What are your important issues? (1 Viewer)

[wardorican]

Forget the current headlines. Forget the manufactured talking points. What are the big issues you care about? Or the small ones that don't get enough attention?

I'm just going to rattle off a few. I may dig into these more later. In no special order...

1. Infrastructure investment. The major categories being road transportation, flood protection / drainage, electrical grid resiliency, and better mass transit, especially rail. Our rail systems, outside of a few areas like Chicago, NYC, DC.. are just awful. They don't serve enough of the areas. They aren't tying the Suburbs, and towns nearby to the major city centers and major concentrations of Industry.
   1. A - I'd have much preferred no tax cut for the wealthy, and use that money towards Infrastructure. I don't mind some of the corporate tax cuts (not a fan of profitable companies finding ways to pay $0 in taxes.. that's unfair), but take a little back to go towards infrastructure and mass transit, which will boost productivity and lower congestion in major cities.
2. Wage growth. Not just min wage, all wages. Not sure what the government policy could be to drive this, but it's a huge pet issue for me.
3. Technology. Finding the balance between a company being large enough to have stability/security (think Apple, Microsoft, Samsung) to have things work well, but no so large as to stifle all competition and drive up prices. Also, who controls/owns our data. If my data is so valuable, why can't I be compensated for it?
4. Education funding. It's ridiculous how much the States cut from Colleges and how little they controlled their growth since the 1990's. That's why tuition is out of control. So, it's not just the funding issue, but also the lack of forcing public Universities to cap operating budget increases. In college, tuition increases was probably one of the biggest things I tried to fight against when in Student Government. We usually failed, but I did get one win on that topic, when I realized the committee that year was being somewhat dishonest about the increases, and called them out in public about it.

I care about a lot of other things, but I'm going to stop with these four.

 

[Lazybones]

Why are you apologizing? The way you were applying 80% was mathematically incorrect. You never made a compelling argument on that front.

I was not making a judgement, outside of a misuse of math.

When you state they are matters of convenience, I don't see where any of the numbers state "why" any of the abortions were done. So, I'm not sure you can make that statement from the stats Planned Parenthood gave. I mean, you can just make that your opinion, but I'm not seeing what numbers lead you to that opinion. I mean, if your point is that any reason other than possible death of the mother is "for convenience", then you don't need any numbers at all, and I have no idea why you'd post stats in the first place.

Why would I include the 900k emergency contraceptive kits as an abortion? (I assume that was what you were trying to say, but you're chopping your sentences a bit).

I'd admit, I'm not an expert, but the bit I've read doesn't lead me to see why I would include them. Only reason I ignored them, was because many of the same patients who get regular contraceptives, also get those 900k, so I didn't want to double count the values. Since, we have services, vs patients.. and as I said, it's not 1 to 1. A patient can have multiple services.

Levonorgestrel Emergency Contraceptive Kit

my.clevelandclinic.org

Is the Cleveland Clinic lying?

you are correct about the emergency contraceptives. It is preventing an unwanted pregnancy. the emergency comes after sex, so though I understand where you are coming from, it is still after the fact and same as an abortion in that regard.

unless you are asserting that abortion is strictly a term for removing life.

 

[Incumbent]

They roll to planned parenthood hood and have an abortion.

No. I’m talking about after your desire to see abortion outlawed.

As long as people are having sex, there will be occurrences of unwanted pregnancies.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I'm just sharing my thoughts on the matter. I'm not trying to win an argument or prove anyone wrong about anything.

I think it shows a lack of knowledge, understanding and empathy to think that most of the women who have gotten abortions have done so out of "convenience."

It's been discussed that statistical evidence indicates that most abortions are not done for the reasons of health risks, incest or rape. No one seems to be refuting that statistical evidence.

What has not been discussed are the other specific reasons that women have had abortions and the percentage break down of those reasons.

Instead, all of the other reasons have been lumped together as "convenience" without any discussion of what those other reasons are and why one has the opinion that they are all just a matter of "convenience."

From everything I've read and everything I've experienced first hand, there is nothing convenient about struggling with the decision of whether or not to have an abortion or having an abortion itself. I don't know of a single woman who thinks there's anything "convenient" about an abortion.

Frankly, I think that is a uniquely male perspective, because I know a lot of men that see abortion as a "convenient" way of avoiding the responsibilities of fatherhood.

The women I have known and are aware of that have had abortions, did so out of a combination of fear and desperation, not out of "convenience."

