And so the debate continued in my neighborhood email discussion list.

Randy was first to reply

Sarah, once again you haven’t a clue when you say McCain picked Palin based on looks, please check her record of performance in Alaska. Yes, it is short, but Joe Biden , are you kidding me ? I bet all 6 of the Democrats in Homestead are suicidal that Hillary is not on the ticket.


Then fellow liberal Democrat Erin said
I am sorry you are getting beat up about this ... Wow! People feel safe behind their computers. Please don't stop sending emails, you both are a wonderful voice of reason among these crazy conservatives.

And, I agree that the Senate Bill 1738 is an incredible piece of work. Randy ... Seriously! I did not want Hillary on the ticket, and I know more then 6 people in the neighborhood that agreed with me.

And, Palin ... What can I send you to make you realize that she has done NOTHING to be qualified to be VP? I won't waste my time if you won't look at it. I have done too much research to be told McCain did not pick Palin for any reason then she is a woman. He did.

I promise not to throw eggs at your house because I like you, and I would hate to get the Hawkeye flag dirty. :)


Tom wrote in
Just food for thought. Many crimes (or things that are considered to be crimes) are determined based on Judeo-Christian moral principles. Examples are theft and murder. Both are acts that are covered in the Ten Commandments.

In the absence of a moral code, how do you decide what should be a criminal act? Is the government the correct entity to legislate what constitutes criminal acts?


Then Deborah butted in with
No, we're not. Sorry, but Obama is a much better choice. (And I bet there are more than 6 democrats in this neighborhood - many of them are just unwilling to say anything because they don't much like the tone that they get in response.)

For those who oppose abortion, why are you not supporting more safe sex education? Abstinence only education leads to an increase in teen pregnancy rates (and therefore, presumably, in abortions). We should also be supporting adoption, which never seems to come up as much as it should when we're discussing abortion. Given that abortion foes never seem to discuss the practical options to trying to lower the abortion rate, I think the abortion discussion is actually a front for a "Christian values" discussion, which gets us into a whole 'nother problem (re separation of Church and State). (There- now I've opened a can of worms, haven't I? Are we ready for that discussion? :-))


Pro McCain John jumped in saying
If you really think that supporting adoption will reduce abortions then you should vote for McCain. The Bush tax cuts also provided for a tax credit up to $10,000 to reimburse adoptive families for the cost of adopting a child. That's a tax credit, not a tax deduction. It is a dollar for dollar offset for the very expensive proposition of adopting a child.

Previously this credit was $2,500. Since the tax credit is indexed against the Consumer Price Index it is now above $10,000. For those of concerned about helping the rich, relax. The tax credit phases out above certain levels of income so that at about $175,000 of AGI there is no longer a tax credit available.

Unless he has changed his position, again, Obama wants to reverse all of the Bush tax code changes. So this tax credit that helps families adopt children will be reduced significantly.

Even if you don't feel adoptions help prevent abortions you should be concerned about any president who wants to eliminate a federal program that helps parents who want children to adopt children who need a family.


David agreed with John saying
Well stated. The only problem is that you use logic. Obama wants to appeal to your emotions, he really doesn't want you to think objectively. Meanwhile, McCain is the logical "choice".


Then discussions wandered off into topics of adoption vs abortions where working mother Sunnye came in with
My beliefs on abortion are just that, MY beliefs and I want to keep them that way. So my main concern with voting for a conservative presidential candidate is his ability to choose a supreme court justice and how that person's vote will affect our personal choices.

To quote wikipedia "while justices do not represent or receive official endorsements from political parties, as is accepted practice in the legislative and executive branches, jurists are informally categorized in legal and political circles as being judicial conservatives, moderates, or liberals. Such leanings, however, refer to legal outlook rather than a political or legislative one.

Seven of the current justices of the court were appointed by Republican presidents, while two were appointed by a Democratic president. It is popularly accepted that Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito compose the Court's conservative wing. Justices Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer are generally thought of as the Court's liberal wing.[14] Justice Kennedy, generally thought of as a conservative who "occasionally vote[s] with the liberals", is considered most likely to be the swing vote that determines the outcome of certain close cases.[15]"

I worked in Wisconsin as a social worker during their welfare reform. And yes there were some who had more kids, moved across state lines, in order to receive a bigger handout. But those are not the majority. Not everyone is as fortunate as we are to live and raise our children in such a wonderful community. Everyone does not stand on the same playing field.

I also worked for less than a week as a social worker in a private adoption attorney's office here in Dallas. I was sick to my stomach over the common practices I was told only after I accepted the position. Domestic adoption is a business. It's not about helping families connect with babies in need of homes. And unless you are a celebrity and can spend months and thousands of dollars abroad, international adoption is not a truly viable option either.

Instead of looking forward to the implosion of either party, we should be looking for real solutions to the problems of our country and communities. And yes, I am willing to raise my hand as a neighborhood Democrat who is very sad Hillary is not on the ticket.


It's interesting to me that all of the Democrats in this discussion came from women. And the Republicans were mostly men, with a few women. Of my mom friends, those who oppose Obama do so more on pro-life grounds than any other reason. I like several things about Obama, including his pro-choice leaning. I also like the idea of requiring health insurance, I like his plan to refocus military efforts on Afghanistan, I like his vice presidential choice, I like his directness when speaking, and I like his tax proposal, among other issues.

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