Comments on: Akin breakin' science

By: fizz

fizz — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:23:14 +0000

Actually, Adoption is not really an alternative to pregnancy. Pregnancy is dangerous, expensive (especially if you are not insured and many women who seek abortions aren’t insured!) and there are nowhere near enough infertile people/couples who want children. The chances of the finding the baby a stable home are not all that great, to be honest. Even if it were, it doesn’t negate the enormous financial expense of giving birth (just the cost of a vaginal delivery can be in excess of $7,000!) and the physiological cost to the woman, including a very real chance of death. Abortion is far less invasive, dangerous, and expensive. Besides the fact that banning will only drive it underground again, and women will continue to end pregnancies that they do not want – only they will do it far less safely.

By: Iker

Iker — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:08:24 +0000

And I thought that we (spanish people) had the worse politicians ever. It seems that the plague of the ignorant people occupying responsability positions is more spread than I thought. How sad is to read that.

PS: greetings from Spain. Nice Blog!

By: B

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 06:34:29 +0000

@97

Obviously I was talking about the presidential election. I still vote for state and local when I’m sufficiently motivated. But I have yet to vote for a president.

@99

You incorrectly assume that I would vote for Obama if I voted at all. But I found you so convincing that I will now vote for Romney just to narrow Obama’s margin of victory in my state. Thanks for your encouragement!

By: Steve Metzler

Steve Metzler — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 22:22:34 +0000

What amphiox said. Especially since the Rethuglicans are trying to pull all this voter photo ID nonsense in a few states. Y’all really need to read this to understand what is happening in the isolationist US of A:

members.shaw.ca/jeanaltemeyer/drbob/TheAuthoritarians.pdf

‘The Authoritarians’. It only takes an evening or two, and it’s a ripping read. Really.

By: amphiox

amphiox — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 20:44:45 +0000

@95;

Suppose enough people think as you do and the result is Obama wins by 10 points instead of the expected 15. This sends a message. To the Republicans it may signal to them that their obstructionist policies are working, and if they double down on them and continue to alienate progressive voters from voting, while energizing their own base they have a chance of flipping blue states in 10 or 20 years. Is that want you want?

Reducing voter turnout has been an integral part of Republican strategy since Obama took office. This strategy includes voter suppression and obstructionism to disillusion the casual progressive voters whom they have calculated are a fickle demographic that though they will never win, they can drive away from voting.

If voters do not repudiate this strategy and it results in electoral success, it is highly likely that democrats will be tempted to adopt it too. Is this what you want to happen?

The binary win/lose result is not the only thing in an election that has consequence. Every vote sends a message, and every decision not to vote also sends a message.

No vote is wasted.

By: Zippy the Pinhead

Zippy the Pinhead — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 17:47:01 +0000

@2: Thank you for that reference and the quote of the relevant statistics. The reality is much more horrifying than mere statistics paint, since the authors go on to note that in their study, “Among 34 cases of rape-related pregnancy, the majority occurred among adolescents and resulted from assault by a known, often related perpetrator.” They go on to conclude, “Rape-related pregnancy occurs with significant frequency. It is a cause of many unwanted pregnancies and is closely linked with family and domestic violence.”

AFAIK, Akin never apologized for the ignorant inaccuracy of his claims, merely for the “unfortunate” use of the word “legitimate”.

By: Lancelot Link

Lancelot Link — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:48:51 +0000

95 B – “My vote is effectively worthless here. Blame the electoral college for lower turnout.”

Your vote is not worthless. Remember, the Presidency is not the only thing on the ballot. Congress and State offices really do matter – so do Sheriffs and Judges and School Boards, even. My state is a sure thing for Obama, but I’m voting to keep the only atheist in Congress.

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 05:26:35 +0000

@61. mike burkhart :

.. As for abortion there is an alternitve adoption , many couples want a child and can’t have one and would love an unwanted child. You know maybe we should require all lawmakers to take science lessions before they are sworn in.

That last line of yours there – absolutely yes!

As for the first bit quoted there, please read this story, really, please :

http://www.salon.com/2011/05/26/abortion_saved_my_life/singleton/

by Mikki Kendall whose life was saved by an abortion and then tell me what you think of that situation and scenario?

Plus please read and consider this one :

http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/23/requring-ultrasounds-before-abortion-one-mothers-personal-tragedy/

as well.

There was also an interesting philosophical website one which made a strange but interesting hypothetical analogy asking some good questions of us but I can’t find it online currently. Something about flower seeds that became real people floating into houses or suchlike?

Anyone know the one I mean there and care to help find and link it here please?

THIS : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Defense_of_Abortion#Pregnancy_Resulting_from_Voluntary_Intercourse_.E2.80.93_.E2.80.9CPeople-Seeds.E2.80.9D

I think?

By: B

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 23:53:56 +0000

“Let me leave you with this: in America, only about half the people of voting age actually go out and vote. That means there is a vast, untapped resource of people who can make a real difference in November.”

Absolutely untrue. Most non-voters most likely live in states that are sure locks for one candidate. Obama will win my state by at least 15 percentage points. My vote is effectively worthless here. Blame the electoral college for lower turnout.

By: The inmates are running the asylum « Another Atheist

The inmates are running the asylum « Another Atheist — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 21:47:56 +0000

[...] The inmates are running the asylum. While in my lifetime I have seem plenty of examples of stupidity from politicians of all political stripes, it certainly seems these days that the GOP is running full tilt into the loony bin, perhaps due to their embrace (or should I say takeover) by fundamentalist christians. A good read on the topic can be had with the book, “The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Reject Science”. [...]