Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Election '08
I said a long time ago that I would post up some of my thoughts on a few issues I cared about so here it is. Feel free to tear it apart in the comments 'cause I know you want to.
Green means that candidate wins the issue for me.
Education:
I see education as an investment for us as a society. I believe it spurs innovation and progress which pays back society many-fold. I don't support school vouchers. I think it's ok if you want to send your kid to a private school but I see public school as a group effort that improves with more people so I support actions to improve it and that would encourage people to use it. Also, I like to compare social programs to road building. We all need to pitch in to have decent roads. Just because I don't use a road that is across town doesn't mean that I get to take my tax money back and pour myself a new driveway with it. If that were ok, the rich areas of town would have amazing racetrack smooth roads and the poor areas would be rockin' the Escalante washboard (which is sadly the way it is sometimes). I don't get my road money back for my driveway and I don't get my school money back for a private school.
I support metrics to assess the effectiveness of programs. I understand problems with No Child Left Behind and teaching kids with a focus to just pass a test needs to be addressed but I think it's ridiculous to just throw money at schools without benchmarks to track progress. Problems with No Child Left Behind are problems with No Child Left Behind, metrics implemented correctly are vital.
Finally, I'll support teaching intelligent design in a science class as soon as it is a scientific theory which IT IS NOT. Seriously people, at least learn what the word “theory” means before you start throwing it around in its common usage in a scientific setting. Hint: “theory” in common usage barely means “hypothesis”. Until intelligent design folks bring a real theory... Keep it in a theology class.
McCain: Strong support for education but supports vouchers and seems a bit close to the edge on the teaching of intelligent design.
Obama: Strong support for education, no vouchers.
Foreign Policy:
Be open to talking to anyone.
Use trade and commerce to influence countries to act in a way that serves our interests but don't step on peoples toes. Let them run their own show as long as it does not affect our national security.
Do not throw around threats of military force and act like a bully. Be more of a huge nice guy.
Be VERY carful before funding groups/governments to overthrow other governments just because their policies are not inline with ours. This tends to come back and bite us 10-20 years later.
McCain: McCain has made statements about arming groups that oppose governments we don't like that seem a bit cavalier to me. Obviously the military needs to be used in some cases but McCain seems to be more liberal with this option than I would be.
Obama: Obama tends to talk more about negotiations and the use of aid and trade as methods of influence.
Immigration:
I'm down with a very healthy influx of immigration and I'm down to help people who are hear illegally to become legal and get integrated into our system. I've never read a convincing study that showed immigration hurting the economy or society.
I'm also fine with making English the official language just so people have no doubts that they gotta learn it but we don't have to be jerks about it. I didn't have the audacity to go to Japan and expect people to use English. At the same time everyone was very kind and patient with me and, although I didn't expect it, when I was new it was nice that the bigger train stations had cities written in roman characters.
McCain:
Obama:
This is a wash. They both seem pretty good.
Network Neutrality:
This is my nerd issue.
This basically means ISPs cannot discriminate over the type of traffic on their networks. If Comcast sells you 6Mbps internet service, that's it. They don't get serve data from one server faster while artificially throttling data from another server. If our local municipalities laid fiber optic lines and let any business operate an ISP on those lines (like Provo, Draper, and some others) then that would be fine. We'd have competition controlling the situation. But, the way most cities are now with telcos operating as an allowed monopoly/utility, there needs to be network neutrality.
McCain: Against so far saying there hasn't been an instance of abuse yet (there has).
Obama: For
Pork Barrel Spending:
McCain: Has a record of fighting against earmarks.
Obama: Voted for the 1 year moratorium on earmarks but has less of a track record compared to McCain.
Abortion:
My opinion is that the option of abortion is only on the table in cases of rape, incest, when the life of the mother is at risk, or if the fetus will not survive beyond birth. In these cases competent doctors and modern facilities should be available should the mother choose an abortion. I see problems with most legislation regarding abortion in the wording used for these exceptional circumstances. For instance, some purposed legislation put an undue burden of proof on physicians when they asses the situation of whether or not the fetus will survive. If they make a misdiagnosis they might go to prison. This would essentially make no doctor willing to preform an abortion which would likely lead to pregnant women resorting to radical and unsafe means to obtain an abortion. Also, I can envision a long legal battle over whether or not a situation was rape. If this carried on past the time that the baby was born and then the situation was found to be a case of rape, what happens then? A woman was forced to carry the burden of one of the most traumatic situations I can imagine and is then responsible for the result of that. Abortion is obviously not applicable any more and I doubt anyone is in favor of killing the baby.
