1. Where do you stand on the "right to life" or the "free choice" debate?
2. Where do you stand on capital punishment?
I ask because I just had a conversation with a man that is adamantly opposed to any form of abortion, to the extent that he doesn't think the morning after pill should be legal. "Life begins at conception." and "Having unique DNA makes you a person." was his thought.
When we got in to capital punishment, he thought that murderers and rapists etc should be put to death. "Not old sparky or anything like that, but more humane," is what he said.
Seemed a H U G E contradiction in his value of life, but that's just like my opinion man.
What about you guys? Where do you stand on these big issues that are constantly used to define us and divide us politically?
In my opinion the difference is; The fetus in utero did nothing wrong to deserve to be terminated. The decision to terminate is being made by someone else. Which is why so many people fight for the right of the unborn. However; the man (or woman) made the decision to commit a crime that warranted the death penalty, like take another human beings life. So the decision to be put to death was theirs and theirs alone. It’s easy to say you’re pro-choice, but until you’re the one making the choice, it’s difficult to understand. Trust me, when someone tells you you’re pregnant, you realize you have another life inside of you and know your life will be forever changed no matter what choice you make. I was 17, pregnant and on my own when I had to make that choice.
For me, I know I made the right choice.
It's barbaric.However; the man (or woman) made the decision to commit a crime that warranted the death penalty, like take another human beings life. So the decision to be put to death was theirs and theirs alone.
there have been over 140 exonerations of those on death row or those that have already been executed. Innocent people have been put to death. In my opinion, it's not worth that.
That awkward moment when you realize your mom is on HubskiI was 17, pregnant and on my own when I had to make that choice. For me, I know I made the right choice.
You did. Thanks ma. Seriously, I enjoy being alive.
Well, it's also awesome that she didn't abort me.
Maybe she is on Hubski and hasn't told you. You know what would make me super happy? To find out that my father or a good friend had been on Hubski for a long while and just never told me. I have friends that lurk Hubski and this makes me very happy. I'm able to share conversations with them about stuff I've read/learned here that I can't (in the same way) with others. My best friends are on Hubski.
I've invited my best friends to be on Hubski though. So, I have the best of both worlds. I have friends from college on Hubski, former co-workers, musicians I've played with etc. that I've invited here and that now visit regularly. I wish that more Hubski users would invite their friends from "meatspace" to the site. I think it would benefit from this type of growth as opposed to huge influxes from disenfranchised users of other social aggregators. Invite your friends dammit! I too have dreams of Hubski folk btw. Also, and totally unrelated, I learned the word "paramour" today. Thanks.
Do you have a template of an invitation with a description and some instructions and words on why it's wonderful? If one doesn't exist, maybe we or someone should write one. I find that people that I've shown it to do not really get it or see themselves as already too busy wasting their time on other websites.
Lil, I don't think such a thing exists, but it is a really good idea. We are in the midst of creating a "welcome video." Perhaps, having this ready when the video is would be a good idea. You want to take a crack at writing it?
You can't get out of it that easily, tng. You have invited friends and I bet you did it via email with a little intro and description, so you'll have to send that along to me (cleaned up of course). Anyway, I'm beyond swamped right now -- but maybe in a couple of weeks. This would actually be a fun thing to do collaboratively with humanodon or anyone. Sort of like those political campaign templates I get all the time to send to a politician. Even if there was an Invite-A-Friend-To-Hubski template, I can't see myself actually using it. I have wonderful friends who have visited here such as Sergio and ellens-s-jaffe briefly, or JA_Kennedy just to comment on the poetry, but that was it. On the other hand, if they knew how we get to know one another in such profound ways . . .
Yeah, I don't think I have emailed many people about it, but mostly they ask me about it because they know I am one of the co-founders. They'll see me post stuff to FB etc. I also tend to invite people to the site in person and not via emails. Also, if you don't think you'd ever use it, then perhaps it's not worth creating. It's really hard to convey what makes the place special because it really is about the community. How do you convey this? Someone really needs to experience it.
Yes. And she is not allowed on Hubski anymore. This is what happens when you post a Hubski link on FB.
No! You can tell us embarrassing things about thenewgreen's childhood!
1. This is a tough one. My outlook and idealism was shaped by a comfortable distance to the whole topic until it was brought starkly into my face. Suddenly your airy liberal absolutism flies out of the window when your head is full of conflicting thoughts on what it is you actually want and the practical realities of the World. I was always staunchly pro choice, but again this was from the standpoint of a man looking at the situation remotely with no real dog in the fight. I was also disgustingly judgemental of those who had to make that choice. So it was a case of "yeah, you should be allowed to do it, but I think you're a bad person for doing it". Basically an ill thought out version of "I may disagree with what you say but I will fight for your right to say it" but applied to people. Then reality hit, suddenly it was my offspring on the line and the clear lines and colours didn't seem so clear anymore. Suddenly the realities of a women sitting in front of you not wanting to have a choice brings the whole thing into focus. She asks you "what do you want to do?" and you see that it isn't as simple as her just flipping a coin and taking a trip. She's heartbroken, you're heartbroken and you're both there trying to decide about this life. Rest assured, when it's you sitting there scientific rationalisations suddenly hold little to no water. Before that very point I would say zygote, embryo, collection of cells with all the affection a dentist shows a tooth, but in that moment when someone says to you "what do you want to do?" it becomes your baby. Try not to imagine a child. Try not to see you in the future playing with your child. We're having to make a decision by exploring our situation, our careers, our ability to provide the lives we wanted for our children and to do that you explore that future...you put a body and soul to that collection of cells and then you choose to end that life, no matter how imagined. So I remain pro choice, but tinged with regret and a more thoughtful consideration for those who have to make that choice. 2. Again, it's easy when you're not at the frontline. No one I know or care about has been murdered. It's easy for me to sit here and wax lyrical about exacting the same barbarism on the criminal as they have on their victim and being no better and the state having no right to take life and blah blah blah, but now my I know to be a little more empathetic in my reading of situations. I can't speak as the family or friend of a victim but I can see that some of them may have that need. What I am sure of is that revenge should not be the concern of our authorities. I say that even if we are 100% sure the accused is guilty. Which brings me to the main reason I oppose the death penalty. Nothing is 100%. I'd rather guilty people sat in jail than innocent people die.
it becomes your baby. Try not to imagine a child. Try not to see you in the future playing with your child.
this is also true of when a couple or individual has to go through a miscarriage.
