I’m A Liberal
Since Barack Obama clinched the nomination for the Democratic Party the other day, I’ve been very elated that we get a candidate that is not part of the toe-to-heel politicians that have run this place for the last couple of decades.
Dont get me wrong. I liked Bill Clinton and thought he made some great decisions and ran things well for 8 years. We had a strong economy (with some bumps here and there), a balanced budget and some items signed into law that benefited all of us. There were also some laws and bills he signed that I didn’t agree with (Defense Of Marriage Act, the act to allow insurance companies to base rates on credit worthiness, parts of the 1996 Telecommunications Act). And that’s the beauty of being able to support a candidate, but also knowing they are not going to share 100% of your views. No one candidate can or will be able to do that for any American.
As for our current president, his toe-to-heel approach the last 7 years left me with only a couple of things he did that were defined as positive for the country. I respect his personal life and really don’t have issues with what he did before he was put into office. It’s the lack of policies and respect for some of us in this country that I take issue with. Whoever his successor is, they’ve got a lot of work ahead of them to help put things back into shape. January 21, 2009 cannot come quick enough.
My Rule
I have a rule that I live by, which helps to keep peace with those I come into contact with on a daily basis. This applies to family, friends and co-workers. I do not discuss two topics (or at least do my best to not bring them up): religion and politics. I have found over the years that these two topics are the most divisive subjects ever. They even beat the PC vs. Mac and XBox vs. Playstation strongholds. Living in Utah, these two topics are discussed a lot as most of the residents of this state belong to one political party and one organized religion. But every once in a while, I hear a conversation that I feel comfortable in participating in where I don’t feel like some sort of freak or outcast.
Politically Blogging
But not everyone is elated about Obama’s delegate win and pending general election campaign. There are a couple of blogs that I visit where Obama isn’t welcomed.
Blog of Whall – I like Wayne. I’ve “known” him for a long time now, mostly as a commenter over on Blogography.com. But in the last few months, I’ve gotten to read a few of his blog entries and found them entertaining and informative. He’s a fellow IT person (so he knows late nights and server management) and he posts LOLcats pictures from I Can Has Cheezburger. His few political posts that I’ve left comments were detailed and it’s evident he spent a lot of time getting the facts, complete with links to support his positions. Agree or disagree, you’ve got to respect those efforts.
The Brilliant Brunette – I don’t know Amanda at all, save for the few comments I’ve seen from her on a few blogs the last couple of weeks. So I really can’t judge her until I’ve read some of her work, which I did last night. Her posts are well written and she’s obviously very passionate about how she feels about many subjects. Honestly speaking, she does make some valid points, if you view them with an extreme conservative eye. [is there such as thing as a “bleeding conservative”?] After reading many of her political-subject posts, I felt out of place. I wanted to read more, but it was hard. I felt like I was some kind of outcast or freak for not brandishing a gun, being pro-choice or being against drilling for oil where ever the dollar looked like it could multiply quickly.
Apply The Rule
I have nothing against Amanda or Wayne and I really do not wish to change their political positions, but as far as political posts of theirs, I have to restrain myself. I get too heated and worked up and want to post anything and everything, only to be frustrated that whatever I say is viewed as some sort of un-American rant. [how I feel, not words that either blogger has ever spoken or directly implied] Both already know how I feel and where I stand. [or at least they will after this blog post] No use trying to stir shit up and drag all of us into a never-ending debacle of divisive political discussions. I still plan to visit their blogs, especially Wayne’s since he and I share other subjects we are interested in. And I may post a line or two on their political posts, but it will be reserved.
My Stances
Now onto the subject of this blog post. My stances as a liberal, not in any particular order, are:
- Abortion – I am pro-choice. This does not mean that I am advocate of “killing babies” or that I hate children. In political discussions, i’ve been called ‘Pro-Abortion’. I take serious offense at that label. I personally feel there are other alternatives to abortion and would encourage a spouse or daughter against abortion. But I also support the right of a woman to choose, regardless of who it is and aside from my personal concerns. Simply put, it should not be against the law. There should be restrictions, though [term limits]. And yes, I do sleep at night.
- Gun Control – I am 100% behind the 2nd Amendment and do not wish for it to change. And regardless of various links, statements and other comments made by Obama, I doubt he is planning to repeal the 2nd Amendment and forcing each and every American to surrender their firearms. I don’t own a gun, but I support the right for each and every American to own and posses a gun for any reason they wish to use it. If they kill another human intentionally with that gun, then they should face the criminal prosecution associated with that crime. Automatic weapons that come into the US illegally for the sole purpose of killing other humans is something I am against.
