hey there

i definitely think the obama/biden ticket has a better chance of following through with the promise of change.

mccain is too 'on the fence' for me, and he agrees with president bush constantly, often without much  hesitance.  he seems to stick with what's popular, which the public determines and easily changes their minds about depending on the given 'evidence' at the time.  and, though he tends to be looked upon as a more 'liberal version' of a conservative, he's got some pretty far-right ideas, also. 
even still, he's not nearly as frightening as sarah palin; she's far too extreme and a blatant hypocrite about some very important issues.  it is terrifying to think of a palin-based america: women's rights will nearly disappear until we're all subservient to our 'superior' husbands; birth control will not be an option; sexual education will be based on naivety; animals will become extinct if there's a profit to be made; and science will be turned into a mere 'alternative theory.'

obama and biden are focused on getting the ball rolling for healthcare, a better economy, a cleaner environment, and getting our soldiers 'out of limbo.'  (btw, i like that term, scott.  )  they realise that these things are going to take time, but they both seem to be very committed to planting the necessary seeds for them to grow and flourish.
they're also straightforward about their opinions, which i like; they don't change them on a whim or day-to-day basis.

i think that it's a pretty obvious choice for anyone concerned with the state of the country, the environment, the citizens' rights, &c.

i know abortion is an extremely touchy issue, but i'm going to add my few cents anyhow:


outlawing abortion seems even worse to me than having it legalised, because it definitely wouldn't make the abortions stop - it would only make them far more dangerous and 'back-alley', and there'd be a lot more secrets kept over the whole thing.  when legal, the risks aren't quite as bad as when it's done 'under the table.'  we have certified doctors performing them in steralised clinics with assistants round and the ability to call an ambulance if needed.  if illegal, they'd be done in private in God-knows-what conditions with possible forfeiture of emergency care (because to notify anyone would certainly invite jail-time).

personally, i'd rather people choose to do the adoption thing rather than have an abortion (or keep their 'mojo' in check to begin with); however, the likelihood of it ceasing altogether is near impossible, short of a miracle.
i don't see abortion as a black-and-white issue, and i certainly don't like giving the government the ability to tell me what to do with my own body.  for those opposed to abortion, that's just as much their choice to not have one.

if we outlaw sex education and neglect to inform people about contraceptive methods, like ms palin wishes, then these ignorant girls who would otherwise have prevented themselves from getting pregnant (like ms palin's daughter might have) will be forced to make difficult choices at young ages.
also, we cannot support such an increase in population - if we allow every person to live, what will that do to the already-crowded conditions on our planet?


also, i'd like to address this quote: ...the poor, misled women...who are likely to regret this decision and face both emotional pain and physical pain that they weren't told about. 
i've known a few people who have had abortions (all for very different reasons), and they've all told me the same: they were all aware of the physical risks prior to having one; they knew it was going to be a difficult, complicated situation; and they were scared - but went through with it anyway.

they do have to live with their decisions - but out of the four, only one regrets it.  the other three are ultimately happy with their choices.

it might be hard to read that, but it's true: not everyone wishes they could take it back.



i'd rather see this country's leader provide better healthcare, improve its economy, project more amicability toward other nations, stop thinking it's okay to kill people -after- they've been born (war, for example), and recognise the rights of all who live here - poor included.
i think obama is more likely to follow through with these things.

(ps. now if russ feingold ran, he'd be a shoe-in!  hehe)

1. Why do people push their ideals on other people when it doesn't affect them? It's completely retarded.
2. Although I agree that some people use abortion like another form of contraception, that shouldn't bar legitimate abortions from happening
3. Is it because of human sympathy that people care that emotionless things feel pain? If 'human' is the only thing causing people to care, their reasoning should be re-evaluated. Statistics shouldn't be ignored and (for instance) with certain pregnancies, the chance for autism is extremely high. For other genetic malfunctions which can be tested for before birth, should we force these people to live out their lives in pain and suffering? Not to mention the people that have to take care of them. Who are we robbing of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness then? It's not so black and white.


Which god?


