M.J. Saulnier
Semi-Retired User
You've gotta keep in mind I'm very much a grey person, no decision or belief can be absolute without some level of inherent fault existing, except for the extreme cases like murder, rape, etc. I also have not followed some of these, or don't know enough about them to really comment..
Abortion: This is a grey area, lol. Personally, I don't condone the ending of a life not yet brought into the world, given the chance to find it's place, develop into an individual, but there's also some ethical complexities involved with a child coming into an unstable lifestyle of unpreparedness and incompetence. I think there could be alternatives to euthanization, of course, but it would involve placing these infants into a foster care program of sorts.
Gay Marriage/Gay Rights: I'm fine with it, it's about time we abandon bigotry and hatred, intolerance, and learn to accept that this is a thing, there is nothing wrong with it, and it's not going away.
Planned Parenthood: Don't know enough to really weigh in, but hey, they are trying to do something good. Their existence isn't trying to hurt anyone.
Religious Freedom Act: It's another grey area for me. I'd rather not speak on anything religious in nature.
Required Vaccination: Yes?
Trans Rights: Again, I'm fine with it. People's choices and rights have to respected. On a strictly personal level, it's insanely grey for me, not the rights parts, everyone should have rights, but some of the minor philosophical aspects of the whole thing.
Death Penalty: A life spent in isolation with other criminals is a fate far worse than death. It's a barbaric, outdated form of judicial revenge. Children are starving to death while cold-blooded criminals are eating 5 course meals before they are executed. Democracy at it's finest.
Obamacare: Look this Affordable Care Act has been surrounded in controversy from day 1. I don't know or care enough to even go 1 way or another. Bottom line, this sin't evil, it's not a stupid idea, it's trying to do what's right, offer more affordable, accessible health care to the average American. It's intentions are stop-on, the exact drawbacks I'm sure about, and I really don't care, I'm Canadian, we have great healthcare here. There are some drawbacks, mainly long waiting lists for major operations and treatment, but again, this happens because we want everyone to have access to free healthcare; it's a drawback to doing what's right, instead of having a system that is guaranteed to leave people suffering and going untreated.
Legalize Marijuana: Look, sad reality is, alcohol related accidents and cigarettes kill more people pr year, and cause more damage to society then marijuana EVER will. It's a natural substance with actual medical uses. I'd rather my nephews smoke a joint for anxiety than take nerve pills.
Minimum Wage: Minimum wage should accurately reflect the cost of living, or you have poverty, lol. My country is pretty good for minimum, but it varies from province to province and, in most places it still doesn't reflect the cost of living.
Higher Taxes on the Wealthy: Of course. Your taces should reflect your income. Pull your weight, tow the line. Why should a millionaire pay the same taxes as a janitor?
Lower Taxes on the Poor: Of course.
Welfare: I think it's good to have, but it's grossly abused and treated like a career.
Trans-Pacific Partnership: I really don't know enough, but I hear it's not good, not good at all long-term.
Puerto Rico Bailout: Again I don't know the specifics. But here's my general knowledge, common sense take on the whole thing.
Building Wall:
Look, this probably won't happen, and I sincerely hope it doesn't. What a symbolic step back that would be for humanity. Building walls to divide and segregate cultures is a barbaric tradition most of us thought we buried with Berlin.
Deportation: Extremely grey area. I think it depends on the circumstance.
Full Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants: Depends on the circumstance, but general speaking, it just doesn't feel right on principal, does it?
Diminish Student Loans: Yes, the cost of education is crazy-stupid, it should be FREE. This is an investment in your citizens, your labor force, the future of your country.
Common Core: Yes, educational standards should be in place.
Declare War on ISIS: Extremely grey area. Declare War yes, but the approach has be precise and proper. We go leveling cities and terrorizing civilians, it only gets worse. You can blame US pulling out of middle east as the catalyst for ISIS all you want, but the leveling of Baghdad and slaughter of thousands of civilians is the real catalyst for ISIS, at least on the ideology side.
Increase Military Spending: If it keeps us safe, go for it. I'm lucky enough to be Canadian though, my country isn't looking to go out hurting anyone. We'll use our assets more responsibly and ethically than the average country, and Canada does need more by way of military infrastructure.
Drone Usage: Grey area, I kinda support not asking more men and women to give live and limb for political agendas.
Guantanamo Bay Facility: Good 'ol GTMO. Look, I don't condone torture, especially when we are more of a threat to terrorists than they are to us.
Troops in Syria: This isn't a war you can shoot your way out of. It's a war of ideology more than it's a war of bullets and bombs. The more blood that's spilled, the longer and more intense this fire will burn.
Government Surveillance: It's sad we've come to this, but I support it. If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear.
Gun Control: As a Canadian, gun control is a must for very obvious reasons. US has horrible gun control, and extremely high gun violence statistics. Do the math, lol.
Iphone Encryption: What? Don't care, I use an android.
Reduce Campaign Finance: Not sure I understand. If you mean politicians should reduce their campaign finances, yes, absolutely. he amount of money they waste making empty promises and defacing each others characters is asinine.
Reduce Climate Change: Yes, we are destroying the planet we are, for now, forced to live on. This is a common sense issue. Governments are assisting corporations in committing long-term genocide in order to get rich in the short-term.
Reduce GMOs: It's a grey area I'm not fully up to speed on, but I know it involves heavy use of pesticide, however, we kind of need a way to increase food production in order to feed the world's ever-expanding population. I'd need to know much more about it.
Pardon Edward Snowden: Look, the guy had noble intentions, but this isn't a Hollywood movie... You break laws, you suffer the penalty. He knew what he was doing what was less than acceptable, and he did it anyway. Let him be a man and shoulder the burden.
