TommyO

My answers 1 yes yes yes 2 there is no such thing using the term reverse racism is close to racism in itself. It implies superiority. 3 Affirmative action is a good thing and is needed so all people have a sense of their potential 4 Stereotypes are based on ignorance O out

Gadget, thats just it I don't know who's right, I only know what I believe. I may be wrong and you may be wrong (Although as I have said in the past I am certain you are afraid to admit it) so what it comes down to is that I refuse to live by your rules. That's what the issue is your need to force your rule onto the world. Actually I am wrong because you only ever talk about the USA so I must assume that you are only concerned about the abortion issue in the U.S.

As a matter of fact someone telling someone else what another person told them is exactly that hearsay. I hear someone speak then I say it to someone else. Any person who tells you what someone else says is providing hearsay evidence. The reason it is suspect because you can't account for the bias of the interpreter and it is quite obvious that the person who wrote that article is extremely biased. I try to avoid correcting spelling but in this case it is important to point out that the word hearsay becomes self-explanatory when spelled correctly and less so when spelled heresay as you have chosen.

Jennie, you are so far off the mark it's amazing, I doubt anyone could simplify what snuffy was saying but safe to say it's obvious you are not getting it and your last post makes your inability to grasp her point seem almost humourous!!!

That hardly seems like an unbiased article as a matter of fact it is painfully biased and amounts to nothing but hear-say. It makes the whole article invalid you probably don't even notice the obvious bias becuase of your own right wing perspective.

Here is a test question. Statement 1 Some people who live in Bigtown like icecream Statement 2 Some People in Smallville like fish. Statement 3 All people in Smalville would be willing to live in Bigtown. Which of the following statements are true. All people who would like to live in Bigtown like ice cream. Some people who like fish would live in Big town. All people like ice cream. It would appear that Gadget would choose the third statement especially if it made her argument appear stronger

Hey, if you need laws to tell you steeling is wrong then you probably are better off being religious. I on the other hand was able to decide that for myself along with a number of other things. The speed limit is a great example of how laws don't have much affect, do you see many people speeding as you drive to Vegas. To debate statistcs often is a fools game, figures can lie and liers can figure, as my Father used to say. So the increase in abortions can be based on any number of things. I might argue that abortions are up because of global warming because over that time period the planet got warmer. There may or may not be a coralation but I could trot out all kinds of statistics that might prove my point. It would be silly but I could do it and I bet I could convince a few people that global warming affects the rate of abortions. The only true statement I can make is that abortions are up because more abortions are being performed. It's kinda like the flood thing, I can find statistics and science that supports almost anything if I wanted. I would be wrong but I could.

No one here seems to be claiming that a fetus is not alive, the debate from my perspective is if the fetus is a viable human. Second, the real debate is whether that mother has the right to choose. I support fully her right to decide she wants to have those two beautiful babies. I should not be able to force her to have the babies and I should not be able to force her to have an abortion. It should her decision not mine and not yours. I refuse to be forced to follow someone else's rules, I live by a moral code that I believe strongly in. It is against that code that I measure how I am performing as a human. I ask no one else to follow that code only me. I am a male so I will never need to obtain an abortion but If I was a female and I was pregnant I would not get an abortion. But that would be my decision, a decision I would make based on my personal set of beliefs. I would never consider forcing my beliefs on another person. I hold myself accountable to my beliefs and others must make their decisions based on their own set of beliefs. It is quite clear that you are against abortion and as such you should never have an abortion, not because I said so but because you said so. I know you will argue that there are other laws that enforce societal rules but your belief that these laws prevent anything is naive. People do not commit murder because it is illegal they do not commit murder because they know it is wrong. If making laws prevented anything we wouldn't need prisons but apparently those institutions are full.

Dearest Fliflops, how I choose to write is entirely up to me how you choose to interpret them is entirely up to you. I am confused on how you can take such offence to posts you do not fully read. Once again you are trying to impose your will over me. I will not tell you how to interact please avoid the same on your behalf. As I have stated earlier I refuse to be confined by such a narrow perspective. Gadget, the fact that I feel empathy for people has little to do with my believe that you should not be able to impose your will on society. The story about the pregnant bank tellar is tragic and your attempt to portay those who are pro-choice as uncarring once again shows your true colours.

Here we go with the black and white thinking again, try to think in the grey and you may be able to grasp the concept. There are no facts, there are are only beliefs and yours are different than mine. I am not interested in being forced into compliance with your right wing, narrow minded views of how the world should be run. I understand how it may seem like mental gynastics to you but it seems quite simple to me. I love ice cream and I like cars but I would never buy a car made out of ice cream. I defer to Snuffy's skin analogy to answer your provocation. Skin is alive and it is human skin but it is not a human being, A fetus is not a human life it is a human fetus. This, it seems to me, is a very simple concept.

