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.