Abortion: This is a grey area, lol. Personally, I don't condone the ending of a life not yet brought into the world, given the chance to find it's place, develop into an individual, but there's also some ethical complexities involved with a child coming into an unstable lifestyle of unpreparedness and incompetence. I think there could be alternatives to euthanization, of course, but it would involve placing these infants into a foster care program of sorts.
Gay Marriage/Gay Rights: I'm fine with it, it's about time we abandon bigotry and hatred, intolerance, and learn to accept that this is a thing, there is nothing wrong with it, and it's not going away.
Planned Parenthood: Don't know enough to really weigh in, but hey, they are trying to do something good. Their existence isn't trying to hurt anyone.
Religious Freedom Act: It's another grey area for me. I'd rather not speak on anything religious in nature.
Required Vaccination: Yes?
Trans Rights: Again, I'm fine with it. People's choices and rights have to respected. On a strictly personal level, it's insanely grey for me, not the rights parts, everyone should have rights, but some of the minor philosophical aspects of the whole thing.
Death Penalty: A life spent in isolation with other criminals is a fate far worse than death. It's a barbaric, outdated form of judicial revenge. Children are starving to death while cold-blooded criminals are eating 5 course meals before they are executed. Democracy at it's finest.
Obamacare: Look this Affordable Care Act has been surrounded in controversy from day 1. I don't know or care enough to even go 1 way or another. Bottom line, this sin't evil, it's not a stupid idea, it's trying to do what's right, offer more affordable, accessible health care to the average American. It's intentions are stop-on, the exact drawbacks I'm sure about, and I really don't care, I'm Canadian, we have great healthcare here. There are some drawbacks, mainly long waiting lists for major operations and treatment, but again, this happens because we want everyone to have access to free healthcare; it's a drawback to doing what's right, instead of having a system that is guaranteed to leave people suffering and going untreated.
Legalize Marijuana: Look, sad reality is, alcohol related accidents and cigarettes kill more people pr year, and cause more damage to society then marijuana EVER will. It's a natural substance with actual medical uses. I'd rather my nephews smoke a joint for anxiety than take nerve pills.
Minimum Wage: Minimum wage should accurately reflect the cost of living, or you have poverty, lol. My country is pretty good for minimum, but it varies from province to province and, in most places it still doesn't reflect the cost of living.
Higher Taxes on the Wealthy: Of course. Your taces should reflect your income. Pull your weight, tow the line. Why should a millionaire pay the same taxes as a janitor?
Lower Taxes on the Poor: Of course.
Welfare: I think it's good to have, but it's grossly abused and treated like a career.
Trans-Pacific Partnership: I really don't know enough, but I hear it's not good, not good at all long-term.
Puerto Rico Bailout: Again I don't know the specifics. But here's my general knowledge, common sense take on the whole thing.
- Why should American Tax payers have to bail out Puerto Rico?
- America has it's own problems.
- American tax money should be going into America. Feed the poor, shelter the homeless, shuffle your priorities.
Building Wall:
Look, this probably won't happen, and I sincerely hope it doesn't. What a symbolic step back that would be for humanity. Building walls to divide and segregate cultures is a barbaric tradition most of us thought we buried with Berlin.
Deportation: Extremely grey area. I think it depends on the circumstance.
Full Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants: Depends on the circumstance, but general speaking, it just doesn't feel right on principal, does it?
Diminish Student Loans: Yes, the cost of education is crazy-stupid, it should be FREE. This is an investment in your citizens, your labor force, the future of your country.
Common Core: Yes, educational standards should be in place.
Declare War on ISIS: Extremely grey area. Declare War yes, but the approach has be precise and proper. We go leveling cities and terrorizing civilians, it only gets worse. You can blame US pulling out of middle east as the catalyst for ISIS all you want, but the leveling of Baghdad and slaughter of thousands of civilians is the real catalyst for ISIS, at least on the ideology side.
Increase Military Spending: If it keeps us safe, go for it. I'm lucky enough to be Canadian though, my country isn't looking to go out hurting anyone. We'll use our assets more responsibly and ethically than the average country, and Canada does need more by way of military infrastructure.
Drone Usage: Grey area, I kinda support not asking more men and women to give live and limb for political agendas.
Guantanamo Bay Facility: Good 'ol GTMO. Look, I don't condone torture, especially when we are more of a threat to terrorists than they are to us.
Troops in Syria: This isn't a war you can shoot your way out of. It's a war of ideology more than it's a war of bullets and bombs. The more blood that's spilled, the longer and more intense this fire will burn.
Government Surveillance: It's sad we've come to this, but I support it. If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear.
Gun Control: As a Canadian, gun control is a must for very obvious reasons. US has horrible gun control, and extremely high gun violence statistics. Do the math, lol.
Iphone Encryption: What? Don't care, I use an android.
Reduce Campaign Finance: Not sure I understand. If you mean politicians should reduce their campaign finances, yes, absolutely. he amount of money they waste making empty promises and defacing each others characters is asinine.
Reduce Climate Change: Yes, we are destroying the planet we are, for now, forced to live on. This is a common sense issue. Governments are assisting corporations in committing long-term genocide in order to get rich in the short-term.
Reduce GMOs: It's a grey area I'm not fully up to speed on, but I know it involves heavy use of pesticide, however, we kind of need a way to increase food production in order to feed the world's ever-expanding population. I'd need to know much more about it.
Pardon Edward Snowden: Look, the guy had noble intentions, but this isn't a Hollywood movie... You break laws, you suffer the penalty. He knew what he was doing what was less than acceptable, and he did it anyway. Let him be a man and shoulder the burden.
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