The story was a hoax and as such there is no valid reason to debate it. I could come up with some silly irrelevant scenario. What if I were to make up a story about a member of the pro life movement who goes around kidnapping women who were planning on having abortions and forcing them to give birth. I think that we could all agree that doing something like that would be wrong, debating why it was wrong or trying to validate our opinions based on an imaginary "what if"scenario is an excersise in futility. When I was younger and I would argue with my Dad using "what if" statements my Dad would retort, and I quote, "If my Aunt had balls she'd be my Uncle"

While I was away in the USA I listened to a radio talk show about why we no longer live for as much as 950 years. The guest on the show was a fundamentalist Christian and had written a book that explained that the great flood had killed all of the fruits and vegetables causing our diets to be changed drastically. This change dropped our life expectancy from 900 plus years to less than 100. He maintained that by changing our diets by including more fruits and vegetables we would once again live for as long as Adam. Does this strike anyone other than me as insane?? PS. For all those who wished me a hurried return while I was away Golfing thank you for your kindness. It was a great trip and I was voted "most loved participant" by the group. :biggrin:

When you state that there are two undisputable facts that 1. It is alive 2. It is a human being I do agree that a fetus is alive but I do not agree that it is a human being. I agree with this statement it is alive and it is a human fetus but I do not believe that it is a human life. Once again it comes down to belief, you can disagree with me but it is what I believe. Just because you believe something is a fact doesn't make it a fact. It is definitly an opinion but not a fact.

Actually, the caveman riding a dinasour is completely out of the question, the timelines don't work, makes for a great sitcom however.

I am also so sorry, is it okay to call someone names now? Just curious, seems like the personal attacks are acceptable as long as your being nice to someone. Here goes my attempt at being a great guy. BJean, thanks for providing some clarity to my comments you are a wise person. Not like that mean ELENATION who can say some trerrible things in her role as a Parrot. It's hard to believe how she and others can say such Nasty things about me all the while talking about what good people they are. Who knows maybe if someone gets that I am being sarcastic we can all puke liquids through our noses. Then go on and on about how good we are and how bad others who's opinions we disagree with are evil doers. Finally empathy occurs when someone feels a sense of shared experience providing the abillity to provide support and understanding for their pain. Not when someone feels that sense of shared experience providing the abillity to provide support and understanding and I will use your pain to support their position/opinion even if it makes you feel bad!!!!!!

Gadget, just to clarify my original post was not directed to you specifically it was directed at anyone who takes the bible as a literal document. So although I can understand that you may have been offended but you are wrong when you say that it was directed specifically towards you. It's interesting how you speak in absolutes on things that you could not possibley know for a certainty. You have said that you know precisely why I post in the manner I do and you have also said that it was certain that I was addressing you. In both cases you are wrong but I gather that you don't play well in the grey, it may be a little scary for you. My hypothosis would be that you need to know the answers and the idea that things are not always black or white is hard for you to deal with. Here is a little test, I believe that there is no such thing as God but I know that I cannot prove that. That being said I am willing to admit that there could be a God and I have no problem making such a statement. Are you able to admit that there is a possibility that God does not exist or would the fear of admiting that be to much for you. Oh and by the way this post is directed at you and for the first time you can now make a definitive statement on that. I will now take my leave for a week of golf. TommyO

It's funny how the so called Christian can't emapthize with the drug addict but a terrible Athiest such as me can. I wonder witch one of us your God would judge more harshly

It's actually between her alone, there is no such thing as God Darlin!!!

Please continue to correct my spelling I know how important that sort of thing must be to someone withy such a narrow, right wing perspective. Did God tell you why I don't share my thoughts? it would seem that is the only way you could "know precisely" why I choose not to share them. Or is it just that you have a bit of a God complex yourself? I have a question for you, is there only one true religion and if yes are all other religions wrong?

Just a brief note about why many people choose to read and not express an opinion on this thread. Speaking specifically for myself I refuse to debate such a complex issue with anyone who beleives that the flood happened and Noah marched the animals two by tow onto an ark. I mean c'mon how could you possibly expect any sort of logical discusion. Oh by the way how many people do you think God drowned in the big flood and what if some of them were pregnant. I guess it's only ok to kill unborn babies if your God!!!

Crazies is as Crazies does

Glad to see you agree their "Crazies"

I think the point was that a quote from a single source, doesn't disprove that global warming exists. If I needed to I could likely find at least one plumber who would be willing to state that water doesn't run downhill. Should we then discount gravity or the definition of a liquid??????!!!!!!

Well January is about to end and the good news is the gym is starting to slow down. The new years resolution folks are already starting to get discouraged because altough they have been working out 3 times a week since Jan 4th (Really they only missed 3 maybe 4 times max) they have only lost 5-10 lbs. The treadmills are open again and I don't have to help nearly as many skinny people with the weight machines. I had one lady insist she was fime she just couldn't get the barbell off her chest. Even better I have had two different ladies wink at me but I'm guessing that they are part of the "Gotta find me a man in 2008" crew. So here's a toast to all those who stick with it from the fat guy who has been going to the gym at least 4 times a week for 2 years. Cheers TommmyO

I must disagree, If you read my response to your note you will discover that I did not snap at you. In My response I stated my opinion and not once did I suggest anything negative about you. There was no inuendo or passive aggressive behavior what so ever. You did not like my response so you attacked me. Never once did I attack you and of that I am certain. You may not have liked what I said but I said nothing negative to or about you.