… I repeat that I hope you are at least against the death penalty …

I am against the death penalty, but I am very much for chain gangs and baloney sandwiches. If you get thrown in jail, it had better mean something.

First, my point hinged in part on the fact that abortion is indeed first degree murder if you consider a fetus to be a person at conception, … but again as long as you are willing to acknowledge that fact, I can’t really “prove” you wrong.

More specifically, when it comes to how I treat the positions of others, I believe that, even accepting it’s just a chance that a fetus is human, having an abortion is still rolling the die on whether or not you’re committing murder. The safest route is to err on the side of caution, to believe that human life that maybe, just maybe, life starts at conception.

That’s the trouble with these arguments — both sides start at untenable positions, and just hope the other side will acquiesce after enough volleys.

No doubt it did not work like that before Roe, but the fact remains that any and all miscarriages would have to be investigated if we treated the ban seriously, because any woman performing an illegal abortion would most likely claim she miscarried.

Clean, well-lit abortion clinics are all I target — the symbol of legitimization and safety. Just as the cops don’t imprison every drug user and instead concentrate on the pushers, the best way to enforce such an abortion law would be to convict the abortionists.

Naturally, the best way to decrease abortions after they’re made illegal would be to decrease the situations that drive women to commit abortions, if this approach wasn’t already used in tandem. So far, as far as what those poverty-fighting actions would be, I have no idea what we should do.

Yet.

I can see the appeal of the Republican party, but only as it claims to be, not as it actually is. If a Republican actually cut government spending along with taxes, and remained committed to small government, I might actually give them a second look.

However laughable his candidacy, that was the whole appeal of Ron Paul. He’s Republican, consistent, honest and has all the right, Republican principles. Most important, he sticks to those principles. It’s like he’s Ronald Reagan, but really means that thing about cutting spending this time around.

They are consistent on a few issues, though — abortion, for one. Unfortunately, abortion must take precedence over the other issues. Poverty is a matter of living poorly, but living. Environmental issues are a matter of living less well, but living. Energy issues are a matter of maybe you’ll have to take the bus.

Abortion, once or if you accept that it’s rolling the dice on murder, is a matter of life and death.

No doubt it did not work like that before Roe, but the fact remains that any and all miscarriages would have to be investigated if we treated the ban seriously, because any woman performing an illegal abortion would most likely claim she miscarried.

As for Bush being dumb, that was not at all my contention by calling him George “Crony” Bush. The point was that he, like Palin, surrounded himself by yes men (and women), and punished any who proved not to fit the bill.

Even accepting that McCain now supports some of the issues you find significant, I think it is more than a little relevant that he has changed stances so severely (e.g. from “maverick” to the embodiment of the Republican evangelical “base”), that no one, not even one in favor of his current issues should fully trust him after how strongly he ran against his own party in 2000 (at which point I actually had a favorable opinion of him). If nothing else, at least Obama has been fairly consistent meeting his image as a liberal nut job, or whatever.

I can see the appeal of the Republican party, but only as it claims to be, not as it actually is. If a Republican actually cut government spending along with taxes, and remained committed to small government, I might actually give them a second look. Nothing about McCain tells me he honestly intends to do that (especially given his selection of Palin).

Again, I am refreshed that you are not overly partisan on these issues. I hope that I have not come across too strongly.

That library thing, if the story pans out, would seriously damage my opinion of her as a person. I doubt she’d try that kind of stunt as vice president, though, or even as president if McCain were to kick the bucket.

… if abortion were made illegal, every single miscarriage would have to be criminally investigated

I’m not sure it worked like that back before Roe v. Wade.

… Mr. George Crony Bush …

I don’t think George Bush is dumb, nor do I think he’s out to ruin America. He’s simply incompetent as a president, and his polices, though full of good intentions, haven’t panned out.

I’m glad at least that you’ve given some consideration to the issues, although I find it interesting that you admire both tickets, as they could not be more opposite of one another.

Thanks; I try give consideration where due.

I generally agree with the McCain ticket when it comes to issues. As I believe, Obama pretty much has health care and environmentalism right, and that’s it.

I admire Obama much in the same way as Pat Buchanan. I think that video clip illustrates my feelings about Obama pretty well.

Incidentally, she did try to force the library in her town to get rid of some materials. She also fired several of city staff upon becoming mayor because they supported her opponent and put her city deep into the red. Sound like anyone you know? She later hired some of them back because it was supposedly a “loyalty test.” After 8 years of Mr. George Crony Bush, I’m not sure I can stomach any more of such shenanigans.

The lack of vetting is a question of judgment as well. I don’t want one of the most important jobs in the country being given to someone who is an unknown quantity even to the one hiring her.

Just my two cents. I’m glad at least that you’ve given some consideration to the issues, although I find it interesting that you admire both tickets, as they could not be more opposite of one another.

Besides, what better way to increase the popularity of a book and its readership than to ban it? It hasn’t hurt The Catcher in the Rye.

If she has a bias toward Big Oil, I don’t mind it — the Oil Industry, especially big spenders like ExxonMobil and British Petroleum, lead the world in funding alternative fuel research. It’s a business decision on their part — they’d like to have the next big thing before the other guy — but that they outspend any other part of the private and public sectors is still mighty impressive.

Mr. Tim: Count me in the tiny minority. For those curious about abortion opinion polls.

I believe a fetus is human, and I can understand how other Americans disagree with me about that. I’ll save the stormy rhetoric for another time.

What I don’t understand is why Americans, given no disproof that a fetus is human even if they believe it, would allow abortions, thus even taking the chance in legalizing the murder of unborn children.

On abortion in instances of rape:

Punish the father, not the child.

On abortion in instances that the mother might otherwise die:

As I believe it, the only moral route is to, until the very end, take whatever steps possible or necessary to save both lives. Saving lives cannot be decided with arithmetic.

It’s possible to save one life and still lose something because, in the process, you’ve ended another. For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul?

While the above argument invokes scripture, what better way to base one’s moral argument while in a Western society?

Ms. Marie: Read above.

One interesting thing about Sarah Palin is that she knowingly gave birth to a child who had been diagnosed with Down syndrome while in her womb. With shared elements of pregnancy, the choice of abortion, and unwanted consequences, that’s about as analogous as a scenario as we’re going to get, if a poor comparison.

As a citizen AND a woman is it truly unnerving to see this radical a stance on an issue that is so controversial. I would not be comfortable with Palin as VP knowing how she feels about abortion. I don’t think people truly understand a situation until they experience it. I would never wish this situation upon anyone, but I have a hard time believing that if Sarah Palin was raped by her father and bore his child that she would still be against abortion. I just don’t believe it.

IMHO, she is going to turn a lot of woman (and men) off by this whole abortion issue – people (like me, admittedly) won’t be able to see past it.