- Global Warming – This is a stated fact and not some hoax that the liberals invented. Yes, the world evolves and changes and some of those damaging effects on the planet have been happening for thousands of years, without our help. But there is no doubt in my mind that the products and pollution we’ve added the last 120 years of modern society have accelerated the process. Simply put, we need to take measures to reduce the wear and tear we put on this earth.
- Same-Sex Marriage – Every tax-paying adult in this country should have the right to marry another tax-paying adult of their choice, regardless of what it says in the bible or how many religious people feel it is “wrong in the eyes of God”. This does not mean men can marry their dogs or we now need to pick out matching litter boxes for two felines to legally marry each other. I call those ridiculous arguments “slippery slopes”. If two men or two women want to marry and have a gret life together, they should be able to legally marry and enjoy the same benefits heterosexual couples enjoy when they legally marry. I view this as a rights issue, not a “God says it’s wrong” position.
- Death Penalty – Honestly, I do not have a definite position on this. I really don’t. I feel that serious crimes should punished. But I also have to think about how sometimes the wrong person gets convicted. It doesn’t happen often, but the fact remains that it does. And if they are put to death, only to be exonerated years later, it’s kind of hard to bring them back to life. Some you reading this may think this is in direct opposition to my position on abortion, but it’s not. Think about it from a legal, court of law decision, where a jury can affect the life of one person.
- Evolution – Evolution happens and it is real. In my opinion, there is no “Intelligent Designer.” Things evolve based on science, not a creator or being. When I see a child born with no eyes and missing limbs, I do not think about a creator. I think about the DNA process that created that child in the womb and that evolution, while amazing and fascinating, is not always perfect. If that child was created by an intelligent designer, why is it not born without any imperfections? Intelligent Design suggests to me that it’s not so intelligent if anyone is born with a disease, condition, deformity or physical differences. Science and evolution go hand in hand.
- Church and State – Keeping religion and politics separate would help reduce a lot of division in this country. Racism, homophobia, abortion, gay marriage, affirmative action… all of these social issues wouldn’t be as prominent if church and state were kept separate.
- Affirmative Action – I am against most forms of affirmative action. Anything that promotes segregation or separatism, I am against. If there are forms of affirmative action that promote positive programs and functions for any human being, then I would have to treat each one on a case-by-case basis before throwing my support behind it.
- Universal Health Care – We need health coverage for all US citizens. I don’t know who’s program or plan is going to be the best solution for all, but every tax-paying citizen and every child born to a tax-paying citizen needs to be covered from day one. Places of employment can still offer coverage, but government-subsidized. Other countries may not be 100% perfect, but they have shown that it does work and work well for most.
- Religion – I am an agnostic. I lean more towards atheist, but at the same time, I really do not know if something or someone exists or not. I have been called a fence sitter and indecisive. I’ve also been told to pick a side (with references to heaven and hell). I do not belong to or believe in any organized religion, even though I spent the first 33 years of my life in an organized religion (Mormon). None of that is important to me in life. What’s more important to me is: treating people with respect and kindness, being honest in my life’s dealings, being a productive resident of planet earth and enjoying all that life has to offer. None of this requires that I belong to a church or read an ancient book. I live my life based on how I want to be treated in life. I treat others with respect, I would like that to be reciprocal. I prefer not to live my life in fear of what may or may not be there when I die. I do respect others and their right to worship anyone or anything they choose, so long as they: a) don’t force me to believe the same way, and b) they have the same respect for me and my lack of belief as I do their right to believe, especially when it comes to making laws in this country.
That’s all for now
I promise these types of posts will be rare. Regardless of the Presidential outcome, you can expect another one around the second week of November. My purpose of this post was not to demean or offend. I simply wanted to write up how I felt about certain things. Kind of a reference point for any future questions or discussions.
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God, did I write this? I couldn’t agree more.
I’m with you on all of your stances and I commend you for not being tougher on Wayne or Amanda. I’m not interested in any kind of flame war either.
Great post, Marty.
ajooja – Yeah, I hate flame wars. I’m a “Make Love, Not War” kinda guy.
avitable – Thanks, Adam.
Very interesting post and good for you for having the balls to write it!
1.) No matter how much I love Wayne, I cannot read his blog when he gets political much for the same reason as you. And yes…he does back up his stance very well however, I’d be just commenting to start an argument that no one will win, so I refrain and let him have his voice on his blog.
