I don't understand how anyone of average means would want to have a child in this country in this day and age as our government is against us. Sheesh.

Yeah, 'cause why would we want children to have something as non-essential and unimportant as health insurance? Much better to spend money on abstinance-only education instead.

Doesn't it seem to you that right-wingers have gotten more shameless over the past several years? First destroying anti-trust laws (supreme court) and now openly denying health insurance to poor children?

I tell you, if the left-wingers or even the liberals in this country had any balls, they would have been running the biggest smear campaign on this issue imaginable, comparable to the little girl with the daisy Nixon ads of days past . Something comparing Bush et al to Scrooge, kicking the crutches away from Tiny Tim.

I mean...they're not even pretending anymore.

This is unbelievable. So much for "family values."

Let this be a blinking sign that Republicans are more concerned with killing people and waging expensive wars abroad than they are about taking care of our own here. Really shows you how "pro-life" they are.

Pardon me for speaking internet, but OMFGWTFBBQ!!!

They couldn't get 13 votes?! What the firetruck is wrong with this society (Elephants and Asses alike)!?

So, just to sum up the news of the week, the "culture of death" is about:

--Protecting women's lives and health by ensuring access to abortion;
--Making sure people have a way to avoid having children they can't afford to feed by making contraception accessible;

Whereas the "culture of life" champions:

--Children dying from easily preventable and treatable diseases;
--Women being killed and maimed to save the "lives" of fertilised eggs;
--Increasing the number of starving children whose parents couldn't afford and didn't want them;
(in addition to the death penalty, nuclear weapons, and all those other life-affirming things)

God forbid we drop our expenditures on nuclear weapons down to the inflation adjusted cold war levels and invest that in our own society. But I suppose by then the commi... Er, terrorists, will have already won.

10,000 Metres.—This was the first final to be decided and 25 contestants faced the starter. Kouts, the only man in the race to have bettered twenty-nine minutes, was expected to win. Withdrawal of Zátopek, champion in 1948 and 1952, was a disappointment but Mimoun, second to Zátopek on both occasions, was in the field. Kouts was in the lead on reaching the first turn and by the second lap he and Pirie, a yard or two behind him, were on their own.

It was obvious that Kouts was the only one to beat, and although for sixteen laps Pirie looked a danger, it was Kouts who dictated the pace. After the half distance Kouts alternately sprinted and slowed up and in the twentieth lap forced the reluctant Pirie to take the lead, only to turn on a blistering sprint, and Pirie showing the first sign of weakening, fell back and almost stopped running, finishing eighth whilst Kouts forged ahead. Kovács (Hungary) and Lawrence (Australia), in finishing second and third became the fourth and fifth ever to beat twenty-nine minutes. Lawrence's time bettered his previous best by nearly half a minute. The first three were all ahead of Zátopek's 1952 record of 29 mins. 17.0 secs.

Marathon.—An innovation which greatly assisted competitors in the road events, both in training and competition, was the painting on the road of a bright green broken line over the whole of the route. This ensured that they never got "off course". It overcame language difficulties when training, for competitors did not need to ask directions as to the route. It also permitted accurate measurement. The day of the marathon was hot and sunny with a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Centigrade). There was a medium breeze on the return journey.

For the first time in Olympic history the runners were re-called at the first attempt to start, but at the second try the 46 runners were away. Two and a half laps and they left the Main Stadium led by a group running very fast. Nineteen hundred and fifty-two winner Zátopek was given a special cheer but few noticed the only Frenchman, Mimoun, who although two years older than Zátopek was like him in 1952, an experienced long-distance athlete but a marathon novice. At the age of 36 he was perhaps considered too old.

At 5 kilometres the field had spread out and in the lead after 16 mins. 25 secs. were Kanuti (Kenya), Lee (Korea) and Davies (South Africa). On their heels was a second group consisting of the two Russians, Filine and Ivanov, with Kotila and Oksanen of Finland, and Mimoun and F. Norris of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

By the 10-kilometre post Kotila was in the lead ahead of Filine, Ivanov, Mimoun, Karvonen (Finland), Norris and Kanuti; behind this group came Oksanen, Perry (Australia), Mihalic (Yugoslavia), Zátopek, Lee, Nilsson and Nyberg of Sweden.