Abortion and politics (WARNING-may be offensive, gross, NSFW)

[fireheart17]

So I'm putting it here instead of in social woes as it's actually the campaign website for someone running for the senate in my state. This guy's webpage however, seems to focus on only one thing-he is VERY, VERY, VERY pro-life.
This is his website (NSFW for content, may be disturbing and/or offensive)

www.abortsa.com

(Also folks, please note I DID ask Raps's permission before I posted this)

What do you folks think? I should add as well as the guy's campaign posters (they're fairly common on various light and electric poles around the state until the election is over) are fairly disturbing. Makes me wish that the law in our state was that your face had to appear on them as well (I don't believe it is)....

[Nyoibo]

All the signs are giving me the shits at the moment, there's about 5 times as many of theirs than anyone else

[Vagabond]

Is he one of those people running just so he can get his pro-life message out?
If not, then I would think that you need more of a political platform than just "I'm pro-life".

[Wingates_Hellsing]

It's one step above 'the other guy's anti-life' and a dozen steps below acceptable.

Most elections end up boiling down to one hot-button issue, but it's not an excuse to start there. Makes me wish that we could have video ad signs with wireless opt-in/opt-out audio in which the recordings of debates between the two candidates are played back, edited for length without sacrificing brevity or sabotaging either side...

I'm gonna put in a call to google and sharper image, let's get on this

[Vagabond]

Mmmm... Vdeo Ad Signs, reminds me of movie 'Imposter' with Gary Sinise. The advertisements targeted towards the person, by examining their retinas.

[fireheart17]

Yes, his campaign seems to be centred around one issue. He's an independent, meaning that he's not aligned with any particular party. I'll provide a quick explanation of how the government system works in my state (it's identical at both state and federal level)

-There are electoral districts, which are represented by their Member of Parliament. Electoral districts are not the same as suburbs, some suburbs can have more than one electoral district.
-This MP in turn belongs to either a major political party (Liberal or Labor), a minor political party (Nationals, Greens or Gamers4Croydon-there are others) or an independent. They hold a seat in parliament.
-Come election time, people end up voting who their MP for their district will be.
-The winning party is the one who has the most "seats" in Parliament, that is, that when you eliminate the actual person you're electing, the party themselves hold that seat.

The actual voting system itself is VERY complicated. Best way I can explain it is that the person with the least votes is struck out and his/her votes are distributed among the other candidates (I don't know the system there). Then the number 2's are counted and so forth...something like that.

Getting back to the candidate in my original post, he is not the first person to have a single-view in politics. Nick Xenophon's original platform when he was elected in 1997 was centred around the abolishment of pokie machines. The big difference however was that the preferences from the microparties went to him after they themselves were struck from the race.

It sounds to me like this guy is leeching off of Family First's votes and hoping that somehow he'll be able to get through to Parliament through that. (Family First has similar views to his, however while they don't support abortion, they're not nearly as upfront about it)

[Nyoibo]

Not yet their not, but FF is starting to make more noise.

I'm thinking of going on a midnight raid and removing all the Abort.sa signs that are up, but I'm not sure how illegal it is to deface or remove the signs.

[elsporko]

One issue politicians are a dime a dozen. The only reason you are upset is because you disagree with him.


Going around ripping down his signs would be a pretty immature reaction. Basically its saying "I disagree with you so I'm going to make sure nobody else can hear your message"

[Wingates_Hellsing]

One issue politicians are a dime a dozen. The only reason you are upset is because you disagree with him.


Going around ripping down his signs would be a pretty immature reaction. Basically its saying "I disagree with you so I'm going to make sure nobody else can hear your message"

I'm pretty sure that we're annoyed with him because of his single-dimensionality AND the disagreement. That the second is present doesn't negate the validity of the first.

[Hobbs]

Not yet their not, but FF is starting to make more noise.

I'm thinking of going on a midnight raid and removing all the Abort.sa signs that are up, but I'm not sure how illegal it is to deface or remove the signs.

Technically it's private property and vandalism, not to mention a grave violation of civil rights and a blatant disruption of the democratic process.

That said, the statistical information is skewed. The largest category is 'mental health' which I assume means people with mental disorders. Apparently, they lump in economic and social circumstances. I don't get how the two mix.

[Nyoibo]

Actually all the signs are on public property, in fact these guys are the first and only people who have taken to stapling their posters to trees, that's never been done before..

[Wingates_Hellsing]

If it's a paid-for billboard or sign, it's private property that's been rented or bought, and therefore any alteration is vandalism. If it's been taped or stapled on public property then they have exactly as much right to put them there as anyone has of removing them. If they don't like it, they can post 'em again.

[elsporko]

Regardless of if its legal or not taking down a sign for a politican you disagree with is low. Its basically saying that you think your way of thinking is the only way that deserves to be heard. Even when I was in elementry school the kids running against each other for class officer had enough integrity to not pull down signs of their opponets.

[fireheart17]

Regardless of if its legal or not taking down a sign for a politican you disagree with is low. Its basically saying that you think your way of thinking is the only way that deserves to be heard. Even when I was in elementry school the kids running against each other for class officer had enough integrity to not pull down signs of their opponets.

Put it this way elsporko...

Having opinions is fine. I'm pro-choice.

If someone says to me "I believe abortion is murder" then I won't tell them that they're wrong. It's up to them. If a friend of mine was pregnant, I'd at least ask her to first consider if she can raise the child. If she thinks she can, then I won't stop her. That's her choice if she believes that abortion is murder.

In my case, I do have a friend that is pro-life, but she's said to me that if I do get an abortion, I won't lose her as a friend. We've both agreed that rape fetuses, fetuses with mothers who have legitimate medical problems and fetuses who themselves have legitimate medical problems are fine.

On the other hand, people who enter a field such as politics, simply for the purposes of pushing their intolerant agenda onto others, pisses me off. I'm aware that this can swing both ways, but I'm referring to basically racist, sexist or homophobic agendas.

[Boozy]

In my case, I do have a friend that is pro-life, but she's said to me that if I do get an abortion, I won't lose her as a friend. We've both agreed that rape fetuses, fetuses with mothers who have legitimate medical problems and fetuses who themselves have legitimate medical problems are fine.

Here's the problem with the pro-life movement in a nutshell.

If your friend truly believed that abortion was murder, she would not remain friends with you if you had one. Would you remain friends with a murderer?

And why would she make an exception for rape? If a woman delivers a baby that is the product of rape, is it okay in your friend's books for her to kill the baby at a later point? If one fetus = one baby, and abortion = murder, then what's the difference?

I am certain that your friend has other reasons for being anti-abortion, and it almost certainly has to do with controlling and punishing women for their sexual choices.