Any significant change in abortion policy would need to first begin with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. I really don't see this happening. The top level of the Judicial branch doesn't have a habit of overturing it's own rulings. It makes them appear weak and in a way gives up some of their power which no branch of government tends to do. The Supreme Court has upheld Roe v. Wade time and again so this essentially makes the argument moot.
But, lets say that Roe v. Wade was overturned. Then the decision would just fall back to the states and we'd get into the legislation issues I mentioned above. Now, imagine legislation was written that did not hold doctors unduly responsible when they make a diagnosis that the fetus will not survive and allowed a woman to have an abortion when she claims the pregnancy was the result of rape, but then held her responsible if it was found that she was lying? That seems like a moderate position to me. But then you'd have some doctors willing to say a fetus won't survive with any kind of complication. Also, people are still able to just drive to another state and get an abortion anyway and you probably will have more instances of unsafe abortions.
My point in writing all this is to basically say that the issue of abortion as it relates to elected officials is not really up for debate. I have no doubt that Obama and McCain both love li'l babies and regardless of the Justices they appoint I don't think Roe v. Wade will be overturned to the states. So, this leaves us as citizens to influence other citizens to respect the institutions of marriage and parenthood in order to reduce the occurrence of out of wedlock pregnancy and abortion. And, that's about it. Like many things we need to do our best to be an influence to those around us of what is right.
This issue doesn't come into play in my consideration of who to vote for president.
Green means that candidate wins the issue for me.
Education:
I see education as an investment for us as a society. I believe it spurs innovation and progress which pays back society many-fold. I don't support school vouchers. I think it's ok if you want to send your kid to a private school but I see public school as a group effort that improves with more people so I support actions to improve it and that would encourage people to use it. Also, I like to compare social programs to road building. We all need to pitch in to have decent roads. Just because I don't use a road that is across town doesn't mean that I get to take my tax money back and pour myself a new driveway with it. If that were ok, the rich areas of town would have amazing racetrack smooth roads and the poor areas would be rockin' the Escalante washboard (which is sadly the way it is sometimes). I don't get my road money back for my driveway and I don't get my school money back for a private school.
I support metrics to assess the effectiveness of programs. I understand problems with No Child Left Behind and teaching kids with a focus to just pass a test needs to be addressed but I think it's ridiculous to just throw money at schools without benchmarks to track progress. Problems with No Child Left Behind are problems with No Child Left Behind, metrics implemented correctly are vital.
Finally, I'll support teaching intelligent design in a science class as soon as it is a scientific theory which IT IS NOT. Seriously people, at least learn what the word “theory” means before you start throwing it around in its common usage in a scientific setting. Hint: “theory” in common usage barely means “hypothesis”. Until intelligent design folks bring a real theory... Keep it in a theology class.
McCain: Strong support for education but supports vouchers and seems a bit close to the edge on the teaching of intelligent design.
Obama: Strong support for education, no vouchers.
Foreign Policy:
Be open to talking to anyone.
Use trade and commerce to influence countries to act in a way that serves our interests but don't step on peoples toes. Let them run their own show as long as it does not affect our national security.
Do not throw around threats of military force and act like a bully. Be more of a huge nice guy.
Be VERY carful before funding groups/governments to overthrow other governments just because their policies are not inline with ours. This tends to come back and bite us 10-20 years later.
McCain: McCain has made statements about arming groups that oppose governments we don't like that seem a bit cavalier to me. Obviously the military needs to be used in some cases but McCain seems to be more liberal with this option than I would be.
Obama: Obama tends to talk more about negotiations and the use of aid and trade as methods of influence.
Immigration:
I'm down with a very healthy influx of immigration and I'm down to help people who are hear illegally to become legal and get integrated into our system. I've never read a convincing study that showed immigration hurting the economy or society.
I'm also fine with making English the official language just so people have no doubts that they gotta learn it but we don't have to be jerks about it. I didn't have the audacity to go to Japan and expect people to use English. At the same time everyone was very kind and patient with me and, although I didn't expect it, when I was new it was nice that the bigger train stations had cities written in roman characters.
McCain:
Obama:
This is a wash. They both seem pretty good.
Network Neutrality:
This is my nerd issue.