This. This this this this this. Thank you for sharing.
I guess if I wanted I could be a dick and claim that I have more right to an opinion on right-to-life/right-to-choose/abortion than 90%+ of this thread. This is New Age bullshit I don't buy into, and that's coming from a person who's had another life inside of her and made a choice about it. I'm tired of plots where the character who's had the abortion just simply can't get over her abortion. Some part of her life is all screwy and she has to repent, somehow, with massive guilt and a screwy life (caused or not caused in part by her guilt) because she's Kilt A Baby. (Our firm's NEWEST DIY kit, "Quilt A Baby," is coming out next month! Keep your eyes peeled for this sew-n-stuff entertainment!) On the other hand, in a plot, if you have a happy, adjusted character who's had an abortion, there's no point to the "had an abortion" part. Chekhov's gun, tightness of the narrative, only mention things that are relevant. IE: Well adjusted character? Morbid backstory that's been resolved, not relevant. Distracts. Takes up word count. So I understand why the general trope exists & occurs. Still sucks, though. Makes people think there's only one or two routes away from an abortion. Makes people feel like if you have an abortion, you also have to be hung up about it for the rest of your life. Don't get me wrong. An abortion is a big deal and not a decision to be taken lightly. But it's not a decision that has to screw you up for life. I think a woman deserves the right to choose. If the fetus/egg/zygote isn't viable I don't believe its potential life should be taken into consideration as a reason to have the child. The quality of its potential life? Yes. What you as a potential part can give (or can't give) this potential child? Yes. Just simply the fact that in a few months it can turn into a child? No. Sometimes what gets lost in this discussion is how much right a potential father should have to a zygote/embryo/fetus/I really don't care. It's the woman's body and I don't think a woman should be forced to experience something so physically stressful and demanding without being willing. That is, I don't think a man should be able to claim that because he impregnated a woman and half of that potential child is his, she has to carry it to term if he wants it. Do some fuckin' science-magic and take the egg and put it in someone else or something for chrissakes. But if a woman was willing to carry a baby but didn't want to raise it, and a man was, well that would be copacetic for me. I agree that when a fetus is closer to term things become squishier morally even as they become less squishy in the womb. I don't know as it's possible to lay down a unilateral decision on this one. I'm against the wanton carrying-then-destruction of a would-be child, as in "I'll just make up my mind later," or "The father and I had a fight at the last minute and as an emotional reaction I am 'deciding' without thought that I don't want this child." I find it hard to believe, but not impossible, that the reasons for having a late-term abortion are not more complex. And perhaps incomprehensible to me. So the jury is out but loosely in favor of abortion in general including late term; of course it is always possible to find horrific examples to break my heart, there are exceptions to all rules and proposed rules. As for capital punishment, I'm in general against it, although I like to point out to anti-abortion pro-capital-punishment opinion-holders that there is a perceived conflict between those two points of view. We have too shitty of a justice system for anyone to sleep well in regards to capital punishment the way it is carried out in this country. In addition, the medical dilemma it presents for doctors is extremely problematic and prevents us from ensuring things such as painfree victim death. For those that wish pain upon those who receive capital punishment I say that you are not looking for punishment, you are looking for revenge, and revenge is not the business of a justice system. I think we should rehabilitate our prisoners when, if at all, ever, possible. For those who cannot or will not be rehabilitated, some sort of prison can be achieved, I'm sure.Trust me, when someone tells you you’re pregnant, you realize you have another life inside of you and know your life will be forever changed no matter what choice you make.
P.S. Leave my mom alone :)I guess if I wanted I could be a dick and claim that I have more right to an opinion on right-to-life/right-to-choose/abortion than 90%+ of this thread.
Yeah, I guess you could but it wouldn't be true. Each one of us, male and female have as much right to an opinion on the topic as you do. You have NO IDEA what we have been through, regardless of gender. Don't presume. Sometimes what gets lost in this discussion is how much right a potential father should have to a zygote/embryo/fetus/I really don't care. It's the woman's body and I don't think a woman should be forced to experience something so physically stressful and demanding without being willing.
-I don't think a woman should be forced either, but I also think its callous and... well, fucking lame to say you don't care about the fathers concerns. Do some fuckin' science-magic and take the egg and put it in someone else or something for chrissakes.
-Yeah, I'll ah.. okay, do that and stuff. This is New Age bullshit I don't buy into
Did you just call my mom bullshit? She could soooo feel my babyness in her womb. Yours must not have been quite so babyish as I was :-)
Which is it though? You have to pick one, if the father is insisting that his baby be born.
You either ignore his concerns, or you force the woman. You can't have it both ways, at least, not always.I don't think a woman she be forced either, but I also think its callous and... well, fucking lame to say you don't care about the fathers concerns.
I said it, I think it's the woman's choice. However, to pretend that something callous and somewhat unjust isn't happening is wrong imo. It's a shitty situation and to pretend otherwise and to say things like "I really don't care" is wrong and so much of the abortion debate (on both sides) pretends that there aren't worlds of nuance at play. It's a contentious topic for a reason.... both sides realize that neither is really in the indisputable "right".
When the other person said "I really don't care", it was in reference to what to call the blob of cells! They've corrected your misunderstanding already, but maybe it didn't register.