2.) Funny that…I just got off of the phone with someone and we were talking about the abortion issue. My stance is exactly the same as yours. I would never have one myself, but I am pro choice all the way…not “pro-death”.
3.) Same sex marriage….amen. I actually am one of those loosey goosey Christians who totally does not see a problem with this. First of all, separation of church and state. Secondly, is it MY place to judge someone just for wanting to be loved and have equal rights? Hell no. Plus I’m a friend of the gays…I even have a membership card ;).
4.) Religion…as I mentioned, I love the Jesus. However I also love some of the Buddhist principles. And lately, I’ve been learning about Judaism and find that fascinating too. So erm, what I am trying to say is…live and let live, I agree. As long as no one bashes my faith, I don’t bash their beliefs or non-beliefs.
WooHoo for this post! As a die-hard bleeding heart liberal, I salute you not only for taking the time to be so thorough, but also doing it without malice. Erm, and…sorry for the long comment too :).
OK. So no affirmative action. How then do you propose to address the institutionalized racism/sexism in our country? I have no problem with abolishing affirmative action programs if there is something put in place that truly addresses these issues. I just can’t see how our country will truly progress without this happening.
As someone who recently got into a little politicl wrangling on my own blog recently and is now trying to stay away for the sake of my own sanity – I must applaud you for putting your views out there!
Fantastic post!
Good for you.
And I’m not just saying that because I agree with most of this.
I just keep in mind that my beliefs, opinions, and motivations are not the beliefs, opinions, and motivations of others… and so I do not expect everybody else to live by them.
I wish others would extend the same courtesy. Isn’t that what the USA is supposed to be about?
I can like Wayne… a lot… because he at least puts forth an effort to be respectful of my opinions just as I do for his. It’s fun to mix it up a bit, because debate and discourse often times gets you to take a hard look at what you believe and why you believe that way. I think this is healthy… so long as it doesn’t get nasty. With Wayne it never gets nasty, so I’m a fan of his blog and enjoy discussing politics with him.
The reason to hate Wayne… a lot… is because he can’t get past his stupid LOLCat obsession! I swear, he’s like Hillary Clinton and the Democratic nomination. LET IT GO, WAYNE! IT’S OVER! LOLCATS ARE DONE!!!
🙂
Hahahaha, Dave. Exactly. I’m more concerned about the LOL Cats than I am about the Republicanism ;).
penelope – Thank you. Sometimes you just got to say what’s on your mind
Hilly – no apologies for the long comment. I’ve been meeting more Christians that are starting to see that same-sex marriage is not a threat. I’m happy the tide is starting to show signs of shifting on this issue. And thanks for the supportive words. It makes me feel more relieved about posting this.
dagny – Welcome to the blog. Let me explain myself. I understand why affirmative action was put into place and I have also read the stats of how little reverse discrimination happens due to affirmative action rules and laws. But I have seen enough cases where affirmative action was used against those it’s supposed to protect. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, the 1964 Civil Rights Act are examples of laws and policies put into place to protect against discrimination. Trust me, I would like to see more efforts in enforcement of these previous protections than have new laws drafted up that give too much leeway and loopholes for promoting discrimination. Did explaining that help? Or did I just make it more confusing?
Great post.(Hilly sent me. Well, Hilly shared you.)
I think I have to subscribe to your blog…
Bec – Thank you. I thought, put all of it out there, let people read and discuss, then tread lightly based on subject matter for future comments.
dave2 – Wayne gets a pass on *some* of the LOL cats pictures he posts. I think the main reason why I like some of them is because I see our 4 cats do some of the same crazy things. And you are right, discussion is healthy and Wayne never gets nasty or vicious.
And just to make sure, I have no plans to submit pics of my cats on ICHCB (or post them on my site – i leave that honor with Wayne)
I admire your ability to put your opinions out there. I also admire you for having solid opinions. I seem to not be sure where I stand on most things and can see both sides of a lot of issues. I definitely agree that people should be free to marry whoever they want to. That one I am sure of.
