Beheading Bristol

Incidentally there is a town near me called Bristol. But that is neither here nor there.
There are two women's new stories that I wanted to mention, poor Bristol Palin and the beheading in New York.
First, poor Bristol. That poor girl is 18 and a new mom. If you haven't had kids, let me assure you the first few months of motherhood is hellish. No matter what the fundies want you to believe, it is hell marked by occassional bright spots, known to other people as "quiet" and "sleeping". Bristol has shocked her mother's supporters by stating that abstinence only education isn't practical, and by making decidedly pro-choice comments (such as "it was my choice". Shocking!) Over on Rapture Ready they are dragging her over the coals, stating that she should have more respect for her mother and shouldn't have granted the interview.
Wha-wha-what??
These people think that Bristol decided to grant the interview? I'm reasonably sure that Bristol can barely get dressed without her mother's help right now. If we all think about this we can all come to the conclusion that Bristol didn't grant this interview, mommy did, and that is why mommy swept in to take it over when she strayed off script.
Bristol is right though, teens won't stop having sex. They have always had sex, we need to make sure they understand how to protect themselves.
Oh, and Rapture Ready commenter who stated that "waiting 10 years before marrage and having kids is unrealistic", that is a big part of our problems here in America. That there is nothing else for a woman do but get married and pump out those kids. Sheesh!
Now, the beheading in New York. All I keep hearing about is how this man was Muslim. That may be the least relevant fact of this story, it provides nothing to this story aside from villianising him further. This is hardly the first woman in an abusive marriage who was killed by her husband after she tried to leave. She won't be the last. The lesson here, folks, is that when someone says "he's hurting me" we need to listen. Again and again women in abusive relationships will say that no one believes or listens to them. They feel even more isolated, and their husband further isolates them from their friends and family. Some women never get the courage to leave and are simply killed one night when the husband goes too far. Some women try to leave and are killed when their husband finds out. Some women are lucky. They get away (literally, you sneak away while he is at work or with friends, it's sad but there you go. I left while my husband was at work. My friends came up and we pack up their car and ran.) They get away and get help and go on, always scared that he'll find them but they do get to live. This woman didn't get that chance. She tried, and I would hate to hear that she died in vain. Let someone out there hear her story and think, "I wonder if that's what my friend means when she says 'x'," and then let that someone be moved to help. If you don't know anyone who needs help, then find your local women's shelter and give them clothes (children's clothes especially, these women are leaving with nothing most of the time, and they take their kids with them).
Help these women. Make sure that you don't know a woman who is killed by her husband/boyfriend/s.o.