Jrs1991 wrote :

This is a really funny comment i saw in a youtube video: "Donald Trump in one day made more fat woman go for a walk than Michelle Obama in 8 years. What a great leader he is!".

I thought that was pretty hilarious (and kind of true).

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I died laughing when I heard that, but Downtown Seattle came to a standstill with all the protest armies merging around the same time. I was able to get a ride home when all the bus service ground to a halt.

Sam Harris is a man I share very little with in terms of political, religious, and personal views. But in this video he pretty much nails the reasons why the Hildebeast lost the election:

Really? The protesters don't have a reason to march? They are just "bored" and decided to take a walk at the same time, on multiple continents, on the same day just by coincidence. That dismissive attitude is why they are protesting. Women have issues that are exclusive to them, their reproductive rights, and the health of their bodies, but lawmakers who don't have a basic understanding of the female body are able to pass legislation to cut funding for their health resources. Trump's pick for the Supreme Court could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade, which would punish women and not give them a choice over their bodies. You don't see the issue, but that doesn't mean they don't have one.

I doubt you guys spend money on tampons, pads, and hormonal birth control for yourselves every month, but women do.  Does that mean feminine hygiene isn't an issue just because men don't have to buy those things?  No.
Would I get a better understanding of the price, purpose, and actual use of those products by asking a man, or a woman?
Maybe I'm weird, but I'd say a woman knows better about their own bodies than a man.  Now, imagine that man is like Trump and he wants to cut funding to free clinics and Planned Parenthood. He doesn't even need to set foot in one, know what it is or what they do, or know anything but the name. Is that good politics? Is that good for women who rely on them? What are the potential ripple effects that would cause? Can you say in good faith that Trump would actually do the appropriate research and verify facts before signing a bill into law or even tweeting something?
That is why women are protesting.

Trump's vitriol toward women during the campaign, amongst other groups, does not give women hope that they will have their issues addressed fairly, or at all. If any politician could pass legislation to strip away the bodily rights of women, it would be him. He flip-flops, lies, and lies about lying, but we're just supposed to trust him blindly? "Nothing we can do folks, he's in charge."  Women are protesting because the First Amendment of the Constitution allows them to exercise that right.
Even Trump himself called for protests and a march to Washington during Obama's second inauguration.  It's hilariously ironic that people are using his words against him. But he proved his words don't mean anything, his actions don't mean anything, and yet he somehow convinced a lot of his supporters that everyone is lying but him. That is dangerous for everyone.  What if a bill he signs into law causes problems?  Who will he shift the blame?  Will he just say he never signed it and backpedal? I would not put that kind of act past him.  He tried to weasel around during the election by saying it was rigged in case he lost, but he won. He is the President and has to be held accountable for his actions and words now. He can't pass the buck anymore, it has to stop here.

No one wants the country to fail, but he is the most disliked President for a reason. He earned this reaction during his campaign through his own actions. People are not happy.  If women weren't protesting, people would say they didn't have any issues. Now that they are protesting, people dismiss and ignore their issues. What exactly do you want women to do?

Ajimbo wrote :

Really? The protesters don't have a reason to march? They are just "bored" and decided to take a walk at the same time, on multiple continents, on the same day just by coincidence. That dismissive attitude is why they are protesting. Women have issues that are exclusive to them, their reproductive rights, and the health of their bodies, but lawmakers who don't have a basic understanding of the female body are able to pass legislation to cut funding for their health resources. Trump's pick for the Supreme Court could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade, which would punish women and not give them a choice over their bodies. You don't see the issue, but that doesn't mean they don't have one.

I doubt you guys spend money on tampons, pads, and hormonal birth control for yourselves every month, but women do.  Does that mean feminine hygiene isn't an issue just because men don't have to buy those things?  No.
Would I get a better understanding of the price, purpose, and actual use of those products by asking a man, or a woman?
Maybe I'm weird, but I'd say a woman knows better about their own bodies than a man.  Now, imagine that man is like Trump and he wants to cut funding to free clinics and Planned Parenthood. He doesn't even need to set foot in one, know what it is or what they do, or know anything but the name. Is that good politics? Is that good for women who rely on them? What are the potential ripple effects that would cause? Can you say in good faith that Trump would actually do the appropriate research and verify facts before signing a bill into law or even tweeting something?
That is why women are protesting.