I think the main reason we haven't reached a majority consensus on abortion is because the majority of "pro-lifers" and "pro-choicers" lack knowledge, understanding and empathy of and toward each other.

 

[Lazybones]

No. I’m talking about after your desire to see abortion outlawed.

As long as people are having sex, there will be occurrences of unwanted pregnancies.

1. not making it like fast food convenience to access.

2. educate the men that make arguments that it’s better to abort a baby then to let it grow up poor and unwanted.

3. educate young woman to know that them being vain is not more important than the responsibility of respecting her body and what it can produce.

4. stop saying that a fetus isn’t a baby

these are all things that can start changing the acceptable in society. That in my opinion is a good start.

 

[Lapaz]

I can’t wrap my head around what you just said. It really crushes my heart to hear anyone say the above. I can’t imagine being given the gift of life and then depriving someone else (a fetus to appease) the chance at that life. Instead of giving this fetus life, the justification is that their life would have been difficult and society would be better off without them. Shame shame shame.


My father was abused physically, mentally and sexually. He was put in a boy’s home as a teenager. He fought addiction until that last 7 years of his life. Yet my sister and I are very successful, we both have 2 children who are fantastic kids. My mother has a great life and loves her now dead husband, the father of her children and the grand father to her grand children.

If you can’t wrap your head around it, then you need to work harder to understand. Even if abortions were illegal, many would happen. Viable life is precious, but you’re living in a fantasy land if you don’t realize that we would need a lot of extra social services and prisons if abortions were illegal. For every person that would overcome, there would be many more that would not. The world is not ideal, and forcing women to conceive if they don’t want the child would be a far worse society.

 

[Incumbent]

1. not making it like fast food convenience to access.

2. educate the men that make arguments that it’s better to abort a baby then to let it grow up poor and unwanted.

3. educate young woman to know that them being vain is not more important than the responsibility of respecting her body and what it can produce.

4. stop saying that a fetus isn’t a baby

these are all things that can start changing the acceptable in society. That in my opinion is a good start.

None of that addresses what to do with unwanted children, particularly after that number increases without the option of abortion.

Would you support any specific funding and programs to help parents who are struggling, and more importantly, see to the long term care of children from unwanted pregnancies, as necessary?

 

[Lazybones]

I'm just sharing my thoughts on the matter. I'm not trying to win an argument or prove anyone wrong about anything.

I think it shows a lack of knowledge, understanding and empathy to think that most of the women who have gotten abortions have done so out of "convenience."

It's been discussed that statistical evidence indicates that most abortions are not done for the reasons of health risks, incest or rape. No one seems to be refuting that statistical evidence.

What has not been discussed are the other specific reasons that women have had abortions and the percentage break down of those reasons.

Instead, all of the other reasons have been lumped together as "convenience" without any discussion of what those other reasons are and why one has the opinion that they are all just a matter of "convenience."

From everything I've read and everything I've experienced first hand, there is nothing convenient about struggling with the decision of whether or not to have an abortion or having an abortion itself. I don't know of a single woman who thinks there's anything "convenient" about an abortion.

Frankly, I think that is a uniquely male perspective, because I know a lot of men that see abortion as a "convenient" way of avoiding the responsibilities of fatherhood.

The women I have known and are aware of that have had abortions, did so out of a combination of fear and desperation, not out of "convenience."

I think the main reason we haven't reached a majority consensus on abortion is because the majority of "pro-lifers" and "pro-choicers" lack knowledge, understanding and empathy of and toward each other.

No it’s not convenient. I’m sure there are a percentage that would rather use a phone app. We are talking about eliminating life. And I have TREMENDOUS empathy for woman who have been raped, for those who would be in a medical disposition.

 

[Lazybones]

None of that addresses what to do with unwanted children, particularly after that number increases without the option of abortion.

Would you support any specific funding and programs to help parents who are struggling, and more importantly, see to the long term care of children from unwanted pregnancies, as necessary?

we have those programs currently. But yes, take away the subsidies from places like planed parent hood and make the current programs stronger.

 

[Incumbent]

No it’s not convenient. I’m sure there are a percentage that would rather use a phone app. We are talking about eliminating life. And I have TREMENDOUS empathy for woman who have been raped, for those who would be in a medical disposition.

Sorry if you’ve already addressed this, do you support access to abortion where the mother’s health is in jeopardy, or in cases of rape or incest?

 

[Lazybones]

Sorry if you’ve already addressed this, do you support access to abortion where the mother’s health is in jeopardy, or in cases of rape or incest?

yes I have covered it and I do support it (support might not be the right word, but still yes.)