I think you took offense where none was given. Here's the quote :
how much right a potential father should have to a zygote/embryo/fetus/I really don't care.
I think that shows a disregard for how much right a father should have. Keep in mind that "rights" don't necessarily mean "custody" or the ability to "coerce" or "force" a women to keep the child, but the right to care, to have a voice in your caring. To be distraught or excited about the choice. These are rights too that are too easily diminished imo. Whether you like it or not, the father is a factor in this equation. Does he have the right (in my opinion) to make the ultimate choice? -No. Does he have the right to be heard, to voice his thoughts? Yes, absolutely. same disclaimer... half a bottle of wine. Shouldn't even be at a keyboard. Cheers though and by the way, every time I eat honey, I think of you pal. -Is that odd? I'll answer that. "yes, yes it is."I think you took offense where none was given. Here's the quote :
how much right a potential father should have to a zygote/embryo/fetus/I really don't care.
The presumption is meant more to serve as commentary for the posters who say they have no right to an opinion. While my own experience is absolutely relevant and it may be true that, as a result, I know my opinion a bit more thoroughly (ins & outs as it were) as a result, I find copping to one's lack of experience as a lack of a reason for an opinion both valid and at the same time - either disappointing or almost a cop-out. For example, I have difficulty forming an articulate opinion on Ferguson when people begin debating that the events were racially motivated. I firmly believe they were, but I don't feel I have the ability, or the context, to "prove" it accurately to others who don't believe that. I don't have quick stats nor do I have experience. I also feel I can't speak to the experience of minorities in cases such as Ferguson as a result. I firmly feel I am stuck in the "white person, can't possibly fathom" camp. HOWEVER ... I also feel like such an answer is a quick, easy & glib way to excuse my lack of opinion, or me being too lazy to put in the work and actually form an opinion. I feel like there is validity to saying "I can't possibly have an opinion because I don't have the experience..." but that it also allows one to not mentally work at having an opinion on a topic. It is a bit of a crux I think. It is better to admit that one's sword may not be in the fight than plunge in acting as if one's unseasoned opinion has total weight. But it is also better, I think, to engage than say "because I have no experience I will not face the conflict." I didn't say I don't care about the father's concerns. I find it difficult to reconcile with them when faced with the burden of the developing (here I said "I really don't care" because there are so many terms and distinctions here and I don't care about the subtleties for the sake of this discussion) egg/zygote/fetus/whatever, within the female body. I think it can potentially be very difficult for guys who want to have kids to be faced with a woman who wants an abortion. I don't think that there is a happy solution for that couple in most cases. As for the science-magic, clearly a theoretical, it'd-be-cool-if-you-could-please-everyone sort of possibility. I am sure your mother is amazing, tng. You have no idea how terrified I am at the thought that mine may be spinning somewhere around the hub. I just do get irritated at people who insist that having had an abortion, or choosing to go through with a pregnancy, Changes One For Life. I agree that having a child certainly is going to do that and also that it's a big decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. I don't believe it's a decision that has to leave emotional scars that cripple one for life or which one still has to be burdened with years after the fact. So her opinion, while hers and I'm sure realized through the context of her life, struck a chord that I think society in general likes to play - while she may have not meant to, or realized she was. I would love to see some "had an abortion and am glad" characters in plots. I guess I would really like to see someone I can relate more to. I watch movies where a character has had an abortion and as a result, her relationship, and then her life falls apart as she moves into addiction (just as one example). I don't relate to that. On top of that, not relating to that somehow makes it seem a) to everyone that this is what an abortion does to you and b) to me that perhaps something's wrong with me for not being devastated. I refuse to believe something is wrong with me for making the best choice available to me. I refuse to believe I should be tormented for choosing not to be tormented.
There are few moments in your life when you are standing at the brink of a decision with this much potential for change. Having an abortion presumably secures the status quo of your life. Nothing really changes, though some would argue that it does. But to say that you are irritated by those that suggest that going through with a pregnancy Changes One For Life shows a huge lack of awareness by just how much being a parent, or even a deliveree of a baby means. It's an enormous thing... and I don't just mean the responsibility. It's HUGE... and it comes out of your vagina. That in and of itself will actually change many women for life. Having a child will change you. It will. It will change you in ways you couldn't even imagine. I'll stop now, because trying to describe the love you feel for your child to someone that hasn't had one is like trying to describe color to a blind person. edit: I feel the need to let you know that I love you and think the world of you and that I've had a bottle of wine.I just do get irritated at people who insist that having had an abortion, or choosing to go through with a pregnancy, Changes One For Life
Whether you choose to recognize it or not, it DOES change you for life. It's a HUGE choice you make.
From Directly after your quote of me: Clearly, my umbrage is not truly directed at those who say having a child will change your life. Children remain an if, not a when, for me.I agree that having a child certainly is going to do that and also that it's a big decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. I don't believe it's a decision that has to leave emotional scars that cripple one for life or which one still has to be burdened with years after the fact.
My apologies, I shouldn't be having this conversation for several reasons. 1. Having my MOM drop by hubski was truly weird. 2. wine 3. I need rest.