Abortion and such are tricky for me. I would never have one. I don’t think other people should have them. But who is to say I know what is best for everyone? That is sort of my issue with a lot of things. Just because I would do something one way does not mean everyone (or even anyone else) should. I think people should be free to make their own choices in life and not be judged by other people for them though. And this is why I am not ever sure who to vote for. Politics hurts my brain sometimes.
miss britt – Thanks. And welcome to the BL (I had to approve your first comment, which means this is your first time commenting)
nat – Welcome and thanks (and thanks to HIlly). I’ll try to make my posts interesting to keep coming back.
tori – I understand the unsure thoughts and feelings. I’ve had many discussions with others that have helped me see things differently on several issues. Most of my views have been pretty solid for most of my voting life, but as I’ve gotten older, some things have changed, based on research, talking to others and trying to look at the bigger picture.
I understand your stance — I think. However, it’s been over 100 years since the Amendments that you mentioned, over 40 years since the Civil Rights Act. I understand that it took much longer to create these inequities. I guess I’d just like to see the country get to a place at which everyone truly starts off on an even playing field and I keep wondering how long it will take us to get there — if ever.
I so don’t like getting into politics. Some of politics to me isn’t just about the facts. Some of it is my gut reactions to people. I don’t usually tell people how I voted or what party I belong to, but basically I’m a conservative Dem. I have friends who call me a bleeding heart liberal because they are so far right, that is how I appear to them.
I don’t really know Wayne or Amanda. However, because of Fab’s show and Kyra’s run in with Amanda and her mother, I had a few. I also had a few very respected bloggers tell me why some of the flaming occurred. Suffice to say, those two blogs are not ever going to be ones I visit. If you’re interested, I can “Spew”. It was really enlightening… I just try to stay out of the line of fire on most things… cuz ya know, girls like me just wanna have fun! 😉
Ack. Just to clarify when I said “those two blogs” I meant Amanda and her mother. Not Amanda and Wayne. I’ve been meaning to check out Wayne’s blog.
dagny – I would like to see us get past any discrimination and prejudiced in this country. I think we made a major step towards that with Obama, but we aren’t there and may not be for a long time.
winter – Clarification noted. Amanda’s mother blogs? I guess I should have read more of Amanda’s blog entries. Do they share the same positions? Maybe I’d better go read her mom’s blog to see how far the fruit falls from the tree.
My fiance is a conservative Democrat. We share a lot of views, but there’s a few that she disagrees with me on. We have our share of discussions, recently a Hillary based one that we ended on a nice note.
Wayne mixes it up a good amount and I think most of what he posts is fun to read. The gaming posts you may not like, but some of his MISC entries are fun to read.
I clicked over here from Dave’s Twitter feed, and I just wanted to chime in and say “great post”. I like your politics, and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around this Internet of ours.
I like to think that many people would like a world with no discrimination. I won’t say without prejudice because I believe that prejudging is a part of human nature. Anyone who says that they don’t have some prejudices is probably lying in my book. It’s how one reacts to one’s individual prejudices that makes a difference.
Institutional racism and sexism are perpetuated because of individual perceptions. It’s when the teacher is more likely to call on the little boy with the raised hand than the little girl and not even question why s/he is doing it. (There have been studies on this.)
It is my hope that having Obama as a candidate, and possibly president, will cause many to do the self-reflection that is long overdue.
I understand your disagreement with affirmative action. In my opinion, the whole thing was structured incorrectly. Instead of addressing the inequities that begin in early childhood, the government chose to “even” things out later in life. My feeling is that if everyone was given the same access to services and education from day one, there would be no need for these programs.
Sorry for going on for so long but it’s one of things about which I feel passionate. Just call me the ultra-liberal from Berkeley, or the PRB as many around here call it.
iron fist – Cool. Welcome and I need to come visit your blog soon.
dagny – I understand and am in support of your position. And I’m glad you understand my disagreement. Starting from day one is what I would like to see. Obama’s candidacy should help in many areas, both the obvious and the subtle.
I hate LOLcats even more than closed-minded conservatives!
Well … 😉
I think her mom is Blondeblogger. I’d have to go back into the flaming comments on my blog to make sure. LOL I’ll have to “spew” the story tomorrow. I’m positive you’ll find it interesting.
BTW, it really does take some integrity and guts to say out loud what your beliefs are on a blog because it truly does incite others to take a poke at you. I’m impressed that thus far no one has here. Speaks volumes about who you associate with I suppose. 😉
winter – Yeah, I had some time last night and went reading. One of Amanda’s newer posts had a mention of her mom’s blog. Her mom’s pretty tame on political blogging, where her daughter seems to be “balls to the wall” when it comes to her firebrand version of politics. She (Amanda) claims to not be a big Bush supporter, at least that’s the version I got from reading some of her posts. Regardless, I would still love to read the story. Curious minds would like to know.
