Asking the Right Questions

The abortion debate has been heating up lately, and I have not been one to shy away from it, which is actually not normal for me. Anyway...

Via Atrios we steered to what gets at the more honest questions that people have to face over this issue. From Oliver Willis:

This will be an intriguing question that should be asked in the 2008 election: Do you support the imprisonment of doctors for up to five years for the alleged “crime” of performing an abortion, as South Dakota’s legislature demands?

This question is not one of the questions at the core of the abortion debate, but covers the real life consequence lawmakers and crusaders have when they pass laws, without thinking about what they are doing, instead of only thinking about how many votes the might get for what they are doing.

The follow-up question I would ask is "do you support the imprisonment of women for up to fives years for the alleged 'crime' having an abortion?" Then you can ask is it a crime to conspire to assist in the alleged 'crime' of having or performing an abortion, which would entail the imprisonment for such a crime. Both bring the issue down to what happens if you make abortions illegal. What punishment should people be forced with when they are making personal decisions that shouldn’t be the business of the state?

Bottom line here is the distinction in the abortion debate that gets lost: being against abortion and being for laws banning it and/or making it a crime.

The polling on this is what I think goes back and forth in the debate, all over how the questions are phrased: do you support abortion? Well, no, I don't want people to have to have abortions, so, no. Do I support a legal ban on abortion? Hell no! People should have the right to control their own bodies.

The other big question that doesn't get asked or answered is "If you want to end Abortions, why don't you support the prevention of abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies through use of contraception?"

This then gets us back into the cycle of the core debate, which I agree with others gets very tiresome and pointless. That debate is coming back as a battle, and those seeking to outlaw abortion appear to be willing to anything to outlaw it. That battle will be met with more opposition than I think they expect. The over-reach will be ever-present with actions of the likes of Tom Brinkman, who is of the mindset to force all to act at the whims of those who share his basic religious beliefs. To them there are no questions to ask, just orders to follow.

Fluffy Profile of Ghiz

Council Person Leslie Ghiz is profiled, very briefly, in the Community Press this weeek.

The profile is at best a human interest story at worst its the typical type of non-hard hitting journalism that is the Community Press.

WLW on XM

John Kiesewetter is reporting that 700 WLW-AM will begin broadcasting on XM Salellite Radio channel 173.

Is this a deal Clear Channel has with XM with other CC stations or just WLW? Will this drive WLW even farther away from local radio, and more towards crap. I understand and concur that it already has a large level of crap, but their news coverage has the only really live breaking news coverage of most issues through-out the city. If I fear something big happened in town, I am turning on the radio, not TV. Well, that is unless it is during a Red's game.

Banks Back and Forth

First Cranley and Heimlich said there was a deal, but the Mayor says it getting closer, but its not there yet. Ok, someone messed up and spoke without consulting with the rest of council or commission.

Bush In Town

First I wonder if Si Leis is billing Bush for security? The President got free reign on our highways, so it certainly cost a bunch. The visit was purely political, so I hoped someone other than the government paid for hauling Bush's political team around.

Anyone rich enough to attend the event care to share any of the "speech" Bush made? Did he vamp on about DeWine or did he spew more trite propaganda?

Protesters were out in force, but kept at more than an arm's lenght.

Yea Umm?

Regular or Decafe?

Add your Open Thread goodness here:

West End Division

I would appear that things are getting a wee bit personal in the battle over CityLink. It is odd to want to ouster a community council president because he supports a project that for now won't happen. It sounds like personal conflict is made ripe from opportunity for action. Dale Mallory has enemies on the council, and they appear willing to act.