Some Things Just Baffle Me

I try to stay on top of current news but I’m not fanatical about it. I don’t always agree with mainstream media on either side of certain topics, but I do like to know what’s going on and how people feel about it. Some people have some VERY strong feelings about certain issues. That’s their right. Opinions are like noses; everyone has one.

I also usually steer clear of political “discussions,” mostly because everyone has their own opinion and nothing anybody says is going to change their mind anyway so what’s the point? Social media is the world’s biggest soap box and people use it to viciously scream their unhappiness on a regular basis. It doesn’t change anyone’s opinion. All it changes for me is my opinion of the mouthy, mean-spirited people who make the posts.

I have opinions about things and social issues just like everyone else and I’m not going to try to convince you in this post to change your opinion, nor do I want to open the door for a debate or scathing comments. I’m merely trying to point out some things that don’t make sense to me. Current issues that I feel strongly about – both ways.

Let’s start with the hot topic of gun laws. Lots of people want to ban guns. I’m on the fence on this issue. I don’t think ALL guns should be banned as I feel certain guns are necessary in certain situations. Also, the Constitution allows citizens to bear arms. That said, I’ve never understood why assault weapons are available to the general public. They have one purpose, and that purpose is not for anyone of the general public. Personally, I think those should be “banned.” I do believe that every single person has the right to defend themselves, their family, and their property. I also know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that guns do NOT kill. People kill. Period. I also firmly believe that criminals, or anyone with the intent on doing harm with a gun, will find a way to get one. Gun laws are for law abiding people with no criminal intentions.

Most folks who want to ban guns use the recent rash of school shootings as their rationale why guns should be banned. Gun violence in schools is certainly out of control and an issue that HAS to be addressed. I don’t know what the answer is, but it’s tragic for sure. According to my research, in 2021, 5,692 children under the age of 17 were killed OR INJURED as a result of gun violence. That includes gang and domestic related shootings and accidental shootings, not just school shootings. And that number includes children injured, so the number of children actually killed is going to be less than that.

Now, most of the people who are demanding strict gun laws, are the same people who are violently opposed to the recent decision by the Supreme Court regarding abortions. Women in particular are upset about “losing their rights.” It doesn’t matter that gun owners may lose their rights, but women cannot lose their rights. Hey, that’s how I read this. Rights are rights, you can’t pick and choose.

Anyway, let’s reason out that issue next. Should a woman have the right to terminate a pregnancy for any reason at all? Personally, I don’t think so. If you just made a mistake, failed to use birth control in the heat of the moment or a condom failed to do it’s job, or you’re just “not ready” to be a parent, I don’t believe you should just throw away the evidence of that lapse in judgment or “mistake,” when it comes to an unwanted pregnancy. If you don’t want to get bit by a shark, stay out of the ocean. There are tons of ways to prevent pregnancy and lots of viable more humane ways to give up a child if you don’t want one. Anyway, moving on.

Now, pregnancy from rape or incest? I don’t know. I’m on the fence on this one too. If the fetus has no chance of survival or being born without major defects or harm to the mother? Again, I don’t know. I’ve never been in that situation, so I have no idea what I’d do. I think, in some instances, abortion may be the only viable solution. Would I have one? I honestly don’t know. I feel pretty strongly that I’d trade my life for my child’s, but . . .

What I can tell you is that I believe a fetus, from the moment of conception is a living, breathing person. Just like people who are already born, that fetus continues to grow, mature, and develop. No one is going to convince me that an unborn baby is not a “real person.” Lots of people argue otherwise, even some doctors argue otherwise. It’s not a religion issue, it’s science.

Let’s consider this scenario:

A pregnant woman is driving to an abortion clinic to terminate her pregnancy. She arrives, the procedure is performed, she walks away with no consequences whatsoever. Yes, there are some risks involved to her personally, but as far as the LAW goes, she has committed no crime by essentially killing that baby.

Let’s say that same pregnant woman is driving to an abortion clinic and she is carjacked on the way. The carjacker stabs her multiple times, killing her and her unborn baby. That carjacker is now facing a double-murder charge. Why two? Because in this instance, that same unborn baby, in the eyes of the law, was murdered.

Which situation is right? Why is one instance of terminating a pregnancy acceptable with no consequences, while another is considered a crime punishable, in some instances, by death? Things like this make no sense to me.

Also, here’s another fun fact: According to the CDC in 2019 there were 625,346 abortions performed in the United States alone. I find that number ASTOUNDING. Which begs the question, is gun violence toward school children a bigger problem than loss of children’s lives via abortion? Gun violence affected 5,600 children. Abortions killed 625,000 children. If the gun-banners use the argument that we need stricter laws to protect our children – why are they fighting so hard for the right to kill their own unwanted ones? You can’t scream and bitch about one issue, while advocating for another. It just makes no sense to me.

And along these same lines, I see so many women screaming “my body my choice,” yet these same women were the ones DEMANDING that everyone get the covid vaccine. I totally agree with “my body my choice,” for everyone, not just women. It’s part of our constitutional freedoms. But a fetus is also a body and when a woman decides to end its life, that unborn’s right to say “my body my choice” has been denied. I guess a fetus has no rights. Unless, it’s murdered by someone other than it’s mother, then it has a right to compensation in the judicial system. And when everyone is forced to get a vaccination, they don’t necessarily want, their right to “my body my choice” is denied. It can’t be both ways. Don’t be demanding something of someone else that you’re not willing to accept yourself. Incidentally, the number of covid deaths in 2020 was about half of the number of abortions that same year, yet most pro-abortionists were fanatical that anti-vaxxers were responsible for so many deaths.

I don’t have answers to the world’s problems. In fact, maybe there is no ONE right answer. Maybe it always depends on something. And, I’m not here to judge anyone, I’m just pointing out inconsistencies with arguments I see being made on social media and on the news. Stuff that makes no sense. Is gun violence out of control? Absolutely! But 625,346 abortions a year is also out of control. You decide which is the bigger problem and use your voting rights to fix what you think needs fixing.

I welcome discussion but will absolutely ban you from my site if you are abusive to me or anyone else who visits. I am always open to differences of opinion so long as they are respectful.

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Word of the Day: Unary

Fun fact about me: I wish we could all just get along.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, July 2022. Images by Google and giphy.com.