Thank you, winter…. that means a lot. I figured I was effectively walking into a fire without a water pail when I posted this, so I’m pretty pleased with the response. I expected more invitations to debate/bash (although that’s not the intent of the post)
I can’t *wait* to meet this “Wayne” guy – he sounds just like me! Humble, intelligent, fair, etc.
by the way, the google advertisment at the bottom of this page is for Front Sight – Firearms Training Institute. Is there something you’re trying to tell me? What, I can’t aim or something? YOU COME AND TELL THAT TO MY FACE YOU WHINING TREE HUGGER!
Seriously tho – THANK YOU Marty for noticing (and the others for verifying) that I don’t get Le Nasty about politics. I try *really* hard to keep it fair, upbeat and at least entertaining or engaging. I don’t want my blog to be “ok, here’s where I tell the world what I think and I need to convince everyone.” I really enjoy common-sense discourse.
I 100% do not
needwant anyone to agree with me, especially if all it takes is a blog entry to do it. As I’ve heard before “one’s beliefs don’t need to be unchangeable, but they should be unshakable.”And for those of you who hold extreme distaste for both politics AND LOLcats, I sincerely apologize for any negative impact you may have felt on Sunday when I combined the two heated topics in one of my comments. I believe it was a comment reply to Raganator. In hindsight, it was not the best use of my time, and I apologize to all for inflicting any pain that I may have inadvertently and carelessly inflicted.
whall – I saw that google ad. For me, it shows up at the top. And no, I’m not trying to tell you anything. There used to be McCain ads showing up, but I fixed most of those… 😉
Thanks for reading and commenting on this post. And I do agree that common-sense discourse is good. I think both sides have their fair share of “How can they think like that?” and when reading that on an open forum like a blog, it invites discourse. The frustrating thing for me is trying to put my thoughts into something that makes my point without going into endless diatribes. I think (for the most part) we’ve accomplished that between your blog entries and mine.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some trees I need to go talk to and have breakfast with.
Well it’s been great knowing you, just tell Reba to give us a call if you are taken away in the middle of the night… LOL…
kris – LOL… yeah. Hopefully where ever I’m taken, I’ll still have access to my blog.
Yea for you to put it all out there. I am a liberal and I agree for the most part – honestly, LIVE and LET LIVE. I live in the bible belt and come from a long line of deep south, deep seated republicans. It is extrememly hard to relate to the thinking which has been forced down from generation, to generation. The problem begins with people who are afraid to make a change, the thought of doing something because ‘that is how we have always done it’ just makes my head spin. Too many people live in fear of doing something different or having an open mind to a view that is different from what they have been told to believe. I have a hard time with those who can’t form an independent thought. I’m a Liberal Christian, which to many is an oxymoron.
beth – Thanks, Beth. I have a few friends that I would call Liberal Christians, and I don’t think it’s a oxymoron. Independent thoughts and thinking outside the box are what allow progress. Hard to progress when you keep doing the same things over and over, through multiple generations.
Check out the Spew page Marty! Heh. I’m off to check out Wayne now.
Wow. You did a fantastic job with this post. Extremely well written. And for what it’s worth, I agree with you 100%.
Thank you for being brave enough to share your views. I agree with a lot (if not, most!) of what you said, but I just can’t bring myself to say it on my blog. My parents and my mom’s family are all Republicans. We have the most stupid, not-based-on-logic arguments ever. I just keep my mouth shut now.
You saying that Wayne liked LOLcats made me want to read his site. Ha ha. Not everyone hates them 🙂
kevin -Thanks, very much appreciated.
kilax – I understand about family and differing views. For years, I kept quiet, even though I’m still reserved around my family. I don’t start political conversations, but will speak up if something is said that warrants a response. I figure if people can’t accept me for the person I am, regardless if we don’t share the same political and social views, then there’s nothing I can do to correct that. Changing my views to suit others is impossible… you would be dubbed a “waffler” or a “flip flopper.” Consistency is a better option.
There’s some LOLcats pics that I don’t find funny, but some crack me up – sorry Dave2… it must be the cat owner in me and seeing them do stupid and funny shit every day.
It seems we [generally] have the same views! I get a lot of crap for it from some of my religious friends.
I don’t particularly like Obama though. I don’t think he’d last too long in office. If he lasted six months, I’d be surprised.
motley – Won’t last more than 6 months? really? Personally, if he’s doing a good job, I hope he goes two terms.
