In Which Amy Answers Chris H. ... (Myspace Blog)

Chris H. posted this. We should ALL answer and get some great dialogue going. I, too, am REALLY INTERESTED to know what you think.

I challenge you…

"Here's the deal. I'm sick and tired of all the useless garbage that people normally ask you in those online surveys. I'm interested in what you really THINK. I have ten questions for you. They will require more thought that the ones you're probably used to seeing on MySpace, but they are worthwhile subjects and well worth the time spent thinking about them. My aim is not to judge you by your answers, nor to filter out those people who don't think the same way I do. I just feel that the free and open expression of ideas is a wonderful thing. And I am REALLY INTERESTED in what you have to say about these particular ideas."

1.)Q. Are you for the right to choose, or the right to life, or some other view when it comes to abortion? Please explain.

1.)A. I believe that each person should have the right to choose to terminate a first trimester pregnancy. While I, personally, do not think that I could abort any pregnancy, I do not believe that I have the right to impose my belief onto others. Each unwanted pregnancy that comes to term is an unwanted child. Until a foetus is viable on its' own, then I do not believe that child has a 'right to life'. Once a foetus is viable (which gets to be earlier and earlier) then I believe they gain rights. I do see the need for exceptions to this, so in addition I have to state that I believe there must be some room for flexibility in regards to rape, incest, and determination of significant foetal damage.

2.)Q. Are you for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, or a timetable for withdraw, or indefinite continued military presence (i.e. Germany after WW2), or some other alternative? Please explain.

2.)A. I do not believe that the Iraq war was one that we should have started to begin with. That being said, I think it would be irresponsible of us to wade into the pot, make a mess, then not stick around to clean it up. We must come up with a workable timetable for withdrawal that ties up our loose ends, sets up the Iraqi people to be fairly self sufficient, and gets troops out of there as soon as possible. I believe we are poised to see another Vietnam if we are not careful.

3.)Q. Do you believe religious topics should be free game for public school teachers, or that prayer should be allowed in public school, or that religion should be kept out of public school altogether, or some compromise? Please explain.

3.)A. In Amy's perfect world, each faith would be comfortable enough in its own skin to be looked at critically. Each teacher would be conscientious about doing their work and determined to present all faiths for review. Each student would be willing to have an open mind and look outside their comfort zone without defensiveness. But we don't live in Amy's perfect world. Therefore I believe that there should be a very strict (even more strict than what the US has now) separation between religion and school. If you can't present them ALL, then you should not present ANY. *Until the day that there is true separation of church and state, I will fight for a student's right to have the same rights for their faith that children raised Christian do, i.e. wear religious jewellery, form student groups, offer prayers, refrain from the pledge of allegiance, etc.*

4.)Q. Do you believe that the presidential election should be determined by the popular vote as in a true democracy, or that the electorate was created for a reason which is still valid today and should remain our standard for selecting the president, or some other alternative? Please explain.

4.)A. Let me explain the origin of the electoral college… it was designed by rich white men to keep rich white men in power. It minimizes the impact of individual vote, because the founding fathers were not interested in freedom for all, but keeping power to the few that they deemed worthy. (In other words, wealthy, educated, land owning White men.) I believe that the electoral college should be done away with and each vote should count equally. (And I have to point out that we do not live in a truly democratic society, but a capitalistic one, the differences betwixt the two are great, and they are perpendicular to each other.)

5.)Q. Do you support the death penalty fully, do you think it should be eliminated altogether, or some middle ground? Please explain.

5.)A. I am strongly against the Death Penalty. This was another, previous post (2 January, 2007, if you are interested.)

6.)Q. Do you support euthanasia (often referred to as the right to die or assisted suicide), do you think that anyone who helps someone commit suicide should go to jail (including doctors), or some other alternative? Please explain.

6.)A. I DO support an individual's right to die with dignity and in a way they choose. THIS must be a future post. I have a lot to say about it.

7.)Q. Do you think that gays/lesbians should be allowed to marry, or that there should be some alternative other than marriage, or that marriage should be constitutionally defined as being between a man and a woman, or some other view? Please explain.

7.)A. I believe that anything less than full marriage rights for gay, lesbian, and transgender persons is discrimination. None of that should matter in regards to LEGAL marriage. I could give a hoot what each church chooses to define as marriage in their faith, and believe they should be allowed to grant or refuse religious marriage to their hearts content. However, legal marriage should be no different; no matter the colour, creed, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. of the people involved.

8.)Q. Do you think that all firearms should be made illegal except to trained law enforcement or government agencies, or that new and stricter gun ownership laws should be enacted, or that current laws are enough if they are enforced properly, or that current laws are too strict, or that the right to bear arms is a fundamental constitutional right and that everyone should own one as soon as they can be taught to pull a trigger, or some other view or combination of views? Please explain.

8.)A. This is a hard one for me to describe. I am not really sure where I stand. Perhaps partly because I am not sure what the current gun laws say. (Shame on me.) But here is what I /do/ believe. Guns are not toys. Guns should not be toys. Children should not have toys guns that look real EVER. Toys like this should not even be sold. Children should not be exposed to guns, because guns do not solve problems. The more people have guns the less likely they are to try to find a different solution to a problem, the quicker they are to resort to violence. Violence begets violence and someone has to be the one to stop the cycle. Police officers and other law enforcement agencies should have guns, but the only other reason to own a gun is to hunt. (But only if you eat what you kill.) Ok, you all can shout it together… HIPPIE. I know.

9.)Q. Do you think that the U.S. should close its border to all immigration, or that immigration laws should remain as is as long as they are enforced, or that sneaking into this country is a crime and all illegal aliens should be prosecuted and/or deported, or some other view? Please explain.

9.)A. Yet again, another difficult to answer question. And I'm not sure. So I'll think more and post later.

10.)Q. Do you think certain drugs should be legalized in the US, or that marihuana is OK for medical use only, or that the drug laws should be more strictly enforced as is, or that newer and stricter anti-drug laws should be established, or some other view? Please explain.

10.)A. Here is what I think should be done. All drugs (including cigarettes and alcohol) should be made legal for CONSENTING ADULTS (age to be negotiated, but at least 21) in private or designated areas. (Not public places where those who do not consent are open to second hand exposure.) The government should take control of the manufacture and distribution of said drugs, and all drug paraphernalia. Items essential to safe use (such as sterile hypodermics and graphic literature on the dosage and results of said drug use) should be provided without stigma and free of charge, and disposed of in the same manner. Drugs should be /heavily/ taxed. Resulting taxes should be used to promote recovery programs, provide socialized health care, and to pump money into law enforcement. There should be a complete restructuring of the drug laws, which should provide EXTREMELY stiff penalties for ANYONE who provides any drug to minors or non-consenting adults, who expose children to conditions of drug use, etc. The penalties should be so stiff as to have no second chances and no chance of parole. The goal is to make it so easy to get and the penalties so stiff that no one in their right mind would think about providing to minors. Adults, in my opinion, have infinite right to fuck up their own bodies, up until they begin to harm others.

Let me point out that there is NEVER one answer for every situation. There are always exceptions. I can think of many just for the 10 questions above. Plus, my views are mutable things, as I am very willing to look at things from different perspectives. If you see it different and want to tell me so, fine. I'll listen and think about what you have said. If there is undisputable logic, your views may change mine. Know, however, that I won't criticize your ideas. I am a dynamic thinker, and to stagnate is to die. By extension, I trust that I will be offered the same freedom to express myself without criticism.