Apologies if I don't know what I'm talking about. I've never been in a lived situation that had any relevance to either of these issues. 1. Abortion is an interesting topic because it remains illegal in Ireland except in cases where there is a threat to the mother's life. There have been some high-profile cases in the media in recent years - including the death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012, who was refused an abortion alllegedly because this is a "Catholic country" and ended up dying of sepsis. More recently, a rape victim was refused an abortion and had to be given a Caesarean section (by the time she was assessed by a psychiatrist, it was too late to terminate the pregnancy). It's a banal truism to say that abortion is a complex issue (as is capital punishment). Personally, I think it should be legal, and have participated in a few of the protests in Dublin precipitated by the Halappanavar case. What others have already said rings true for me, I suppose - that it is better to abort a foetus than to bring an unwanted child into the world, and that women should have control of their own bodies. There remain, however, some interesting issues in the life v. choice debate; either side stems from fundamental beliefs about personhood that are ultimately irreconcilable. Deciding when a foetus is a person deserving of life strikes me as fairly arbitrary - some people think it begins at conception, others after a certain number of weeks, and others at birth. These seem to me like a priori beliefs that do not, and possibly cannot, have any real justification. And it's from this that the whole notion of murder arises; a pro-choice person can say that abortion is not murder, because the foetus is not a person; a pro-life person can argue that it is murder, because the foetus is. These ideas are so fundamental to either side that they seem impossible to resolve, for me. What I take from it is simply that it is insufficient for either side to argue that abortion is or is not murder, because the argument is reduced to people shouting at each other about their own ideas of personhood. It's important to acknowledge that cultural ideas about what constitutes personhood are extraordinarily varied, and more importantly, I don't think it's possible to argue that one constitution of "personhood" is more valid than another. Which brings us to what galen is hinting at below - the problem of infringing on another person's rights because of your own beliefs, and the problems that poses for any democratic system. We do not allow people to commit murder - and that's the rub, because for pro-life people, foetuses are people and abortion is murder. I think it is also important to consider that religion is embedded into society, rather than existing as some sort of separate stratum.
2. Capital punishment is a big issue, though not a salient one in Ireland (where execution is no longer carried out as a means of punishment). It seems reasonable enough to suggest that executing someone is a better idea than imprisoning them for the remainder of their life, whether for economic reasons or moral ones (is imprisoning someone for decades really better than killing them?) Naturally, it seems clearer in cases (possibly imaginary) in which the criminal has committed multiple heinous crimes (like a recidivist murderer rapist). Sort of what bioemerl is saying. But the death penalty has its own problems, namely that of sufficiently ascertaining guilt, without which innocent people can and have been executed. That, or the extreme cost of keeping someone on death row, because the process isn't exactly quick (that's today; in England a hundred years ago, it usually took about three weeks for someone to get hanged, rather than twenty years). Consider the Japanese man who was on death row for decades before being released - and in Japan, they apparently don't tell you when it's coming, so for him every day could have been his last. Then, of course, there are the logistical matters of the execution itself, although I think they're secondary to the moral justification of capital punishment in the first place. Naturally, I think it's best if it's quick and painless. I remember hearing about a recent execution in the US in which it took two hours for the victim to die, which is quite horrific. Maybe bring back the guillotine? Capital punishment, to my ill-informed mind, seems like too much of a headache, really. I did have an interesting conversation about corporal punishment recently, though, in which the other person claimed that whipping would in many cases be preferable to a prison sentence. It's extraordinarily painful, yes, but after the healing period the criminal can integrate back into society, instead of going to prison, or "crook college", and building up a network of criminal contacts for when they're back on the streets. I actually think it's a very interesting idea. We do have to think about the purpose of imprisonment, which I think has a hell of a lot more to do with attempting to remove people from society than it does to reform them or even to act as a deterrent (which I think 25 lashes probably would do), and, in the States at least, with feeding money into private companies. OftenBen mentions the problem of granting a particular body (i.e. the judicial system) power over human life, when perhaps they are not to be trusted. I haven't given any thought to this before.
I was not saying that a person who does many crimes should be killed. I said a person who cannot be rehabilitated should be killed. A person who murders a thousand in cold blood, but then shows signs that they were crazy, under the influence, and not under the right state of mind afterwards, should never get the death penalty, or life sentence, or anything. Justice is a bullshit and flawed concept, and a person isn't the same person after going through a prison system. Unless a person has a mental condition, or a trait, or what not, that shows they will never be able to be cured, the death penalty shouldn't happen. Say you have an antisocial person who stole a wallet. Off with the head. Murder-rapist of a thousand who was raised by an abusive mother and father and was raised to hate all of the people around him? I'd say second chances are a good thing.
Forgive my inaccuracy.
Say you have an antisocial person who stole a wallet. Off with the head.
Ouch.
What purpose does the death penalty serve? To get those who are dysfunctional out of society, because banishment isn't going to work. If you are a person who cannot function inside of the law, who will ignore things for your own gain, you do not belong in society.
Your stance raises the interesting metric of "how one knows when rehabilitation isn't possible," which to me seems most likely to be "attempt to rehabilitate a person multiple times until it becomes clear it is ineffective." This puts aside at least some of the immediacy of the worry of cutting someone's head off simply because he has stolen a wallet, AnSionnachRua - although I don't claim it's a perfect suggestion.