Just one little thing. About Clinton and “a balanced budget”. He vetoed the balanced budget amendment, added about $1.7 trillion to the national debt during his 8 years, and looking at the national debt charts, the amount of debt increased every year. That’s constant defecits, not balancing.
I’ve seen claims where Clinton ran a surplus, but that is only if you cook the numbers and leave off payments on the national debt.
Regardless of political issues, I think it is good that Obama got the nomination. His opponent is quite scandal-ridden.
dmarks – According to this site: http://www.letxa.com/articles/16 – it matches what you are saying. There are other sites, too, that confirm this. I stand corrected. Will have to put this one in the back of head when defending Clinton in the future.
Hillary turned me off early on into her campaign, not to mention her back and forth on voting issues, the Iraq war, the whole “me too” video game rating and industry backlash. Obama should be a welcome change.
Bush has had larger deficits and has increased the debt at a faster rate, but Clinton’s $1.5 or so trillion dollar debt shows that you can’t apply the label “fiscally responsible” to him. In fact, you can’t get it within miles of him. He only comes out as being a little less terrible than Bush in this regard.
dmarks – You make a point, although I’m assuming (based on what I know and have read in various reports, articles and the such) that the other above listed benefit under Clinton was a stronger economy, which has not been near as strong under Bush. Even with the dot.com bust at the end of Clinton’s second term, on average, most people were keeping their head above water and doing good.
Dagny: Affirmative action that includes “goals”, “preferences”, and “quotas” is nothing more than a form of institutional racism. There is no need for these types of programs, period.
There might be relatively-little reverse discrimination, but every time one of these goal/quota/preferences is put in place, racial discrimination does occur. I think it is a poor and counter-productive idea to try to make things better by discriminating against individuals who have not been proven to have done any wrong.
I’ve had people tell me that it is OK if affirmative action keeps a few hundred white kids out of college or out of jobs because of the required racial discrimination of preferences and quotas, since that is a small number. It directly contradicts typical liberal and “civil liberties” concerns where a big deal is made (and rightly so) if even one person’s rights are trampled.
I agree with Martymankins, who supports the types of affirmative action programs (near as I can read) that don’t involve this. There are ways to broaden opportunities and open doors that don’t involve incredibly clumsy attempts at “racial justice” by slamming doors in other people’s faces.
Well hey! 😛 I just wanted to let you know that you are never an outcast at my page. I welcome more dissenting opinions. In fact I would PREFER that. Not everyone likes to state their beliefs and hear “I agree” all day. Debating is a wonderful thing. And really, if I have any liberals at my site, I want you to be one of them. 😉
1- Abortion – I do not support the right of a woman to choose when it comes to this particular matter just as I do not support a person’s right to say, kill someone. The reason being, I believe that the unborn child is a life and therefor protected. These rights automatically trump a mother’s wants. The only cases this would not occur in are mother’s health exceptions.
(Ps- Obama is for FOCA being signed back in. A bill that I cannot stand not only for false statements such as one million women resorting to illegal abortions but also because it leads to partial birth abortion being legal. Not that Obama minds that since he was against the IILA)
Global Warming – Our “acceleration” as you put it is insignificant. Our world is going through cooling and heating all the time. Recently, theorists claimed global warming is now going into a 10 year “hiding” period. That’s what we call cooling which is also what we call normal. 😉
http://bloggingforfaith.blogspot.com/2008/01/oh-man-its-coldmust-be-global-warming.html#comments
Same-Sex Marriage – For it, actually.
Evolution – Evolution happens and it is real…well that applies to macro evolution. This is the evolution we can see and prove. As far as Darwinism evolution, I don’t buy it.
Things do not evolve based on science. Science is study of the earth. Science, technically, has not always existed.
Just because someone might be born without an arm does not mean that a creator does not exist. Sometimes defects happen while the child is in the womb. Other times, it is a direct affect of the DNA of the mother and father. I do not believe God shapes and forms the baby without an arm then magically places it in utero. He placed a plan…a way of creating new life.
http://bloggingforfaith.blogspot.com/2008/01/evidences-of-god.html#comments
Church and State – http://bloggingforfaith.blogspot.com/2008/01/today-i-found-interesting-scholarship.html#comments
Universal Health Care – Against it due to too much government power.
Ok so you will notice I gave a lot of links…only because I have talked about it before. In my archives January has the most political, religious posts I would say…even Febuary. You don’t have to go by them but they are there hehe. Nice post by the way. I love when people outline what they believe in.