This basically means ISPs cannot discriminate over the type of traffic on their networks. If Comcast sells you 6Mbps internet service, that's it. They don't get serve data from one server faster while artificially throttling data from another server. If our local municipalities laid fiber optic lines and let any business operate an ISP on those lines (like Provo, Draper, and some others) then that would be fine. We'd have competition controlling the situation. But, the way most cities are now with telcos operating as an allowed monopoly/utility, there needs to be network neutrality.
McCain: Against so far saying there hasn't been an instance of abuse yet (there has).
Obama: For
Pork Barrel Spending:
McCain: Has a record of fighting against earmarks.
Obama: Voted for the 1 year moratorium on earmarks but has less of a track record compared to McCain.
Abortion:
My opinion is that the option of abortion is only on the table in cases of rape, incest, when the life of the mother is at risk, or if the fetus will not survive beyond birth. In these cases competent doctors and modern facilities should be available should the mother choose an abortion. I see problems with most legislation regarding abortion in the wording used for these exceptional circumstances. For instance, some purposed legislation put an undue burden of proof on physicians when they asses the situation of whether or not the fetus will survive. If they make a misdiagnosis they might go to prison. This would essentially make no doctor willing to preform an abortion which would likely lead to pregnant women resorting to radical and unsafe means to obtain an abortion. Also, I can envision a long legal battle over whether or not a situation was rape. If this carried on past the time that the baby was born and then the situation was found to be a case of rape, what happens then? A woman was forced to carry the burden of one of the most traumatic situations I can imagine and is then responsible for the result of that. Abortion is obviously not applicable any more and I doubt anyone is in favor of killing the baby.
Any significant change in abortion policy would need to first begin with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. I really don't see this happening. The top level of the Judicial branch doesn't have a habit of overturing it's own rulings. It makes them appear weak and in a way gives up some of their power which no branch of government tends to do. The Supreme Court has upheld Roe v. Wade time and again so this essentially makes the argument moot.
But, lets say that Roe v. Wade was overturned. Then the decision would just fall back to the states and we'd get into the legislation issues I mentioned above. Now, imagine legislation was written that did not hold doctors unduly responsible when they make a diagnosis that the fetus will not survive and allowed a woman to have an abortion when she claims the pregnancy was the result of rape, but then held her responsible if it was found that she was lying? That seems like a moderate position to me. But then you'd have some doctors willing to say a fetus won't survive with any kind of complication. Also, people are still able to just drive to another state and get an abortion anyway and you probably will have more instances of unsafe abortions.
My point in writing all this is to basically say that the issue of abortion as it relates to elected officials is not really up for debate. I have no doubt that Obama and McCain both love li'l babies and regardless of the Justices they appoint I don't think Roe v. Wade will be overturned to the states. So, this leaves us as citizens to influence other citizens to respect the institutions of marriage and parenthood in order to reduce the occurrence of out of wedlock pregnancy and abortion. And, that's about it. Like many things we need to do our best to be an influence to those around us of what is right.
This issue doesn't come into play in my consideration of who to vote for president.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Memories
So I was walking home from hometeaching today and started thinking about my favorite Mr. Webb quotes.
Speaking about the drains in the men’s room at Catalina Island: “They’re probably clogged with axillary and pubic hair.”
After approaching our group one day in class: “Oh, oh my hell . . . If you have to fart then go to the bathroom. I have to air out this room everyday after class because of you guys.
After I farted in line at the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland: “In these closed quarters . . . that’s horrible.”
Describing what happened in our dorm room at Catalina Island one night: “A flatus fight, my friend.”
When Ammon, Ryan, and I were lying on the grass at Catalina Island and farting: “Don’t you dare! Most teachers don’t have to put up with this kind of shit.”
Feel free to share some of your favorites.
Speaking about the drains in the men’s room at Catalina Island: “They’re probably clogged with axillary and pubic hair.”
After approaching our group one day in class: “Oh, oh my hell . . . If you have to fart then go to the bathroom. I have to air out this room everyday after class because of you guys.
After I farted in line at the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland: “In these closed quarters . . . that’s horrible.”
Describing what happened in our dorm room at Catalina Island one night: “A flatus fight, my friend.”
When Ammon, Ryan, and I were lying on the grass at Catalina Island and farting: “Don’t you dare! Most teachers don’t have to put up with this kind of shit.”
Feel free to share some of your favorites.
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