I think I can only do one big, bad, ugly topic at a time. The abortion debate first, i guess. I think the biggest misunderstanding in the "pro-life" "pro choice" debate is that NO ONE wants people to have an abortion. Abortion is a last-resort decision and should never be taken lightly. "Pro choice" is not the equivalent of "Pro death", and no one's going "AW YEAH, I WANNA KILL ME SOME MUTHAFUCKIN' BABIES TODAY!" Come on, give me a break, right? Abortion should be the end of a line of educated sexual choices. First (even though pro choice people think it's a shit tactic, and they're not completely wrong), letting people know that the only way you're 100% not going to get pregnant is abstinence (or at least the absence of PIV sex). HOWEVER, once sex education gets that out of the way, people need to be informed about the next level of protection: Male condoms, female condoms, dental dams, etc and how to use them effectively, how to store them effectively and so on. What are the pill and other contraceptives and how do they work? I thought about putting this even before the contraceptives, but then a long, lengthy talk about consent is paramount. How a lack of refusal is not implicit consent, how you should NEVER say yes if you're not 100% comfortable, how you should not "test" your significant other and say one thing but mean another. CLEAR Communication is paramount and being anything other than crystal clear with your intent is a recipe for complete disaster and a breakdown of trust inside the relationship After this comes an understanding of childbirth, Plan B, adoption and abortion. Knowledge is power, and knowing the ins and outs of all of these options, which run the gamut from chemical to governmental is important. I could keep going here ( a cultural shift on how we view men and women who have been raped for example), but i think you get what i'm talking about here. Now, some people are opposed to abortion for religious reasons, or believe that life begins at conception. Okay, fine. whatever. I have an alternative for you. The exact same thing, but remove abortion and plan B from the last step. THEN, add onto it much more robust funding for adoption organizations, scholarships for adoptive children, benefits for adopted children and their newly adopted parents. In America alone there are 397,122 children in the adoption system. a lot of those children go to group homes where, even when the people running them are doing the best they can, many of their needs are not met. these children need funding and education support. 25% of those who age out of the adoption system without having found an adoptive family do not obtain a High school diploma or GED. I can keep quoting statistics, but basically if you follow the link i just posted you'll see that .1% of America's 313 million people need a lot more help than they're getting. If you are going to force a woman to carry a baby to term, EVEN IF the conception happened under extenuating circumstances (condom failure, incorrect dosage of birth control, rape, any number of reasons) then you, YOU who have decided with your infinite knowledge that you know what is best for people you have never met, had damn well better see that anyone involved in the care of that child (blood relation or adoption) is getting all of the funding and support that they need so that that child can succeed in whatever they decide to do. You don't get to just make that decision and not suffer the fallout. However, I have never met someone who is "pro life" who is okay with that arrangement. Once that child is outside of the womb it's no longer their problem. Can't get support your child? man, you should just get a better job, or make more money. Another chapter in the ongoing saga of how americans (especially poor americans) hate poor people. "I'm down on my luck, I was raped by a relative after my husband died and I can't support my kids. I need this government support. But that Lazy fucker behind me in line? They just need to get a job, that's all!!! Just work harder and you'll succeed!" But I digress.
1. I cannot have a meaningful opinion on this one. I am male, and have never been in a position where this has been even a remote possibility. I will say this. I believe that there are too many damn people on the planet, and no one should be forced to raise a child they don't want. I also believe that it's an intensely personal choice, and that those who do have abortions should not be viewed as pariahs or outcasts, and that their procedure should definitely be something mourned. A life is taken, and that should always be a solemn and somber thing. That said, there are cases where it is, in my opinion, necessary. 2. I was pretty certain about this one, being pro death penalty for a long time. However, someone brought up a really good point not long ago that there is probably no group on the planet that I would be comfortable granting the authority to decide who lives or dies. In general, I think that people who are pro-life, as they say, should also be for large government in the form of social welfare, but they usually aren't. Conversely, those who are most likely to advocate for a womans right to choose, also would take better care of that infant once it's born. A strange dichotomy. I make a point to ask wealthy Christians about that stuff often now. The whole, camel through the eye of a needle thing and all. It's fun to hear people rationalize so quickly. If I'm feeling extra-inflammatory I'll call jesus a proto-marxist and watch the steam rise. On that topic, has anyone else ever read about some of the super early christian communities? A lot of them functioned like communes, and also included psychedelic plants in their rituals and prayer. Cool stuff.
In general, I think that people who are pro-life, as they say, should also be for large government in the form of social welfare, but they usually aren't.
I agree and I made this point tonight. If the anti abortino people granted as much of their time and resources to protesting the lack of help single moms receive etc, it would be less of an issue. Or if they embraced contraceptive resources etc.
1. Going slightly against the grain here - philosophically I am pro-life, but I recognize that outlawing abortion creates a host of new problems arguably worse than abortion itself. Conception seems to be the most logical 'marker' for the beginning of life for me, but I know many others here will argue that it is birth. 2. I am anti capital punishment, as I think it is far too easy for us to make mistakes when it comes to condemning people. There's the saying "It is better for 10 guilty men to go free than 1 innocent man be killed", and I agree with that. With regards to your anecdote, I think the contradiction diminishes if you consider him to value only innocent life. If the convict has been condemned, barring error on part of the justice system, then he is not innocent.
OK, I'm totally making an unfair assumption about this guy's religious beliefs here, but for the sake of argument, and because there are definitely people in the world who share his views and definitely have these religious beliefs, let's assume that this guy's a fundamentalist Christian. Is there really such a thing as innocent life, in "his" opinion? I would argue not: see original sin. So assuming (as he does) that an unborn child is alive, they have sinned. Is it not then justified to kill them? If not, then how does one justify killing a convicted criminal?With regards to your anecdote, I think the contradiction diminishes if you consider him to value only innocent life. If the convict has been condemned, barring error on part of the justice system, then he is not innocent.
Most fundamental Christians believe that the guilt of original sin bars them from entering Heaven, not that it warrants their death. They believe that it is only through the grace of God that sinners (i.e. everyone) can enter Heaven. This is why you don't see them going around murdering people.
I had the conversation that spawned this post with a devout christian. My response wasn't about turning the other check, but about the adulteress that was about to be stoned. There was a circle of men around her, prepared to stone her for adultery. Jesus stepped in (like the bad ass motherfucker that he was) and said, "let ye without sin cast the first stone." -I said the to the guy I was talking with that if he wanted to kill people as punishment, first he needed to find someone without sin to pull the lever. crickets.....
Not sure, tbh. I was just arguing that fundamental Christians can still see 'innocent life' in the sense that they do not deserve whatever has happened to them, while still acknowledging that none are worthy of entering Heaven by themselves.
With regards to your anecdote, I think the contradiction diminishes if you consider him to value only innocent life. If the convict has been condemned, barring error on part of the justice system, then he is not innocent.
-But this is a fantasy of a judicial system. As time has shown, innocents will be killed.
