***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[harlemtothebronx]

By dude copied and pasted the entire page

Almost as bad as

C

o

l

u

m

b

i

a

'

s

a
r

t

i

c

l

e

q

u

o

t

i

n

g

.

 

 

[handullz]

Yes, and I believe that this is a problem. That's my point.

10-4

I'm firmly in the camp that religion has curbed human advancement, so I'm agree with you.

 

[elpablo21]

 

C

o

l

u
 
m

b

i

a

'

s

a
r

t

i

c

l

e

q

u

o

t

i

n

g

.

 

Fam...

 

[hipstermike]

By dude copied and pasted the entire page

Snagit with the scrolling screenshot

 

[wavycrocket]

 

[ninjahood]

i was about the same.

some of the questions are interesting. like the one saying the only place for women is in the home. is strongly agreeing with that what makes you conservative in this country?

its connotation implied there is you rather da wife at home raising your children and managing da house while da man goes out and becomes da breadwinner.

it caters to da traditional nuclear family demographic, da question can also be misconstrued as sexist caveman lingo.

depends where your politics stand.

 

[Based Jesus]

By dude copied and pasted the entire page

Man is thorough 

 

[harlemtothebronx]

 

Yes, and I believe that this is a problem. That's my point.

10-4

I'm firmly in the camp that religion has curbed human advancement, so I'm agree with you.

My man. Down with the merging of religion and state.

 

 

[harlemtothebronx]

 

 i was about the same.

some of the questions are interesting. like the one saying the only place for women is in the home. is strongly agreeing with that what makes you conservative in this country?

its connotation implied there is you rather da wife at home raising your children and managing da house while da man goes out and becomes da breadwinner.

it caters to da traditional nuclear family demographic, da question can also be misconstrued as sexist caveman lingo.

depends where your politics stand.

The two can be conflated. It's a matter of opinion in how you interpret the question.

I don't think they're mutually exclusive, though. It could just be that some of the ideals at the time of this 'nuclear family' were dated, and aren't standards that most women would like to live by today.

So there's a difference between you asking me that question decades ago, or asking me that question in 2017, IMO.

 

[EddieDoyers]

i was about the same.

some of the questions are interesting. like the one saying the only place for women is in the home. is strongly agreeing with that what makes you conservative in this country?

its connotation implied there is you rather da wife at home raising your children and managing da house while da man goes out and becomes da breadwinner.

it caters to da traditional nuclear family demographic, da question can also be misconstrued as sexist caveman lingo.

depends where your politics stand.

I don't think modern day conservatism believes in that theology. If that was the case, there would be no conservative female business executives out there.

 

[RustyShackleford]

He is probably baiting watch the wind

 

[deleted]

That political compass test doesn't seem valid to me

Like those online iq tests

 

[harlemtothebronx]

I don't mind the wind too much, today. Feels good flowing through my hair.

 

[elpablo21]

Supreme Court to hear potentially landmark case on partisan gerrymandering

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...8f_story.html?utm_term=.1abd7be870d5#comments

 

[rolaholic]

[QUOTE url="[URL]https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-to-hear-potentially-landmark-case-on-partisan-gerrymandering/2017/06/19/d525237e-5435-11e7-b38e-35fd8e0c288f_story.html?utm_term=.1abd7be870d5#comments[/URL]"]
Supreme Court to hear potentially landmark case on partisan gerrymandering

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...8f_story.html?utm_term=.1abd7be870d5#comments

[/quote]

 

[Armada]

 

Supreme Court to hear potentially landmark case on partisan gerrymandering

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...8f_story.html?utm_term=.1abd7be870d5#comments

I'll save the Lebron "issa bout damn time" for the ruling 

 

[Belgium]

 

Almost as bad as

 

Thought I'd be more to the left given some of those questions

In my country I would describe myself as a right leaning centrist, as the right doesn't necessarily stand against certain social views I deem important such as eduction, healthcare, equal rights, social justice, ...

I have voted twice in national elections, once for our largest conservative party (my most recent vote), and once for a centrist left-leaning party, my first vote. The great thing about multi-party systems is you have a lot of choices and the parties often make drastic changes to keep up with a continuously evolving political landscape.

In US politics, progressive would probably be the most accurate description. I have to categorically exclude the GOP for numerous reasons. Biblethumping, trickle-down economics, healthcare, education, criminal justice, equal rights, racism, abortion, ...

The GOP's stance on any of those things is an immediate dealbreaker to me. 

 

[elpablo21]

He speaks! Have you ever heard Jared Kushner's voice before? Here you go. pic.twitter.com/QKElf1bynn
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 19, 2017

 

[RIP sleazyy]

[QUOTE url="[URL]https://t.co/QKElf1bynn[/URL]"]
He speaks! Have you ever heard Jared Kushner's voice before? Here you go. pic.twitter.com/QKElf1bynn
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 19, 2017

[/quote]


Dude sounds exactly how I expected him to

 

[ninjahood]

i was about the same.

some of the questions are interesting. like the one saying the only place for women is in the home. is strongly agreeing with that what makes you conservative in this country?

its connotation implied there is you rather da wife at home raising your children and managing da house while da man goes out and becomes da breadwinner.

it caters to da traditional nuclear family demographic, da question can also be misconstrued as sexist caveman lingo.

depends where your politics stand.

