Who is One Blunt Mom?

Who are you?

I am a 40-something mom of two daughters, who I refer to as D1 and D2. They are eight years old and three years old. The hubs and I have been married for over ten years. We live in North Texas, where I grew up, although we just finished a seven year stint in a suburb of Boston.

What's your experience with kids?

I started working with kids when I was twelve. It started with babysitting jobs here and there, and then I started working for a nationally known child care center when I graduated from high school. I worked for this company while putting myself through college, where I earned a degree in Elementary Education. The week I graduated from college, I took over the preschool as the Director. I was almost 24 years old. Very young to have that kind of responsibility, but I took it very seriously. There are so many things I would do differently, if I could go back, though. I know so much more about dealing with people now than I did then. I left child care to start teaching elementary school, which was something I had wanted to do since I was a child myself.  I taught fifth grade for several years, and then switched to third grade, which I LOVED, until I had my first daughter. Then I was lucky enough to be able to stay home to raise her. D2 came almost 5 years later, while we were living in Massachusetts.

Do you think you know everything about parenting? 

Of course not, and that's just a silly question. No one does. But I do get incensed at the people who think that they know everything about parenting simply because they have a child. The fact that you have a child means that you had sex at the right time of the month. That's it. It's proven to me daily that I know very little about parenting. I just get up the next morning and try to do better.

What are your religious beliefs, if any?

Ok. So I grew up going to church, sometimes every Sunday, sometimes only on Easter and Christmas. I was baptized Episcopalian when I was very young. Then it seemed that we went to whatever church was closest (or the prettiest). During middle school and high school, I went to a large Baptist church in the center of town because that's where all my friends went. The pastor was well known in the community and very outspoken about city politics. I was completely turned off by his "fire and brimstone" sermons, and I stopped going. I then went to a small country church with a friend for a while, but when they started "speaking in tongues" I decided that was enough for me.

I have cousins, aunts, and uncles who are true Southern bible-belt Baptists. Several of them have done missionary work around the world. These are good people, and I love them dearly. But some of them pick and choose what to follow as far as what the bible says. I have other family members who constantly talk about what the bible says (even though they have no clue), yet they can be the most intolerant, racist, hateful people I have ever been around. The hypocrisy is alarming, disappointing, and just wrong. I cannot understand people who can quote the bible and then turn around and be completely hateful about complete strangers. People who will believe anything on Fox News. People who think Rush Limbaugh has anything worth listening to.

I have said I am more agnostic than anything else. Who's to say that the Jews are wrong, or Hindus, or Buddhists, or Muslims? No one knows.

So here's the thing: your faith (or lack thereof) is no one's business but your own. It's between you, your God, your pastor (if you have one), your church (again, if you have one), and your family. I don't go around telling people why I think they're wrong or right about what they believe.....I have respect for other people's beliefs. Those who constantly spout scripture on Facebook or feel the need to stand on street corners and tell everyone why they're going to hell are ridiculous people, in my opinion.

And expecting any sort of law to be based on what the bible or any other religious text says is absolutely, fundamentally wrong.

So what are you teaching your kids?

They are being taught to be kind and respectful of everyone, no matter what color they are. They are being taught that if two people are in love, and they are old enough to make that choice, that they should be allowed to be happy. They are being taught to give.....to charities, to others, to strangers. They are being taught to be polite.....to open doors, to use their manners, and to become productive, valued parts of society. They are being taught that every single member of society has value, even if they're unemployed, homeless, or poor. If these are "liberal" views, so be it.

Is all of this working? I don't know. But I'm trying.

Why did you start this blog and your FB page?

I'm from Texas. I have many friends and family members, unfortunately, who have been gullible enough to be taken in by far right wing conservative ideals, and, sadly, Tea Party politics. Others are constantly posting bible quotes and talking about how prayer will fix everything. I don't agree. And so, in order to have a place where I could speak my opinions and share what I feel to be true without offending anyone who didn't choose to see it, I started "One Blunt Mom".

Why are you so outspoken about politics?

The racism and intolerance being portrayed by members of Congress and general society is unprecedented towards a President of the United States. Do I support President Obama? Absolutely, he is the President of the United States, and I am a citizen. Do I think he's done a great job? Not by a long shot, but I think we would have seen great strides made in the infrastructure of our country, our educational system, and the care of our people if he had not had a House of Representatives that has absolutely refused to work him in any way. Conservatives are fighting an uphill battle, and they're going to lose. I will fight like hell to make sure my daughters have every opportunity to be who and what they want to be. I firmly believe in equal rights for all......it doesn't matter to me one whit that two people who live down the street are the same gender and they're married. As long as they are good, decent people and they're happy.....WHY WOULD THAT BOTHER ME? For all I know, one or both of my daughters may grow up to be gay. And that would be ok. The thought of turning away from them because of who they are breaks my heart. I don't understand people who fight so hard against gay marriage.

Seriously.....gay marriage will destroy the institution of marriage but people like Brittney Spears, Kim Kardashian, and the myriad of celebrities who make marriage vows and then toss them in the trash won't affect it all? Seriously? That's just the dumbest argument on the planet. Jesus SAYS that divorce is wrong, and people do it every day. Christians do it every day. Jesus said NOTHING about gay marriage. It's just a ridiculous argument and the government shouldn't have anything to do with it.

And CEO's making millions in bonuses while families making minimum wage can't pay their rent? It's absurd. The trickle-down theory has failed. It's time to fix this.