I agree. I'm just saying that such a viewpoint is, theoretically, consistent. In practice it is not however, which limits its credibility.
If only we lived in "theory" and not "in practice." Decision making would be much easier.
1. I'm going to go with the rights of the actual person over the rights of the potential person: since the woman must be subjected to great risk and consequences, she should be able to terminate a pregnancy if she so chooses. If people really don't want pregnancies to be terminated, they should make sure that all people (including teens) have access to reliable contraception, and good education on how to use it properly. Further, there should be targeted education about consent, and shame-free resources for anyone experiencing sexual violence or abuse. All of these things should be provided free of charge. But I've found that many people who claim to be "pro-life" do not support these ideas, and in reality are really just "anti-women-having-sex." And, of course, the massive contradiction in ideas that you experienced with this gentleman--once that fertilized egg is fully cooked and out in the world, if it's poor and has few opportunities and a lack of familial or social support, then fuck that kid, s/he is a menace and a drain on society and deserves to be locked up or gotten rid of. 2. I'm not 100% sure where I stand on capital punishment. I would say I'm probably 98% against it. Logically, I do not support it at all; it doesn't work as a deterrent, it's not fiscally responsible, it's inhumane, it's awful. I hate so many things about our "justice" system, which is just totally broken (United States). Emotionally...there are people in the world of whom I am VERY afraid, and it's possible I would sleep easier knowing they were gone. But that's a shitty reason for something as barbaric and terrible as capital punishment. And with the issues our society has about "us vs. them," I'd rather we not have executions as a tool to use against one another.
Your last paragraph rings true for me also. Here's how I like to put it : "Just because some people deserve killin', doesn't make it okay for the State to do it".
1. Philosophically I'm pro-choice. I also see the practical aspect of providing legal services in order to pre-empt a much more dangerous black market system. I don't judge people who've made the choice. Except for my aunt, who had two abortions but remains a rabid and very vocal social conservative. And even then, I don't begrudge her her choices, I just resent her hypocrisy. However. I couldn't imagine having a hand in making that choice in regards to my own family. Just couldn't do it. 2. Not keen on capital punishment, for the following reasons: A) the whole "more expensive to society than life in prison" thing. B) Not clear if it actually works as a deterrent. C) I don't believe in the notion of justice as an eye for an eye. I believe in justice as a restoration of balance. There's a difference. Not many things worse than taking a life. But killing a murderer doesn't restore the life lost, it just adds a tally mark to the side of the dead. In a just system, the response to loss of life would be, what, an addition of something of equal or greater value to the world. That's pretty philosophically nebulous, but there you go. Here's an example of what I mean: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/i-would-like-you-to-know-my-nam/Content?oid=9434642 And then: http://proxy.bellstrike.com/about I heard an interview w/ Hopper a few months ago on our local NPR affiliate. She displayed not only strength and bravery on a level I know I wouldn't be capable of, but also an overwhelming amount of empathy for other victims, her partner, her assailant's family, and even her assailant. She took something unspeakably horrible, and she leveraged it into a social movement for healing. She's sort of a superhero in my book. Anyhow. I'm not convinced that capital punishment can provide that level of justice, or any level of justice. There are exceptions- only one I can think of right now is in the case of I dunno a serial killer- in which case maybe cap punishment is as much a service to the killer as it is to the survivors of his deeds. Still not even sure about that, though. Man, you're going straight to the heavy stuff tonight. What ever happened to pubski. Think it's implied in your post, TNG, but where do you stand on these matters more specifically?
As for capital punishment, here it is less ambiguous for me. I am very much opposed to capital punishment, if nothing else than for human error. One innocent life isn't worth it. Period. Wrong place, wrong time has happened too many times to be funny anymore. Plus, it really ins't a deterrent and it's somewhat of an easy way out. If you are guilty of murder, rape or any other heinous crime then I think you ought to do HARD time. Not death, but rather a pretty miserable existence. That, to me, is more just. This way there is retribution and the chance for the innocent to receive exoneration.Think it's implied in your post, TNG, but where do you stand on these matters more specifically?
Well, the first one has been a moving target as I have gained perspective. I used to be unapologetically pro choice, but as I've grown older I've realized that (for me) it's not so simple. I have no idea where the legal definition of "life" should be drawn, but I know that there is a point at which it makes me uncomfortable and it's certainly not after birth. I think that the morning after pill is an awesome thing, but I think that traditional abortions are something that should be considered a last resort and not a birth control method. -But that's just me and I'm not in any way suggesting that my views should be law. I think it really is a personal choice that a woman has to make. I just would hope she'd chose life. My mom was 17 when I was conceived. My guess is that she had people suggest that she abort the pregnancy. My guess is that she considered it (I would have if I were her). I'm very grateful she didn't. We were poor, it was difficult for her but she did a fine job considering.
Agree w/ everything (including the conflicted opinions) but: Think that punishment is only just if that's the treatment that corrects the views/behaviors of the punished. If not, isn't it just glorified revenge? Not saying that I have a viable alternative to rough prison terms, but it still doesn't feel like justice. There was a piece a couple(?) years ago about Anders Breivik, how he's being held under conditions so humane they almost seem like a joke. Really mad when I read about it the first time, but the more I think about it, the more incredible it feels to me- to meet such seething hatred with such care and consideration. Seems like the ultimate refutation to all that he stood for.If you are guilty of murder, rape or any other heinous crime then I think you ought to do HARD time.
Let me preface this response by saying... damn I'm tired and have to go to bed, but these conversations are damned fun to have and thus I'm up way past my bedtime. But "yes" it is revenge at a point. "Hard time" is certainly subjective but it's the opposite of "soft time" in which inmates watch movies, tv, play games etc. Guess what? You rape and kill people and you no longer get such pleasures in life. Are you chained to a wall and whipped? No. But you're not watching Breaking Bad etc either. It has to hurt some or it's no deterrent at all. It's not a punishment. Your a dad, you get that the minute the punishment doesn't fit the crime, they'll start sneaking food from the fringe all day long... Good night pal.