Trump's vitriol toward women during the campaign, amongst other groups, does not give women hope that they will have their issues addressed fairly, or at all. If any politician could pass legislation to strip away the bodily rights of women, it would be him. He flip-flops, lies, and lies about lying, but we're just supposed to trust him blindly? "Nothing we can do folks, he's in charge."  Women are protesting because the First Amendment of the Constitution allows them to exercise that right.
Even Trump himself called for protests and a march to Washington during Obama's second inauguration.  It's hilariously ironic that people are using his words against him. But he proved his words don't mean anything, his actions don't mean anything, and yet he somehow convinced a lot of his supporters that everyone is lying but him. That is dangerous for everyone.  What if a bill he signs into law causes problems?  Who will he shift the blame?  Will he just say he never signed it and backpedal? I would not put that kind of act past him.  He tried to weasel around during the election by saying it was rigged in case he lost, but he won. He is the President and has to be held accountable for his actions and words now. He can't pass the buck anymore, it has to stop here.

No one wants the country to fail, but he is the most disliked President for a reason. He earned this reaction during his campaign through his own actions. People are not happy.  If women weren't protesting, people would say they didn't have any issues. Now that they are protesting, people dismiss and ignore their issues. What exactly do you want women to do?


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Thank you. That is pretty much the point I've been trying to get across.

I still find Magic's comment about how all the women protesters are "bored" to be very facepalm worthy. When you think there's no issue women are fighting against just because you're not in their shoes, that's the type of attitude that really divides us apart. By gender, race, religion, etc. Plus, like I said in my original post about the women's march, this is just a first step. There's other things to fight against Trump based upon his own actions. For instance, he doesn't believe in global warming, which is the biggest ecological threat that will happen if the action is not taken. He hired climate skeptic as the head of the EPA, which is could be an ecological disaster. Even more evident, the climate change webpage is taken down on the White House website. Fighting for climate change is another thing that needs to be done while Trump is president.

It's clear that Trump doesn't care about anyone but himself, which is why we need to keep fighting while Trump is around. Not to tell them "Oh, Trump is president, just get over it".

These women really are nothing more then a group of paranoid, uneducated lunatics. They have every right to protest, but what their grounds for their protest is full of shit.

I know it's nothing new. However, this is an immediate and relevant issue for women right NOW. Trump signed the "Mexico City Policy" hours ago. Women WILL be impacted by this in poor and developing countries. That was just in the first few days of his administration. Women are protesting because he could do more things like this in America for the next 4 years, at least. And you and I would still not be impacted by it directly.

A propane business owner is a job you choose to do, and I would assume it is a comparatively niche market.  I'll admit that don't know about that business, but I'm sure it is impacted by safety regulations, market trends, taxes, permits, supply and demand, etc..  I also assume propane laws aren't as controversial, don't impact that many people, and are based on safety standards regarding inflammable materials and potential explosive risk/danger among other things. That hardly seems like an accurate comparison to living, breathing women.  I suppose propane business owners could protest if they felt they needed to, but that is not the issue here today.

I'm talking about 50% of the population that would potentially be impacted by these laws. Women don't choose their bodies, it isn't a job that needs regulating, and not every pregnancy is planned or made with love and sunshine with two loving parents and a white picket fence.  It is unfortunate, but a full and happy life has never been guaranteed to every egg cell that gets fertilized.  Miscarriages, complications, stress and trauma, and abortion all happen and they will still happen even if you cut funding for services that provide reproductive health and education for women.  That will just harm the life of the woman more. It is a women's health issue, both for their bodies and their minds. 
Calling them "murderers" does nothing but harm women.  Korean War veterans were called "baby-killers" and were hated by the country they served when they came home from war and suffered from high rates of PTSD, depression, chemical dependence, and suicide.  Those labels are a problem because instead of giving them love and understanding relationships to recover, they are alienated from their own friends and family.  What do the family members get out of those judgemental glares, mutterings of "murderer" under their breath, and continued reminders of how THEY were the ones "robbed"?  Anger, disgust, resentment? Those feelings solve nothing, can lead women to isolate themselves, turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, and engage in self-harm.  Those scenarios place an undue burden on the women and are entirely avoidable if they have understanding supportive relationships. It only takes one time for a suicidal person to be successful in order for it to be too late to help.  I have personally intervened when a woman was suicidal after she became pregnant after she was raped while unconscious. She weighed every option she had available by law, and it was easier in her mind to end it all than go through any more torment from friends, family, and the rapist for 18+ years to life.  Cracking down on laws restricting her would have made the decision that much easier for her, and I might not have saved HER life. The life in front of me mattered, and I would never de-value her life out of negativity and resentment.  Those women need support.

