John. But, heck, let's go with it. OR why don't we let the electorate vote on it!?! Since they SO completely and accurately represent the popular vote I have no complaints. 

I for one, love it when someone speaks for me. Also, I love it when I find their hand in my pocket (or on my phone) don't you? Especially someone known as "Uncle Sam." Especially when I know "Uncle Sam" is not going to just go to bed when I am under fire is he?! (gasp) But I'm just a regular Jane--not an ambassador--so I think I'm safe.

But ya know, SOME people think higher taxes = happier people. Just look at Sweden. But then again . . . others do NOT.

I, for one, am contemplating Switzerland.