Reddy

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:43 PM) If an alien life form is advanced enough to find their way here, then they are probably going to dictate to us how we deal with them and not vice versa. *sigh* sidestepping the question. yeah it's a hypothetical, but just because something has different DNA doesn't INHERENTLY make it a lesser life form

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:42 PM) We have rough categories of "life" and "non-life" and break things down further from there. All of these categories are man-made and really just convenient ways for us to classify things for our own understanding. We're drawing a map with definitions, not defining the terrain. Saying that a zygote is "life" is one thing, though I don't know if that's even a consensus view. But that isn't the only thing meant by "life begins at conception" rhetoric in the abortion discussion. That phrase carries a much more significant moral argument that human life worthy of moral protections and considerations begins at conception. There isn't a scientific question there. There's no hypothesis to test. well, to be fair, single celled organisms ARE considered life... so a zygote is too. it's just not a person, which is an organism with synaptic brain function that can reason and has free will.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:33 PM) Animals aren't human beings. We do have laws that regulate the killing of animals in certain circumstances, but other animals are not human beings. As for people with down syndrome, etc., they still have HUMAN DNA. All humans have differing DNA (unless they are identical twins of course). No humans are "more" or less "human" than others. fine. then i'll refer you to my alien question. but seriously.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 02:13 PM) http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/201...omney_loss.html i literally hate these people. edit: and yes, i recognize the irony.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:21 PM) As you get farther and farther away from humans in the order/genus/class structure, the differences between humans and other animals are greater, but the baseline difference is DNA. ok... and it's ok to kill animals because they don't have the same DNA as us? how would that fare if we ran into an alien species with different DNA than us. would it be ok to kill them? is DNA the be all end all? or better - as someone else mentioned - people with genetic diseases or mutations. People with down syndrome, etc - are they less than human because of different DNA?

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:13 PM) Human zygotes are like some very primitive forms of animal life, but still very different than plant life, but I'm not arguing for protection at the zygote stage anyway. ok humor me for a second. what, would you say, are the differences between animals and humans?

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:07 PM) I understand that, though plant life and animal life are very different. ...why... they're not different from human zygotes/embryos at the VERY least

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 03:00 PM) I'm not defending the position that abortion should be outlawed from conception or that a zygote is a human being--I'm just noting the technicality that a zygote is some kind of life form. so are the animals we eat and the plants we step on and the bugs we swat

how did this happen!? lol

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 02:32 PM) Being alive. A dead body has all the physical characteristics of a human, but we dont give dead bodies the same rights as humans. Why? Being alive means something.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 02:01 PM) We can all agree it's a touchy subject. My issue is SB's ironically inhuman view of something he admits is alive, but nevertheless should not be considered a thing which is in need of keeping alive. I'm "fine" with it up until that 6ish week timeline. Morning after pill? Acceptable. After fertilization and the egg and the sperm begin to create something? Nope, except in cases of incest/rape/health of the mother. But the issue becomes that most of the time you don't know you're pregnant, so effectively its a no abortion but in exception situations type thing. I also think it's bulls*** that the government plays any part in the payment of an abortion, and I think it's bulls*** that some of the "barriers" such as having to wait 24 hours gets so much reaction, especially considering some of the problems that women have after going through with it. It's an important decision (queue SS telling me how terrible I am for assuming women DON'T think it's important) and shouldn't be taken lightly. honestly. i don't think it's something anyone takes lightly (except for rare, rare occasions)

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:27 PM) Being the highlight of the show when it took a turn for the worse isn't a good thing imo, don't really see how his character would fit and be useful anymore. whaaaat the later episodes are amazing. it jumps so many sharks and i love it. lol

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:54 PM) Abortion is such a touchy subject. I personally think the government needs to keep their nose out of it, but that doesn't mean I think it's right. There are situations where it could be the right choice (rape, clear indication of something wrong). I don't know how some people can make that decision so easily. My wife had a molar pregnancy (similar to a miscarriage), and we were both beyond upset about it, mainly because up until the time when the doctor found it to be molar we thought of it as our baby. So, I guess you could say that there in always the assumption of life beyond the fact that you can hear a heartbeat as early as 6-8 weeks. honestly, this is an INCREDIBLY small number. i don't think the vast majority have an easy time with it at ALL

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:51 PM) No, I recognize that. That point is in the 8-10 week range. so if it's done before 8 weeks you're good with it?

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:44 PM) A zygote isn't a fetus. A zygote is a stage of development before fetus. A fetus does have organs, bones, skin, a heart, brain, etc. The difference between abortion and amputation is that abortion permanently terminates a beating human heart and functioning human brain while an amputation does not. "In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization." so as long as you get an abortion before 9 weeks, you should be good right?

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:38 PM) So if a woman is two days from her due date and she says, "Oh, f*** it, I don't really want this kid", it's nobody's business to tell her she can't have a doctor crush its skull, right? that's actually the opposite of what he said. aren't late-term abortions already illegal? in some places at least? i don't know the details here but i feel like i remember something about that.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:35 PM) Birth certificates and social security numbers are issued by governments, which you are very quick to point out on many occasions are wrong on scientific issues. I protect a fetus and not sperm because a fetus is a human being with a full set of chromosomes and a sperm is not. Perhaps you need to go back to 9th grade biology to understand the difference. You can say "fetuses aren't humans because I said so" as much as you'd like, just like people can say "the earth is only 6000 years old because the Bible said so" as much as they like. Both are equally true. fetuses AREN'T humans! just because they have 26 chromosomes doesn't make them human. A zygote is not a human. it's a blob of cells. literally. that's it. there are no organs, no bones, no skin, no nothing. no electrical impulses. not that i actually think these are the same - but PHYSICALLY speaking, what's the difference between an abortion and an amputation of a limb?

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:25 PM) There are reports that Clinton, Holder and Geithner will be leaving Obama cabinet.. we already knew about Hilary

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 01:10 PM) You don't get it. At all. lol

however i'm not sure this is one of those arguments that should be taking place here... lol

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 12:09 PM) If the fetuses are human fetuses then they are humans. no, they are fetuses. as you pointed out.

http://whitepeoplemourningromney.tumblr.com/

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 8, 2012 -> 09:54 AM) Exactly. These types of things change so rapidly there is no point in even discussing it. One wrong move or scandal, and the entire landscape changes within minutes. Anthony Wiener anyone? I was so excited about his prospects... then he lived up to his name...

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 7, 2012 -> 10:40 PM) sure they can, that was kind of my point. They have to change - so they will. And your reasoning for this is... Only thing I see likely to cause that is if we go over the fiscal cliff. the only way that'll happen is if we keep talking about going over a financial cliff.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 7, 2012 -> 07:58 PM) Otoh i read that on a three page South Carolina ballot, there were exactly four democrats, two of them being Obama and Biden. The other races were unopposed republicans. that's how it is in NYC just reversed.