I understand you have personal feelings about this issue, as well, but I do not agree with you on this.  And it should not be up to just men to pass judgment on women, either legally or emotionally.  I'm not going to push this issue any further, but I want you to understand this isn't a black and white issue and it is not taken lightly. 
I was trained on how to handle people with mental health issues when I was getting my graduate degree, and I used my knowledge to save a life.  It is unfortunate that you lost someone, and I'm sorry.


You said you didn't get why they were protesting, so I provided some reasons.  You said one was always an issue, but compared human rights to propane laws.  And the other issue is automatically negated and untouchable due to your personal experience.
It is already against the law to use tax dollars to perform abortions in America, but you want the entirety of Planned Parenthood gone because you choose not to see the other services they provide. Yeah, I'm sure that won't have any negative consequences whatsoever...

Women are marching for their voices to be heard. They just need to march their way to the polls at each local election if they want their votes to be heard. 
Get someone to speak for propane if you feel you have a valid complaint.

Ajimbo wrote :

I know it's nothing new. However...

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Essentially I'm saying I agree with you, but nothing is going to change that fact. This is the way it's been done for two centuries. All one can do is vote for the representative that least offends them. Whether it's your stance on abortion, or your stance on regulatory reforms, the solution is the same... albeit not a perfect one.

Ajimbo wrote :
Calling them "murderers" does nothing but harm women... Those women need support.

I understand you have personal feelings about this issue, as well, but I do not agree with you on this.
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I don't expect you to agree with me. 

I'm sure each person in the marches had their own reasons they felt were valid. My question was more of a response to the idea that somehow rights were going to be taken away from people. I wanted to know what rights specifically were people fearful would be taken from them. I would like someone to point to the specific text in either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights that was going to be trampled upon.

No, I would not weep at the demise of any corrupt organization, but there are always going to be innocent casualties when that happens. I pointed out that thankfully for those affected there would be other organizations that are not corrupt and also not siphoning off tax money.

As for your other point... yes, these women do need support. And they need to be open and able to seek it FROM BOTH POINTS OF VIEW before making a decision as life changing as the killing of the unborn child. But all too often the support they get is from a total stranger who is more of an enabler than a counselor. Because abortion is so politically charged, nobody in a position to help at these clinics is willing to lay out the full breadth of consequences, especially following the procedure. Because if they did, far fewer women would choose that route. What potentially lies down that path is much more devastating than the alternative, which is not without it's own difficulties.

My sister was not perfect by any means. But there was potential for better things for her. But everything she became can be traced back to her decision to have an abortion. Drugs, alcohol, self-harming, promiscuity, an inability to do anything to help better herself. She made it clear that she was against any woman having that done to them. She wanted it banned completely. She died of an overdose, still believing in that.

So yes... I have personal experience with this issue. I also have been down the road of adoption. I know how difficult and expensive that is. And yet there are so many parents that will do about anything for a child of their own. By letting the unborn child live and at least have a shot at a life with one of these families, and stripping away some of the expense and red tape that prohibits so many other families from attempting it, a great deal of pain and suffering can be avoided.

But you won't hear that at a PP. You want to talk about negative consequences... there you go. 

I would say that most of us come here to escape daily monotony. We represent a wide variety of opinions and beliefs., not all are shared. But we all love retro daze. A polarizing thread like this is likely to incite inflammatory statements that may alienate or offend our members. At the risk of losing our friends' participation from this site or bitterness towards one another. We all comefrom different walks of life and will have varying opinions. I suggest we keep it to the thing we have in common, retro daze.