kraychik

Why does the answer to this question matter?

No, an abortion is a termination of an unborn child/fetus, viable or otherwise. Not if the unborn child's been terminated.

I didn't say it was a scientifically determinable fact. I recognise the philosophical component of the question. All I'm saying is that any answer to the question of when life begins will likely have, at least in part, scientifically measurable criteria.

Late-term abortion is very real. Unborn children are still legally terminated in the later stages of pregnancy, and sometimes when the fetus is viable.

This post really reveals just how extreme your sickening leftist ideology is. By this standard, the government can justify virtually any social engineering program. Of course, you still sincerely believe that you're a pragmatic centrist.

But Wild Bill, what ever would we do without the experts?! Heaven forbid we actually make decisions for ourselves! Parents can't possibly be trusted with making decisions in the best interests of their children in a more decentralised environment where schools are actually held accountable for their performance! Life's too complicated to not have important decisions made for us by "experts"!

Here is Obama's base (the 47%?):

No, they can't. Perhaps reality is more important than ideas.

It sort of is, if you include scientifically measurable criteria as part of your philosophical premise.

The question of when life begins is entirely central to this debate. You trying to write it off as something tangential is ridiculous. That's also an important part of the debate, you're right. Although with the exception of non-consensual conceptions, the unborn is a product of a conscious choice between two persons. It's not a question I know the answer to. Bear in mind, that parents are "subjugated" (a ridiculous term you chose for shock value) until their children reach age of majority, until which they are obligated to provide and care for their children. So your argument of "subjugation", while important, isn't exclusive to the nine months of pregnancy.

Investigation to determine what, exactly?

It's also used as a false premise from which the government can justify further spending it can't afford in order to do the compassionate thing to assist people who, due to no fault of their own (remember that it's a disease, not a choice), suffer the consequences of addiction. It's the creeping of leftism into all facets of society. Homosexuality used to be recognised as a mental disorder, but now it's delisted from the DSM IV. Isn't "progress" beautiful? Eventually, independent thought will be viewed as a disease, like Winston Smith was "cured" in 1984 because he was "mentally deranged".

I understand that the broader issues involved when discussing "trite procedural topics" are lost on you. This is why you're so confounded all the time. You can't see the forest for the trees. You don't see what's at stake. I get that.

The links on the left side of the TDSB website you posted are frightening and packed with leftist ideology. All these Orwellian terms, like "anti-racism", "anti-classism", "gender equity", "social justice", which essentially all mean the opposite of their intended message. African, Asian, Jewish, and Islamic heritage? This "multicultural" policy sure is complicated! Whatever happened to Canadian heritage and history? Well, it doesn't exist in a post-national multicultural state. From the "Just Say Yes" campaign (a sickening message for kids): Just Say Yes is about having a positive attitude towards sexuality -- gay, straight,bisexual or whatever. It's about saying "yes" to sex you do want, and "no" to sex you don't. It says there's nothing wrong with you if you decide to have sex, and nothing wrong with you if you decide not to. You have the right to make your own choices, and to have people respect them. Sex is enjoyable when everyone involved is into it, and when everyone has the information they need to take care of themselves and each other. Unreal. But then, this is Toronto, essentially Canada's cultural San Francisco. Is there any doubt that if parents were given a voice in whether or not this type of attitude should be endorsed by the TDSB that they would overwhelmingly reject it? It's literally as if the TDSB administration is doing everything it can to destroy the minds of the next generation. Interested folks should check the glossary at the bottom of this link: Anti-Classism and Socio-Economic Equity The TDSB is literally using neo-Marxist ideology in its composition of curriculum. This is beyond sick.

I understand you're confused. It's hard for you to actually understand that there are conservatives in society like myself who don't want to transfer more of our individual sovereignty over to a bunch of social masterminds to direct our lives. Masterminds you describe as "experts". Some of us aren't so inept as to pine for our lives to be directed by a social conductor ("expert"). Right, you're so interested in honest and serious discussion that you think we shouldn't participate until we have sufficient educational "experts" to comment on the stupidity of a "no-zeroes" policy. Who knows, maybe there's someone with a Ph.D out there in "educational psychology" that supports such a destructive policy. What ever will we do then? At that point, as soon as someone with fake credentials comments on the matter, it's cased closed, right?

In other words, it seems that you finally do understand that the government cannot stimulate the economy through borrowing and spending. You're welcome.

I didn't want to have to bring up that obvious point. The entire argumentation from Michael Hardner and his leftist entourage is one massive strawman. Everyone here understands why he was terminated, but what only a few of us understand is that the policy the teacher violated was a ridiculous rule that harmed educational outcomes.

Right, and those Nazis that tried to assassinate Hitler were traitors, because they broke "the rules". The message here is clear: the "no zeroes" policy is ridiculous, and should be changed. Although considering Canada is packed with folks like Michael Hardner and bleeding heart, that's not likely to happen.

Things would be much better if more control was transferred to the parents over education. Consider voucher systems, which would empower parents and increase school accountability for student performance. Although this is somewhat tangential. It's just so funny what a caricature of a leftist you are, though. You refuse to actually think until an "expert" tells you what to think. Hilariously, it's the "experts" that probably initiated this ridiculous "no-zeroes" policy, masquerading the blatant stupidity with "expertise".

Of course, because you're more concerned with the leftist perspective "winning" than actually addressing the issue honestly. A "no-zeroes" policy is prima facie ridiculous. You must be another moderate centrist only concerned with pragmatic solutions like Michael Hardner.

Great idea, let's extend that to the workplace. If I don't show up to work, don't fulfil responsibilities, or otherwise fall short of what's expected of me, there should be a "no zero policy". Why? Because my failures at work may be the result of behavioural issues, or problems at home. What a great standard to expect of students. Wow. Unfortunately, people like you are formulating educational policies in our societies. This is exactly like soccer leagues for children no longer keeping score.

Hang on, let's confer with Michael Hardner to see if you have enough expertise to comment on this story. Before I listen to someone I need to see credentials.

Right, because one needs to be an "expert" to understand that removing accountability from students for their performance, and by extension the entire educational establishment, is a BAD thing.

Anti-Semitism has everything to do with it. And why do you think Jews were so strongly associated with money lending? It's because they were prohibited from participating in many other lines of work. So anti-Semitism not only precedes these events, it is the CAUSE of these events. Fast forward to the Israel-Arab conflict, and leftists like bleeding heart whose familiarity with this conflict begins and ends with CBC headlines parrot a false narrative of settlements being at the core of the conflict, despite the conflict starting almost a century earlier.

More acquiescence from the left to demands from Islamists to destroy freedom of speech and expression. In France, the socialist government tried to pressure a private newspaper not to publish cartoons depicting Muhamad. The French government subsequently shut down embassies and consulates in many Muslim majority countries out of fear of terrorism. FRENCH MAGAZINE EDITOR UNDER ARMED GUARD AFTER PUBLISHING MOHAMMED CARTOON Here are more calls for destruction of the first amendment from the usual suspects in Dearborn, Michigan, demanding a criminalisation of "defamation of religion", and we all know what that really means. ISLAMIC LEADERS IN DEARBORN MICH. PLAN RALLY TO SUPPORT SPEECH PROHIBITION The Obama administration is sympathetic to the same efforts being pushed via the UN, coming from the OiC. As per usual, this story was buried by the mainstream media in America just as the Muslim protest in the original post in Toronto was ignored by the majority of Canadian media outlets. Out of sight, out of mind. Religious Tolerance Resolution Backed by Obama Administration Aligns With Islamic Bloc’s Interests