Republican convention

[qui_est_ce]

But, you DO have a midwestern accent, just as they have a New England accent (chowda, pak the cah) and I a New York accent (I’m always getting “I can tell you’re from New York City…”)

Well, they didn’t say that to me in Philadelphia or Cincinnati.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

To be honest, I had lived in St. Louis most of my life and I had never met anyone who was pro-choice, so I was myopic too. I have also lived in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. There are HUGE pro-life programs in both those cities, as well as in St. Louis.

The pro-life programs in the Boston diocese aren’t shabby, either.

 

[bellasbane]

In essence, I support the opposition to all abortion. However, I am very concerned that poorly-informed politicians on both sides DO NOT have the expertise or understanding of basic health issues (Akins certainly demonstrated that) to decide what does or does not qualify as abortion in the case of risk to a woman’s life.

This is precisely the problem.

A procedure that is necessary to protect the life of the mother may very well infringe upon the life of the child. The Catholic Church does not view this as abortion. However, the GOP platform does not make this distinction and as worded would criminalize these types of medical interventions.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

Well, they didn’t say that to me in Philadelphia or Cincinnati.

Cincinnatians are midwesterners themselves, so how could they tell that you have an accent? I guess you didn’t live in south Philly - they have an accent, too.

There’s nothing wrong with an accent. I’m proud to be identified as someone from the Big Apple and better still as a guy from Brooklyn.

 

[ProVobis]

I think it’s a good plank, although there probably aren’t too many Republican politicians in Illinois who will embrace it.

 

[qui_est_ce]

Cincinnatians are midwesterners themselves, so how could they tell that you have an accent? I guess you didn’t live in south Philly - they have an accent, too.

There’s nothing wrong with an accent. I’m proud to be identified as someone from the Big Apple and better still as a guy from Brooklyn.

You missed my point. And no, I did not live in South Phlly. I would have been an outsider there too!

 

[qui_est_ce]

This is precisely the problem.

A procedure that is necessary to protect the life of the mother may very well infringe upon the life of the child. The Catholic Church does not view this as abortion. However, the GOP platform does not make this distinction and as worded would criminalize these types of medical interventions.

The plank is not good enough for you, so it’s okay to vote for Obama.

 

[bellasbane]

Bella, you are from Massachusetts. I used to live there. People in Mass. tend to be very myopic. Here are some of the things said to me:

You have an accent (they pronounce my daughter’s name as Anner, but it is spelled Anna).

I didn’t know there was fall color in Missouri

Go back where you came from

and a bumper sticker “Native Plymouthian, an endangered species”

I found most of my husband’s relatives and friends in Mass. to be pro-choice even though they were Catholic. I was shocked that at family gatherings they would say things like “Of course everybody is pro-choice.” In those days I was not comfortable speaking up. To be honest, I had lived in St. Louis most of my life and I had never met anyone who was pro-choice, so I was myopic too. I have also lived in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. There are HUGE pro-life programs in both those cities, as well as in St. Louis.

I have only lived in Massachusetts for the last 10 years - before that I lived in Wisconsin and New York.

There are a lot of Catholics in Massachusetts and I don’t know any who believe abortion should be legal in all circumstances. Most would support an exception for treatments aimed to save the life of the mother.

I am sorry you received such an unwelcoming reception from some people. You get meanies wherever you go. Once I was refused service at a gas station in Wyoming because the proprietor thought I was Mexican. I guess he had not met many Italians!

 

[qui_est_ce]

I have only lived in Massachusetts for the last 10 years - before that I lived in Wisconsin and New York.

There are a lot of Catholics in Massachusetts and I don’t know any who believe abortion should be legal in all circumstances. Most would support an exception for treatments aimed to save the life of the mother.

I am sorry you received such an unwelcoming reception from some people. You get meanies wherever you go. Once I was refused service at a gas station in Wyoming because the proprietor thought I was Mexican. I guess he had not met many Italians!

I admit I was struck by the many dark people in Mass. A lot of Portuguese too. My ex’s family was off the boat Sicilian. He was often mistaken as an Arab.

 

[scipio337]

I admit I was struck by the many dark people in Mass. A lot of Portuguese too. My ex’s family was off the boat Sicilian. He was often mistaken as an Arab.

I’m 2nd generation Sicilian with both parents fresh off the boat. Your husband and I might know some of the same people, or even be related.