Are you kidding me? Do we live in Cuba here!?

It's supposed to be a democracy; that's how things work. Demos = The people, Kratia = Power/Rule. We elect officials to carry out the "whims" of the people.

I'd also like to point out that it's completely idiotic to remain static on an issue if it makes more sense to go another way logically. If your opinion changes, so be it. So what if people can't tell the difference between that and actual flip-flopping?

However, on the note, I'd like to point out that I do think McCain is a flip-flopper just for the sake of image, not logic.


"Weren't told about" ?! You can't go to an abortion clinic or a doctor's office without seeing it on hundreds of brochures. I can't speak for the less intelligent breeds but for those women that actually care about themselves and how such a thing would affect them, the information is readily available.

As I pointed out in my other response to your other post, abortion isn't black and white -- it's not just horny teenagers correcting mistakes. It's also women who would most likely die in child birth, women who don't want to bring a mentally handicapped child into the world out of pity, women who know their child will be genetically malformed and various other legitimate reasons. What about the pain the child and their care-takers would feel then? You can't ignore this just because you believe abortion is murder.


I agree that war in general should stop in that we should stop policing the world in general. I'm not against preventative measures but some might argue they're one in the same. However, I'd put a pie in their face and laugh at them.

Instead of world-policing, we should be focused on stabilizing our own country and that's just what Obama is promising.

Of course, I realize that you can't be in the presidential race and not be some sort of douche bag but I like this douche bag's style more than anyone else's in a while. He could be white or a woman and I wouldn't care. It's the charisma, the respect he commands and the ideas he brings to the table.

Even if he only does 10% of what he promises, it would kick the ass of 100% of what McCain is promising.

scizzy wizzle:


agreed, though i am still giggling about the 'douche bag' bit. heh
also, i have to admit, mccain doesn't frighten me nearly so much as palin; he'd be wishy-washy as pres, but palin's got some terrifyingly extreme ideas.


melanie:


when it comes to roe vs. wade, i think the public majority is still on keeping it as is; otherwise, i'm sure the push to overturn would be much, much harder from the general public than it already is among US christians.
we need to elect someone who has many things in mind for our country; whilst many feel abortion is the most important issue, i don't feel it is the primary one on the table right now.

those without (or without adequate) healthcare are far less healthy than those who have quality care.  we are exhausting our natural resources, the earth is being poisoned (and poisoning us), &c &c.

to me, we need to focus on the people alive right now.  if we can't take care of those currently living in this country, how can we take care of those who haven't yet been born?
i am not saying by any means that i think there should be an abortion free-for-all, but we do have to think about the kind of future we're leaving these children.
if our food runs out, our resources dry up, our planet becomes too crowded, and global warming takes its inevitable toll, then what kind of life will these children have?


i don't understand what makes one life more valuable than another; aren't we all 'created equal'?

I will be voting for Obama/Biden. There is too much at risk in this election to go with McCain, who has stood with Bush more than 90% of the time in the last seven years.
It's as simple as that: McCain has no discernible principles, his VP pick is a crazed right wing fundie with no experience, and he himself is sickly and possibly senile.
To me, the choice is clear.

this area is for all to share their opinions; if we all agreed, no-one would learn anything.
it's supposed to be for discussion - so don't feel bad about sharing your convictions.  we may not see eye-to-eye; however, you still feel strongly about it and have just as much right to share your views as those who disagree. (=

it at least gets us all to think about things, which i feel is the most important part.

Although, as I said before, I think abortion should be considered on a case-by-case basis and not allowed for those women who would otherwise be fine with healthy/viable babies, I think it's better to have the choice than not to. We all have freedoms that some people completely abuse and despite most of them not having to do with controlling whether another person lives or dies, they're still freedoms that shouldn't be revoked. Even if they're "sinful."


Right, there are a bunch of issues that are just as important.


"Created equal" based on what?

Value by itself is certainly subjective. Value as far as the government is concerned should be blind (just like Justice), but when it comes to who dies, I think sometimes it's best to take a utilitarian perspective and apply it to the situation.