I don't think there is very much of a "backlash" against hospital births at all. The number of women who choose home birth is still remarkably small, and all people talk about are the horror stories, not that the overwhelming majority of home births go very well (as another commenter pointed out, the rate of infant and mother mortality for home births is far less than for hospitals). It's certainly not for everyone, but if anyone is reading all the comments on this thread, the overwhelming majority of commenters seem to be saying that hospital births are a better choice (even if that's wrapped in "well, it's your decision language), and I'd say that from my experience that's the prevailing attitude.

FWIW, I have known many, many women who have given birth, both at home and in hospital. The only person I know who lost a child (and nearly her own life) in delivery was giving birth in a hospital at the time. The only person I know who had complications in a home birth was taken to the hospital immediately and everything was fine in the end. So I'd just like to give that story to balance all of the horror stories and fear that seems to be floating around in response to home birth on this comment thread.

Again, my position is: your baby, your birth, your choice. But don't give me guilt because I would choose a home birth, just like I wouldn't give you guilt for choosing an epidural or whatever. Every birth and every woman is different. Home birth is NOT more dangerous than hospital birth (the statistics don't bear that out), there's just more misunderstanding and fear around it.

maybe I should just stop reading comments on these kinds of articles.

If you haven't read Dr. Robert Altemeyer's fascinating and somewhat chilling book The Authoritarians, you really should. It's available free as an ebook, but that shouldn't give any pause about its relevance, as Altemeyer is one of the world's leading, uh, authorities on authoritarianism.

Basically, his argument is that Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) is a personality type that is based in feelings of fear and superiority. It's no mistake that neo-cons constantly sound the drum of terrorism, 9/11, etc., while simultaneously assuring their followers that they are not only right, but because of their beliefs they are actually better than everyone else. He shows through a variety of scientific studies and research how authoritarianism takes root, and applies that to what happened in this country with the Bush administration.

Altemeyer also provides tests so you can see where you fit on the RWA scale - another fascinating exercise. (I'm a 28.)

Anwyay, highly recommended: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

She's 69, she's one of the most powerful people in the country, she's a bulldog (but she's OUR bulldog, heh), and she's beautiful. Who cares if she's had work done? Bah.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King came before Moonlighting... and let's not forget Remington Steele! Ah, wacky romance detective duos from the 80s...

Obama was always hawkish about Afghanistan and Pakistan, throughout the campaign. He talked about pulling troops out of Iraq to focus them in Afghanistan. So this should surprise no one, although it was one of the few things that made me wary of Obama. Don't get me wrong, I was a vocal supporter of his campaign, but a couple things worried me, and his hawkish stance on this issue was the main one.

Green (the Harvard guy in question) wasn't defending what the pope said - but he was saying that evidence showed that condom distribution and promotion alone simply isn't working. He said that the pope and the catholic church should focus on promoting monogamy but also stop criticizing condom use.

What he is advocating makes sense - a culturally competent approach to HIV/AIDS prevention that uses all the tools available, and is based on demonstrated success. It's not like he's pulling this out of thin air.

I'm all for condom distribution and education. But what's wrong with taking a broader approach, promoting monogamy, which may be more culturally relevant, and also educating about proper condom use?

Now, the problem is that Green is still taking the single pronged approach, when what is needed is a multi-pronged approach. Certainly we know that abstinence-only education doesn't work - but if culturally-relevant education and promotion of monogamy works, then maybe this is something to look at as part of a broad-based solution. In India what has worked is things like promoting monogamy, empowering women to enforce condom use when they know their husbands are sleeping around, and importantly, focusing education on prevention amongst sex workers.

This is a great photoessay. My father-in-law was a civil rights worker in rural Louisiana in the early 60s, and put his own life in danger to register black voters in hostile areas, places where the Ku Klux Klan was deeply integrated with local police and government, and where civil rights workers were all too frequently murdered by the KKK while in police custody.

All of us - regardless of our ethnicity - owe a debt of gratitude to these courageous men and women who fought for liberty and justice right here on our own shores, standing up to authority to fight for what is right. They are American heroes.