Most assume I’m Greek (mother from Agrigento, large Greek population) or Arab before they guess Italian (or Sicilian).

But to the topic at hand, I’m guessing that the cases where very life of the mother is threatened is far more rarer than the “abortion for…you name it!” platform of Democrat party.

 

[qui_est_ce]

I’m 2nd generation Sicilian with both parents fresh off the boat. Your husband and I might know some of the same people, or even be related.

Most assume I’m Greek (mother from Agrigento, large Greek population) or Arab before they guess Italian (or Sicilian).
.

PM me, my (ex)husband has a Greek last name

 

[bellasbane]

I admit I was struck by the many dark people in Mass. A lot of Portuguese too. My ex’s family was off the boat Sicilian. He was often mistaken as an Arab.

I was surprised at all the Portuguese here as well - my assumption had been that all the Catholics were either Irish or Italian.

This coming election is going to be a critical one for Massachusetts. We not only have the presidential election, but there is the senate race (both candidates are pro-choice) and a ballot initiative to allow assisted suicide.

It will be interesting to see how Catholics here vote.

 

[qui_est_ce]

I was surprised at all the Portuguese here as well - my assumption had been that all the Catholics were either Irish or Italian.

This coming election is going to be a critical one for Massachusetts. We not only have the presidential election, but there is the senate race (both candidates are pro-choice) and a** ballot initiative to allow assisted suicide.
**
It will be interesting to see how Catholics here vote.

That’s just awful. I did not know that Scott Brown was pro-choice.

 

[MJE]

I keep hoping the Democrat’s platform will address fetal pain and the need to anesthetize
the unborn child prior to the painful procedure.
Or maybe the Republican’s should suggest that for their platform?

 

[bellasbane]

That’s just awful. I did not know that Scott Brown was pro-choice.

Then you didn’t read through the whole article linked to in the OP.

But Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who is defending his seat against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren, called the no-exceptions abortion ban a “mistake” in a letter to Priebus, saying it “fails to recognize the views of pro-choice Republicans like myself.”

“Even while I am pro-choice, I respect those who have a different opinion on this very difficult and sensitive issue,” Brown wrote. “Our party platform should make the same concession to those of us who believe in a woman’s right to choose."

That’s Massachusetts politics for you.

I will vote against the ballot initiative and hope that my fellow Catholics will do the same.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

I’m 2nd generation Sicilian with both parents fresh off the boat.

Great! My wife is Sicilian-American, and doesn’t speak Italian. Her father was born in Sicily, her mother in Brooklyn. Though born here, my wife didn’t learn how to speak English until she was in parochial school.

Parra sicilianu? Un parru italianu, ma capisciu un poco in sicilianu.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

I admit I was struck by the many dark people in Mass. A lot of Portuguese too. My ex’s family was off the boat Sicilian. He was often mistaken as an Arab.

Your good-looking son is also swarthy.

 

[Corki]

This is precisely the problem.

A procedure that is necessary to protect the life of the mother may very well infringe upon the life of the child. The Catholic Church does not view this as abortion. However, the GOP platform does not make this distinction and as worded would criminalize these types of medical interventions.

A platform plank is not a law, let alone the procedural material that would go along with a law. There is no need for a party platform to go into that level of specificity. The plank does not, and should not, address the implementation issues.

The same goes for the opposite. If you had a party plank proclaiming the right to abortion, you wouldn’t expect to see issues such as parental consent, going accross state lines or even viabilty to be addressed. Those are not convention considerations, they are legislative ones.

This party plank expresses an overarching goal - to protect all human life, and to extend that protection to the unborn. Any questions about specific procedures or distinctions won’t be at the GOP party level. This is a valid discussion to engage when legislation is actually being considered.

 

[sedonaman]

… endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.” …

Why only the Fourteenth Amendment? While recognizing that some do not apply, why not the rest?

 

[scipio337]

Great! My wife is Sicilian-American, and doesn’t speak Italian. Her father was born in Sicily, her mother in Brooklyn. Though born here, my wife didn’t learn how to speak English until she was in parochial school.

Parra sicilianu? Un parru italianu, ma capisciu un poco in sicilianu.

No. Parlo poco Italiano. Madre non parla nella nostra casa.

But I do know some choice Sicillian curses!