Hah, I'll respond tomorrow and give you a chance to get some shuteye.
Haven't forgotten about this just been swamped. Reminder more for my own sake...
Man, I was hoping for some religion with my politics. Oh well. 1. I'm pro-choice. IMO it just doesn't make sense to define the starting point of a life as anything other than birth. 2. I can't say without a doubt that no crime is worth capital punishment, but what I definitely believe is that we can never be sure enough of a given person's guilt to kill them. The death penalty is 100% final, so it seems like the only way to justify it is if you're 100% sure of someone's guilt-- and that's just not possible.
Just out of curiosity, do you feel differently about abortions very early on in the pregnancy (e.g. the morning after pill) than those that occur late. That is, if someone were to theoretically (and I know in many places this is prevented by law) abort their pregnancy the day before they were due, would you still argue the fetus is not alive?
Hm, I have always found this position hard to understand, which is why I am curious. In fact, it is because of this 'thought experiment' that I define life to start at conception. To me, aborting a fetus a day before it is due is much much worse than doing so early on. A day before the due date, the fetus is completely viable, so to me there is little difference between this and murdering a newborn. We could think of the even more absurd scenario in which you kill the fetus once labor has actually started (after all, it can be a long process). What about two days before? Three days? This thought process always reminds me of Sorites Paradox I agree that defining life to begin at some arbitrary point in the pregnancy makes very little sense, but I go in the opposite direction than you and say it begins with conception rather than birth. Anyway, I don't mean to challenge your beliefs so don't take the above the wrong way or anything. Just explaining why I (and probably other pro-lifers) see conception as the logical starting point.
Well, for the sake of discussion we can continue. Why don't you agree with the above? We can agree that someone is alive once they are born. What has changed about them through the process of exiting the womb that differentiates them from how they were an hour before, as a fetus. The only thing I can think of is physical location, changing from in to out of the womb.
They're a fully formed, totally independent person. I guess it's the independence that matters most to me. So maybe it makes sense to say a life starts at the cutting of the umbilical cord? I hadn't really thought about that before.What has changed about them through the process of exiting the womb that differentiates them from how they were an hour before, as a fetus. The only thing I can think of is physical location, changing from in to out of the womb.
In what way do you see them as independent? I concede that they can breath on their own, but there's not much else a newborn can do on its own. A baby right out of the womb certainly can't provide for itself and will likely die if left alone. How is it more independent now than before? With regards to the umbilical cord, would you consider killing a baby who is out of the womb yet still attached via this cord as morally the same as taking the morning after pill?
Physically. They're no longer physically attached to their mothers. Probably not. But I'm still just considering the idea that a baby attached at the umbilical cord isn't alive yet. Actually, y'know what, get back to me on this in the morning. I need some time to think.In what way do you see them as independent?
With regards to the umbilical cord, would you consider killing a baby who is out of the womb yet still attached via this cord as morally the same as taking the morning after pill?
1. I'm pro-life, but I don't think, especially under the US Constitution, you should be able to impose your belief system on other people. Especially since much of the pro-life movement in the US is based on religious arguments, which is obviously bogus. I think since it's so difficult to draw a line and say where life truly begins after sperm hits egg, the line should be drawn at the moment where sperm hits egg. Boom. You got life. End of story. So in a perfect world I'd be pro-life, but in reality I'm pro-choice. 2. I guess under current circumstances I'm against the death penalty in the US. Only because putting someone to death is a vastly less efficient process than just putting someone in prison for life. But I think, really, if you're going to put someone in prison, why not just kill them? As bad as it sounds, they're just taking up valuable resources. So make the process to kill someone more efficient in this country and let's have at it.
I used to reason similarly, but this argument just doesn't work for me anymore. If you hold that people can't impose their beliefs on others even in cases of abortion, in which another person's life is being ended, how do you justify punishing someone for murder when they believe murder is morally admissible? I'm all for freedom ('Murica and all that), but I can't see a justification for it when maintaining one person's freedom infringes on another's fundamental rights (e.g. life). But I'm still pro-choice because I don't think abortion is murder.I don't think, especially under the US Constitution, you should be able to impose your belief system on other people.
Do you think it's a good idea to let the government have an efficient process of killing people? It's one of the main reasons I'm against the death penalty. I don't think the government should have this power especially when people are jailed for years over things like marijuana. Once a government has this power where are the lines drawn? It becomes a very slippery slope. So make the process to kill someone more efficient in this country and let's have at it.
I mentioned it in my own comment but I'll say it again here.
1. I am pro-choice, and believe where there is disagreement between the parents on whether to bring to term, the parent carrying the baby in her body gets the final word. I believe that an abortion kills a living thing, but that the living thing shouldn't and doesn't automatically have the same value as a birthed baby. I believe that the later along the pregnancy is the harder it is to justify ending it, and that this is a grey area that cannot even be theoretically settled in the best of universes. I personally find it hard to get worked up against abortion restrictions past the third trimester, and may be fine with them with the exception of cases where the mother's health may be in jeopardy, or rape/incest/etc. 2. In no circumstances should this be legal. I feel that good reasons for this are so far beyond obvious that it offends my sensibilities to even articulate them at this point. Really.
Credit to mk for my line of thinking on capital punishment. It's not complicated, and it has nothing to do with moral judgement. Capital punishment is wrong, because the government shouldn't have the power to kill people. Who knows where they'll use it. We might think we're better than china or Iran, but it wouldn't take a sea change to fix that. They shouldn't have the option. Period.
