Reading the newspaper again

I've been reading the Ridgecrest newspaper again. I know I shouldn't, it's such a joke, but it arrives at our house 5 days a week, and I'm slow in the mornings, so I read it.

Yesterday's paper had a couple of interesting articles. First, there was a "Valley Voices" profile of the woman who processes the birth certificates at the Ridgecrest hospital. Of course, as always, there was a glaring error in the profile -- it said the woman was 64 and had moved to Ridgecrest from Camarillo in 1970 (when she would have been roughly 24, right?) and that her 4 sons had all graduated from high school in Camarillo but her daughter finished up in Ridgecrest. So that means the woman had four children age 18 and over when she herself was 24. I think she must have moved to Ridgecrest in 1990, not 1970, but never mind.

The interesting part of the profile came a little later, in a description of her job. Here is the relevant quote:

With half of the babies born at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital belonging to unmarried parents, Frances also works with the Paternity Opportunity Program (POP), which establishes a legal link between the father and the child. Unmarried parents who sign the Declaration of Paternity form help their child gain the same rights and privileges of a child born within a marriage.

HALF the babies born at the Ridgecrest hospital are to unmarried parents. HALF? I realize that this could be just another typo, maybe she meant to say 10%, but I don't think so. Of course some of these many babies could be born to adults who have chosen not to marry because they don't believe in it or whatever, but I think we're mainly talking about teen pregnancy here. Welcome to Ridgecrest.

So then we go on reading, and here's a nice letter to the editor from the President of the American Life League of the Indian Wells Valley, announcing that on the anniversary of Roe v Wade there will be "two local outdoor public events." The first event will be "on public sidewalks leading to the entrance to Burroughs High School" and the second will be at the hospital. The letter goes on to say that "both of these events will use graphic pictures to show what abortion is all about."

Please. If HALF the babies born at the Ridgecrest hospital are to unmarried parents, I think we can assume that abortion is not a popular Ridgecrestian activity.

Now, don't get me wrong, I would never encourage someone to have an abortion. I believe in choice. I really do. For example, adoption is a nice choice. But another REALLY nice choice is BIRTH CONTROL!!!!!

Someone might want to organize another "local outdoor public event" outside the high school where they could hand out free condoms. I'm sure that would go over well. Maybe the American Life League would like to get involved. Nothing stops abortion like condoms.

Oh man, I know Ridgecrest is starting to grow on me, but every time I read something like this I think, we need to get the hell out of Dodge before the twins grow up.