I can’t help but laugh at the drama “older” people place themselves in.
amanda – First off, thanks for stopping by. I was a bit surprised to see your comments, but then again, after reading what you posted, I wasn’t as surprised.
Same-sex marriage – The one thing we agree upon is the one thing I was sure we wouldn’t.
Looks like we still have differing opinions on all of the other positions, but you brought up something on global warming that posed a question: are you for or against recycling and if you don’t think it makes a difference, why? Global warming isn’t just about changes in the weather or what comes out the tailpipe or a smoke stack. Your post talks about people blaming the different weather changes on it, but it’s much larger than that. You did a lot of research on this subject, but only limited your post to carbon output and weather-related concerns. And you agree we need to do something, but because it came from someone you have a distaste for, you call it being “overblown”. Maybe I missed one of your responses in the many comments left, but I see your statement of “we need to do something” as more of a passive statement than something you really believe in. If my assumption of how I read your verbage on your blog is wrong, let me know, and I’ll see if I can dig further, but I think your debating points are to drive a set point instead of looking at the bigger picture.
I don’t mind reading stuff and being open to different ideas. I admit to being set in my beliefs and positions and I really don’t care to change anyone’s mind about certain subjects like religion or belief in God. Those are personal beliefs. It’s when those beliefs get turned into law and affect everyone – believers and non-believers that I get passionate and vocal.
I’ll be honest.. I don’t mind healthy debates, but what I said in my blog post above was how I feel when visiting your blog. It’s 95% of the visitors that are “Yay.. go Amanda” and the other 5% that feel like the only straight people at a gay bar. They try to mix in with the crowd by taking about how they fucked a woman last night, and the host gives them a “That’s nice and all, but this is a gay bar” It would be the same thing if you went over to Daily Kos and tried to give your opinions. They are pretty liberal there and while I happen to like most of what they post, I also disagree with what they have to say at times.
I’m not someone that agrees with everything the liberal side agrees with. There are Democrats that rile my blood almost as much as some Republicans. But I am progressive and really want things to improve. Can Republicans improve things? If you listen to them, then sure. But track records speak louder than campaign promises. And as long as I’ve been voting (27 years now), I have felt comfortable for the candidates I’ve voted for.
And thanks for the kind word on the post. It is appreciated.
Quick comment back because I have to go but I am not necessarily Republican. I label myself a conservative. Parties can change (they have before).
You will think this is ignorant I am sure, however, I do not believe we need to do anything differently. Recycling is a good thing not just because of the environment but it is great to reuse things. That is why I am for it. But if the sole reason was that it was causing global warming I would think it was a crock. If it was somehow proven that our air conditions are worse and it is because of what we put out and because of that possibly causing say…cancer….and that by doing everything thats being proposed it could make some significant difference…then I could be more gung ho about it.
Oh I forgot…that is a great gay bar analogy lol. I would prefer to make it something like 50/50 but I need help. 😉
amanda – I wasn’t going to respond to your stance on abortion, but I got to reading it again and wanted to post a response.
You share your stance on abortion with a large number of people. To say you are not alone in how you feel, is an understatement. And I can actually see how you feel the way you do. Your belief is that an unborn child needs to be protected.
You state in defense against abortion that “just as I do not support a person’s right to say, kill someone.” Last time I checked, it was against the law to kill another person. But yet, people still kill other people. If you do not support the right for a person to kill someone else, then how do you prevent that person from doing so, even if it’s already against the law? If they kill someone with a knife, do you pass laws making knives illegal? If they kill someone with rat poison, do you pass laws to make all poisons illegal? A gun? A baseball bat? A car? It becomes an endless list of removing any object that can kill another human being.
My point is this: Push to repeal Roe v. Wade and abortion is illegal. If it’s illegal, you and everyone else that shares your same position on abortion have to know that abortions will still take place, regardless of it being illegal. Yes, you may have reduced abortions in the process or made them harder to get, but they will still happen. Just because you and others want to revoke the right for a woman to choose, there are women that will still choose, regardless of the law. Making it illegal doesn’t take away the choice.
This is my point in being pro-choice. I may disagree with someone’s choice to abort a baby, but it’s not my right to tell that person what they can or can’t do with something they have growing inside them. Should it be illegal? Personally, no and never. I hope Roe v. Wade never gets repealed. Is it killing someone? To some people, it is. To others, it’s a choice. Ask anyone if it’s wrong to kill a middle aged man with a gun because he got in the way and I can bet 100% of the people will agree, even though some may find ways to justify it. It was someone’s choice to kill that man, but that man was a tax-paying US citizen with an assigned Social Security Number. That’s what makes it illegal.