I don't think modern day conservatism believes in that theology. If that was the case, there would be no conservative female business executives out there.

you'd be surprised, most nuclear familes tend to be more conservative, and married women tend to be more conservative than their single women counterparts..

.then there's also da suburban/rural vs urban living arrangements than has ramifications in environmentalists policies of living in a gated community in a free standing home driving into work vs da more cosmopolitan urban lifestyle that intersect cultural & political leanings as well.

 

[Belgium]

@handullz, you mentioned you wanted more discussion earlier and I inquired about your views on an ongoing political debate but you haven't responded. With Betsy Devos in charge of the education department and history of being questioned on this particular topic I reckon the discussion is quite relevant.

What are your thoughts on this this ongoing debate? Should schools receiving federal funds be able to discriminate against students (LGBT, minorities, the disabled, ...) and what are your thoughts on Betsy Devos heading this department in light of her senate hearings?

Homosexuality is a tough subject for a lot of people. Whether republicans/conservative voters have a strong dislike for the LGBT community or not, they are at the very least ignorant of the GOP policies or ok with not granting equal rights to the LGBT community, as that is an explicit part of the republican platform and legislative goals. A dislike or lack of care about equal rights for the LGBT community has been the common sentiment of conservatives here, though most are banned now. 

In its initial form, the platform contained parts like describing LGBT protections from discrimination as "the government discriminating against businesses". As well as the usual "gays aren't natural", overturning gay marriage, the "destruction of the nuclear family due to homosexuality", ... etc.

I know they altered or removed several parts since then. But it's strongly anti-LGBT either way.

Republican lawmakers frequently translate these views into discriminatory legislation and they certainly don't shy away from controversial statements on that topic.

Education sec. Betsy Devos was recently grilled in a senate education budget on whether schools receiving federal funds should be able to discriminate against LGBT students. It was a simple yes or no question. She repeatedly refused to give a direct answer.

Indiana Christian school at center of LGBT voucher debate

The Lighthouse Christian Academy promises to provide an exemplary education, a caring atmosphere and service to God — but not for everyone. The school says in its admissions brochure that it reserves the right to deny admission to LGBT students because their lifestyle is prohibited by the Bible.

As the Trump administration seeks to expand school choice nationwide, the academy was thrust into the national spotlight last month as part of a heated debate over whether schools that receive money from taxpayer-funded vouchers can discriminate against certain groups of students, such as LGBT children or students with disabilities.

Lighthouse officials say they’ve never turned anyone away based on sexual orientation. But at a congressional hearing, Senate Democrats cited it as an example of a school that discriminates against LGBT students. A Lighthouse brochure says the Bible does not allow homosexual, bisexual or “any form of sexual immorality” and if a student’s “home life” violates biblical rules, the school can deny them admission or expel them.

Pressed on the issue, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, an ardent supporter of school choice, told the Senate committee that discrimination is wrong, but that it was up to Congress and the courts, not her department, to intervene.

Founded in the early 1990s by a tight-knit group of families who wanted an affordable Christian education for their children, the academy is now an academically successful K-12 school serving 300 children in the Bloomington area. About half receive vouchers to help pay an annual tuition that ranges from $4,500 to $6,000 depending on a student’s grade.

This year, Lighthouse received over $665,000 in state funds  to enroll 152 students.

DeVos and the Trump administration are strong proponents of giving states a greater role in education. Earlier this year, the administration rescinded former President Barack Obama’s guidance that instructed to schools to let students use school restrooms in accordance with the gender they identify with, not their sex at birth. The move sparked criticism from the civil rights community.

The administration is looking at taxpayer-funded vouchers as a way to expand school choice nationwide, but it has not yet come out with a specific plan on how to do it.

Indiana is one of 30 states that use public money for school choice programs, including vouchers, educational savings accounts and tax-credit scholarships. The District of Columbia has the country’s only federally funded voucher program. All told, some 450,000 students participate nationally.

In a study last year, Indiana University professor Suzanne Eckes found that none of the states with voucher programs prohibits discrimination against LGBT students.

Lighthouse defends its right to educate children according to its values, saying that Christians are state taxpayers, too, and should be allowed to fund institutions of their choice with their money.

“Parents are free to choose which school best comports with their religious convictions,” Brian Bailey, an attorney who is serving as the school’s spokesman, said in a statement. “For a real choice and thus real liberty to exist, the government may not impose its own orthodoxy and homogenize all schools to conform to politically correct attitudes and ideologies.”