 

[Lazybones]

If you can’t wrap your head around it, then you need to work harder to understand. Even if abortions were illegal, many would happen. Viable life is precious, but you’re living in a fantasy land if you don’t realize that we would need a lot of extra social services and prisons if abortions were illegal. For every person that would overcome, there would be many more that would not. The world is not ideal, and forcing women to conceive if they don’t want the child would be a far worse society.

the two generations below my father in our family tree would disagree with you. I don’t want to speak for my grand children yet, but I have a feeling they will share my sentiment.

 

[LA - L.A.]

No it’s not convenient.

Then why do you keep saying this?

...most abortions are done for convenience...

 

[wardorican]

you are correct about the emergency contraceptives. It is preventing an unwanted pregnancy. the emergency comes after sex, so though I understand where you are coming from, it is still after the fact and same as an abortion in that regard.

unless you are asserting that abortion is strictly a term for removing life.

No, but I guess it depends on how you're trying to combine those thoughts. Just using the plain definitions, though...

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. The emergency contraceptive, post sex, prevents a pregnancy. If they're already pregnant, it does nothing. So, in that regard, they are not the same. Prevention and termination are very different. Where I agree is that abortion results in the death of the fetus/embryo, which makes it different.

I think you're trying to make any act that prevents having a child, as "it is unwanted". That may be true to a point, but I feel like it's heavily misleading. People not having sex, don't want a kid either. Married couples, who either use contraceptives, or similar means, aren't trying to have a child, since they don't want one. But, are those situations problematic, or bad? Are folks protesting them?

I wouldn't put that on the same level of a woman, who is pregnant, deciding she doesn't want the child. Which the SCOTUS says is her right, up to a point. I get the argument there. I understand not liking someone's choice that results in a death. Just like I'm sure some vegans feel like when we eat chicken or beef, we're doing something similar. We just don't value the animal life like a human life.

 

[Incumbent]

yes I have covered it and I do support it. That’s what kicked off the scurfufill.

Thanks. There’s a lot of opinions to keep up with.

So in matters of rape and incest, this isn’t an issue that’s decided entirely for you over sanctity of life. You’re willing to make exceptions. And in cases of the mother’s health, you’re willing to intercede on her behalf, recognizing the precedence of her well-being over that of the fetus she’s carrying.

It seems there is more overlap in our opinions about abortion than might have seemed obvious.

 

[Lazybones]

Then why do you keep saying this?

​

The process isn’t as convenient as a phone app. The argument is that abortion is used as a matter of convenience.

 

[Lazybones]

No, but I guess it depends on how you're trying to combine those thoughts. Just using the plain definitions, though...

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. The emergency contraceptive, post sex, prevents a pregnancy. If they're already pregnant, it does nothing. So, in that regard, they are not the same. Prevention and termination are very different. Where I agree is that abortion results in the death of the fetus/embryo, which makes it different.

I think you're trying to make any act that prevents having a child, as "it is unwanted". That may be true to a point, but I feel like it's heavily misleading. People not having sex, don't want a kid either. Married couples, who either use contraceptives, or similar means, aren't trying to have a child, since they don't want one. But, are those situations problematic, or bad? Are folks protesting them?

I wouldn't put that on the same level of a woman, who is pregnant, deciding she doesn't want the child. Which the SCOTUS says is her right, up to a point. I get the argument there. I understand not liking someone's choice that results in a death. Just like I'm sure some vegans feel like when we eat chicken or beef, we're doing something similar. We just don't value the animal life like a human life.

we don’t value animal life like human life, we value it like Fetus life? Do I have this correct?

 

[wardorican]

we don’t value animal life like human life, we value it like Fetus life? Do I have this correct?

Have a good night.

 

[Lazybones]

Thanks. There’s a lot of opinions to keep up with.

So in matters of rape and incest, this isn’t an issue that’s decided entirely for you over sanctity of life. You’re willing to make exceptions. And in cases of the mother’s health, you’re willing to intercede on her behalf, recognizing the precedence of her well-being over that of the fetus she’s carrying.

It seems there is more overlap in our opinions about abortion than might have seemed obvious.

That’s why I said support may not be the right word. If it’s sanctity of life of mother and or sanctity of life of the child, a decision has to be made to save one of them. I guess depending on the circumstances different decisions will he made. Rape and incest is absolutely the worse thing that can happen to a woman (or man for that matter). I can’t imagine the pain one would have to endure. Who am I to tell them what to do?