I know this is such a touchy subject and stance, and I know you and a majority of people see it as murder, but until that child is born and comes out of the womb, in the eyes of the legal system, all religious God beliefs aside, it’s not a living human being yet.
I say all of this not to change your mind, but to not push for abortion to be illegal. That’s where it is a majority taking away that right from a minority. That goes against the very basis of the constitution.
amanda – So basically your stance is that anything that has to do with global warming or is tagged as such, is a hoax, fraud, crock.. etc. I admit that recycling is a lot of extra work. I do it to avoid filling landfills full of stuff that doesn’t need to sit in them for hundreds of years. So because you’ve not found any evidence that a plastic water bottle or a old rotting tire does no harm to air conditions or causes cancer, it’s not an issue? To my mind, that gives you a green light to toss an Arby’s cup out your window while driving.
Avoid thinking of it as global warming. Think of it as having an overall respect for the entire planet. If Al Gore gives you a bad taste in your mouth, you’ve let the media blind you to the real issues. Proof and research can be fluff. Reality is a bit easier to swallow. Just a thought.
And glad you liked the gar bar analogy. 50/50 is a big stretch. I’ll give you 80/20. 😉
And I stand corrected. I will refer to you as a conservative, just as I would be rather referred to as a liberal.
You state in defense against abortion that “just as I do not support a person’s right to say, kill someone.” Last time I checked, it was against the law to kill another person.
—- If by this you are saying that they are not the same because abortion is legal you would technically be right by the term. However, it is a counter productive argument as pro lifers are attempting to get it illegalized as it was back then.
“But yet, people still kill other people. If you do not support the right for a person to kill someone else, then how do you prevent that person from doing so, even if it’s already against the law? If they kill someone with a knife, do you pass laws making knives illegal? If they kill someone with rat poison, do you pass laws to make all poisons illegal? A gun? A baseball bat? A car? It becomes an endless list of removing any object that can kill another human being.”
—- I believe this might be a bit off topic. The only time I usually see this is argument is when people are anti gun. I am not for banning weapons. I do believe that the laws in place for killing are sufficient. However, abortion is still legal.
“My point is this: Push to repeal Roe v. Wade and abortion is illegal. If it’s illegal, you and everyone else that shares your same position on abortion have to know that abortions will still take place, regardless of it being illegal. Yes, you may have reduced abortions in the process or made them harder to get, but they will still happen. Just because you and others want to revoke the right for a woman to choose, there are women that will still choose, regardless of the law. Making it illegal doesn’t take away the choice.”
—- Of course. I do not disagree with this statement. However the argument that someone will do it anyways does not seem to me, to be a legitimate argument for keeping it legal. I am not sure if that is what your argument is but just in case.
“This is my point in being pro-choice. I may disagree with someone’s choice to abort a baby, but it’s not my right to tell that person what they can or can’t do with something they have growing inside them.”
—- It is certainly your right if it is a protected human being. Do you believe it is our government’s right to keep murder illegal?
“Should it be illegal? Personally, no and never. I hope Roe v. Wade never gets repealed. Is it killing someone? To some people, it is. To others, it’s a choice.”
—- Same could be said about rapes…and murders of those outside the womb.
“Ask anyone if it’s wrong to kill a middle aged man with a gun because he got in the way and I can bet 100% of the people will agree, even though some may find ways to justify it. It was someone’s choice to kill that man, but that man was a tax-paying US citizen with an assigned Social Security Number. That’s what makes it illegal.”
—- However killing those WITHOUT a social security number is also illegal in the United States. A newborn baby is not a tax payer. That is not what qualifies as a human being.
“I know this is such a touchy subject and stance, and I know you and a majority of people see it as murder, but until that child is born and comes out of the womb, in the eyes of the legal system, all religious God beliefs aside, it’s not a living human being yet.”
—- In the eyes of the legal system not to long ago it WAS seen as a human being. As I said before, counter productive. Scientifically speaking it is a human being. The law has only until recently recognized this. The argument is that the law is flawed and incorrect. My argument is that it is flawed scientifically and legally as well from the a constitutional standpoint.
“I say all of this not to change your mind, but to not push for abortion to be illegal. That’s where it is a majority taking away that right from a minority. That goes against the very basis of the constitution.”
—- Or is it the minority taking the right from a majority of 1 million children per year?