Former Lighthouse student Mary Wegener, 24, says some of her classmates at the school were gay and received love and care. Bailey confirmed that the school did admit some students who were “tempted by same-sex intimacy,” saying “we teach our students to flee these sins.”

Wegener sees both sides of the story, but says a religious school cannot function contrary to its core beliefs.

“If they (Lighthouse) are going to be a Christian school, they can’t conform to everything else, because then that would be a private school that knocked out the Christian name.”

Carissa Dollar, 46, of Indianapolis, who has a transgender daughter, is unconvinced.

“I have a problem with public funds going to a private institution who then make decisions that would be discriminatory to any group,” Dollar said. “It’s wrong if an LGBT student, or even if someone in their family identifies on the LGBT spectrum, could be denied admission to the school.”

**** Komer, senior attorney with Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, said that federal law has protections against discrimination on the basis of race, national identity, sex and religion, but they do not extend to LGBT individuals.

“If the people who are grilling DeVos believe that sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity, then they should propose amendments to the statues that they have written and given her to enforce,” Komer said. “The Congress is supposed to write the law, the agency is supposed to administer what Congress has given them. And Congress hasn’t given it to them.”

Eckes, the Indiana University professor, said states must create protections to ensure that any benefit they create is available to all. She said that decades ago some private schools used their own interpretation of the Bible to exclude African-American students and federal protections were necessary to stop those practices.

“If you accept public money in the form of a voucher then you shouldn’t be able to discriminate whether it’s based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability or sexual orientation,” Eckes said. “If you agree to take that public money, then there are certain rules that you need to follow.”

Lindsey Burke, director of education policy studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, disagrees.

“Racism was based on identity and skin color and had no reasonable basis,” Burke said. “This is about whether a student, a family is going to live out their communal beliefs of the school that they have chosen to attend. These are intentional communities that are built upon a moral code that they have decided on.”

Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers’ union, said the Trump administration’s attempt to fund private schools takes away money from public schools, where discrimination is not allowed.

“Every child, every blessed child has the legal, civil and the human right to attend their public school, but no one can say that about a private school,” Eskelsen Garcia said. “Why would you get public dollars to a school that discriminates against students?”

Other than a few muslims I personally don't know any religious people under the age of 50. Religion is thankfully dying, though we never really had the evangelical biblethumping nutjob types around here. I went to a catholic elementary school and a catholic highschool. My catholic elementary school offered an alternative class for those who didn't want to partake in catholic class. Ironically it was called "ethics class", translated literally, but it ranged from learning about the various main religions, art, philosophy, ...

Every student thought the catholic class was bs and boring but they stuck with it for the communion gifts or because of their parents. The school was very much aware that nobody was actually christian. I never heard any anti-gay rhetoric from that school.

The same went for my highschool. Our religion class had slightly more focus on christianity but we also thoroughly learned about the other main religions/spiritual beliefs. Including hinduism and buddhism. Our teacher was a devout christian and made no effort to "convert" anyone, knowing that practically everyone saw organized religion as nonsense. The few gay students at our school were treated very well, some were even quite popular, and our religion teacher was supportive of equal rights. She strongly disagreed with the idea of creationism, the earth being 6000 years old, gays being "abominations", etc. She was also personally against abortion but has no problem with the pro-choice law.

Though I suppose that also has a lot to do with Belgium being a very early supporter of abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia, ... things like that. And religion has been on a steady decline for many years. Christianity anyway, Islam is still quite popular with our middle eastern population. Even in the late 90s the churches were already half empty in my area.

 

[Based Jesus]

 

 

He speaks! Have you ever heard Jared Kushner's voice before? Here you go. pic.twitter.com/QKElf1bynn
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 19, 2017

Dude sounds exactly how I expected him to

I expected him to be soft spoken but with some bass in his voice. He sounds like he's 14.

 

[EddieDoyers]

i was about the same.

some of the questions are interesting. like the one saying the only place for women is in the home. is strongly agreeing with that what makes you conservative in this country?

its connotation implied there is you rather da wife at home raising your children and managing da house while da man goes out and becomes da breadwinner.

it caters to da traditional nuclear family demographic, da question can also be misconstrued as sexist caveman lingo.

depends where your politics stand.

I don't think modern day conservatism believes in that theology. If that was the case, there would be no conservative female business executives out there.

you'd be surprised, most nuclear familes tend to be more conservative, and married women tend to be more conservative than their single women counterparts..

.then there's also da suburban/rural vs urban living arrangements than has ramifications in environmentalists policies of living in a gated community in a free standing home driving into work vs da more cosmopolitan urban lifestyle that intersect cultural & political leanings as well.

I understand that conservatives tend to believe in the formal family power structure (I have family members that are right wing), but if you ask the average conservative in this era the question "do you believe women should only have a role at home and not work", most of the time they would say no. However, when you start asking questions like "do you think a woman should work less and take care of the family more than the man" or "do you believe there's a gender wage gap", now that's when the answers get interesting.

 

[aepps20]

 

[EddieDoyers]