1. As OftenBen said, I, too, cannot have a meaningful opinion on this one. I am also male, and have also never been in a position where this has been even a remote possibility. However -- I think the 'right to life' or 'free choice' should rest on the mother -- which means I am essentially rooting for 'free choice'. The reasoning here is that if the mother has an opinion on the matter that lies contrary to 'free choice', i.e. 'pro-life', then there is no interference by law, because her 'free choice' then becomes 'I choose life for my baby'. I also root for a separation between church and state as much as possible, and most people say 'pro-life' due to religious believes (or so I understand -- please please please correct me if I'm wrong) so I don't want to push any one religious belief or choice against the mother's wishes -- so if a mother believes strongly in 'pro-life', she has the opportunity to exercise that belief while a mother who isn't ready to have children can choose abortion. TL;DR: 'free choice' because free choice allows for the mother to decide, even if her personal belief lies along 'pro-life' lines. 2. I'm honestly not sure. There are too many false convictions, yet there are some people who are genuinely disgusting. What we should do, if people keep complaining on overcrowded prisons, is stop racial profiling and arresting people for possession of weed -- this would obviously require federal policy change, but it would certainly lessen the overcrowding.
I'm pro-choice and anti-capital punishment. It isn't fair to tell someone else what they can and cannot do with their body and for capital punishment, similar to what galen said there is very little chance to be 100% sure of someone's guilt. There has to be a better option through some sort of rehabilitation type program, reintegration, something...though I understand just some people are unable to change. As a side note my views on this have changed wildly since high school four years ago. I was pro-life, pro-capital punishment, anti-immigration. I fit the whole Don't Tread On Me and Tea Party persona pretty well. Honestly very glad I grew up and moved away from those beliefs.
Oh god, you just reminded me about my libertarian phase. That was an interesting year.As a side note my views on this have changed wildly since high school four years ago. I was pro-life, pro-capital punishment, anti-immigration. I fit the whole Don't Tread On Me and Tea Party persona pretty well. Honestly very glad I grew up and moved away from those beliefs.
Ha I went through a bit of that too, picked up weed and psychedelics pretty seriously, one of my friends is a die-hard libertarian, and in my continually altered state of mind it all made sense for some reason...err at least how he was explaining it. Weird times in college man.
The worst part is mine was in 6th grade -_- I blame that stupid "political compass" - I took the quiz and it labelled me libertarian (probably b/c I'm so socially liberal), and then for whatever reason I embraced the label wholeheartedly (which included totally changing my economic policy opinions).
I wholly believe in a women's right to choice. I don't think that a person should be forced to have a child if they don't want one. I was nearly aborted because I was a result of teenage pregnancy, so it's hard to still be of the opinion that choice trumps. No. Too many innocent people are sentenced to death. Capital punishment is a magnification of the problem with our justice system, that is that it revolves around punishment and not rehabilitation. I am absolutely against capital punishment, trading one crime for another doesn't help anybody.1. Where do you stand on the "right to life" or the "free choice" debate?
2. Where do you stand on capital punishment?
1. Pro-choice. In my opinion, to believe otherwise, you need to start granting citizenship rights to the unborn, and allow their rights to trample the rights of the person carrying that unborn. It leads to unacceptable state power over the baby-carrier. Personally I care not about how late-term it is; if the mother's okay with it, why not? As long as she's not obviously incompetent (and possibly even if she is), I see little societal harm in leaving the decision entirely up to her.
2. Anti. There are too many mistakes made, to justify allowing the state to take anyone's one-and-only life. Again, to believe otherwise is to (in my opinion) grant the state more power than it ought to have.
I didn't want to join this chat, but it's 2:36 in the morning and as we know, hubski never sleeps. Absolutely pro-choice because I believe the life of the living takes priority. It's sad but individuals have to have agency over their own body. If late in the pregnancy, a woman wants to abort her baby, but the baby is capable of surviving ex-utero, I would permit the abortion but once aborted, the fetus would become a ward of the state. So yes, to late-term abortions. No one except the mother can know what this pregnancy means to her. Absolutely against capital punishment. We must be compassionate - we are all on a difficult journey.
I will take pro-lifers' ethical position seriously when they start trying to ban removing people from life support or refusing to use it in the first place. Until then it all reads as misogynists punishing women for having sex to me. I think a prisoner should be allowed to choose it; I would consider execution more merciful than life or a very long sentence if I had to choose between them, and we could use more mercy. I don't think it should be imposed, because retributive justice doesn't belong in this century, and if we insist on being barbaric then we should choose something less irrevocable to get our tough on crime boners, because neither judges nor juries are omniscient.1. Where do you stand on the "right to life" or the "free choice" debate?
2. Where do you stand on capital punishment?
On abortion? Let people do it, I honestly don't care. Babies, especially pre-birth, are not something I get too incredibly torn up about hearing the death of. They don't have personality, they don't have life, etc. Especially when the babies mom doesn't even want it. I mean, of course, I wouldn't look kindly on anyone killing babies, and I do consider them human, but on a scale, I weigh them less than I would even the average criminal. There is the whole "innocent beings" argument, or the "babies don't deserve to have no chance at life" but the world isn't, and never will be about what you deserve, what is fair, etc. You get what you get and you don't get upset, unless you are getting upset means you fix your problems through however you go about doing that. 2. I think capital punishment should be reserved for those unable to be psychologically... brainwashed.... into being a productive and good human being. If you are going to continue to be criminal, to hurt people, etc. Society holds no reason to care for you in a prison, or to release you where you will do more harm. Off with the head. I do think we should stop with the whole "if you killed you are a monster and should die" stuff, because that's not what really determines what is good or bad. A person who kills inherently bad, they were brought up to become that person, and if they can be changed, we should change them.
Side Question for those interested. DOES ABORTION REDUCE CRIME? see this article from Steven Levitt of Freakenomics and feel free to discuss.....