Hundreds Join Women's March in Downtown Santa Barbara

ALEX - I agree it's hopeless with some here, but I try to hold out hope for others like CHIP, who can actually have a discussion without running away or deflecting. Voice is getting closer each day to the hopeless group though.

Honestly, I know I comment a LOT here and I get plenty of crap for doing so, but for me, it's a way to keep my mind alert as I'm getting older. I actually enjoy researching issues I didn't know about and going back and forth, to an extent. The constant "hate, insults and condescension" spewed from many here though, becomes exhausting. Funny thing is, despite the repeated claims that only us lefties do it, it goes both ways. FOND, COAST, SBLOCAL, all are proficient at proving that claim false on a daily basis.

SacJon, you’re more optimistic than I. I just come here for two things—fire updates when there are fires and to talk sh—I mean talk “trash” to self righteous morons. There’s almost zero real debate here, I gave up on that a while ago.

"Many of your comments include questions, which require responses. You ask for "proof" when someone provides an opinion. You ask for clarifications. " - Yup, that's how a dialogue/argument/discussion/debate works.

If you put forth a claim as fact, I expect (as any grown adult would) you to provide some evidence backing that claim. If we devolve into simply blabbering out statements as "facts," then what's the purpose of having comments? That's what separates us from Facebook or other word vacuums. I love Edhat for this reason - it's a group of (generally) mature and intelligent adults engaging in discussions and yes, sometimes arguments. It's a forum for those who wish to keep wits sharp, learn new things, discuss relevant local issues and even national/global issue when appropriate. Why should we be satisfied with baseless statements being tossed around without accountability? There's plenty of places for that on the internet, but not here.

"did not receive the answer they want" - Lol. No. That's like me asking, "What time is it?" and then someone responding, "Obama doesn't like day light savings." That's not an "answer" to the question. So, how can I "not like the answer" when the response isn't related to the question?

BABY - You're right. I too often allow VOICE to drag me into an endless back and forth. I've yet get an answer to any question posed to him at any time in the history of this website, so yes, my bad for not being the adult.

I look forward to you giving him the same lecture. It's definitely not a 1 way street here.

What's funny to me is the commenters on either side of the political aisle are blaming one another for the same things. It's hard for me to take what you say seriously Baby given what you've posted on this forum. This is a community website designed for dialogue and discussion. We're all allowed to have our opinions, and others are allowed to have their response to those opinions, and so on and so on. So complaining that someone had a response you didn't like is moot. Jon is not in charge of edhat, he's not the one who "allows" other opinions, he's merely responding to them. Just as you, and voice, and Alex, and basic, and all the other "loud voices" on edhat.

SacJon: There's not enough time in a day, or lifetime for that matter, to provide answers to all of the questions put forward. At some point one would have to realize that when they ask/ask/ask "ad nauseum" and do not receive the answer they want, that it's time to....stop? quit? move on? give in? When one discovers and admits that it is "exhausting" to correct, point out, disagree, and so on, maybe....give it a rest? change the subject? be the "adult" in the room? Maybe think about cutting down on the volume of responses (most would agree that making 30% of the total comments would constitute a "takeover").

Anyway, it's great to have you on this board, and certainly no one (NO ONE) wants to silence your voice!

Well said Alexblue, thank you for posting.

BABY - I've never told anyone they can't have a different opinion here. I'm simply asking, ad nauseum, for VOICE to respond to my very simple question (not on my if you can't comprehend it). I'm not bashing anyone's opinion, other saying it's pretty messed up to suggest any media coverage of women and LGBQT rights is merely click bait. Do you agree?

Here's my simple question, again. See if you can help. VOICE refuses to. - Why are we still having to protest legislation by the Right that attacks and attempts to degrade the rights of women and the LGBQT community? I didn't ask why Roe v Wade wasn't more protected, I asked about legislation from the Right that is targeting women and LGBQT members.

THAT is my question. VOICE blamed Obama and then called it click bait. How is that an answer? It's not. It's not that I "don't like the response," it's that it was pure deflection and avoidance followed by repeated condescension.

NOTE: my question about ZIP codes was rhetorical and I never "demanded" a response.

So yeah, go ahead and defend VOICE all you want. You've missed the point here, clearly. I don't give a rat's behind if you eat KFC with chocolate. Why do you and your ilk care so much about who people sleep with or dress as or do with their own bodies when their life or future is at risk? You righty's keep saying your the holier than thou "let everyone do what they want" party, yet your the ONLY ones constantly defending legislation aimed at STOPPING people from doing what they want, or more accurately, need to do.

Well said Babycakes, thank you for posting.

Babycakes, exactly how is SacJon or anyone else able to disallow others' having or expressing opinions on this site?

Oh, not at all?

Be honest, you just don't agree with his politics, stop pretending like you're coming from some sort of freedom of speech or live and let live position--you aren't.

Right on.

What answer?

Reverting to word salad while dodging.

You not liking the answer doesn't me it doesn't exist, or is wrong.

It never existed.

Is the comment I wrote answering the question not showing up, do you need me to copy and paste it again?

More deflection..... Let. Me. Help. You. Understand: Why. Are. We. Still. Marching. To. Protest. Legislation. From. The. Right. That. Hurts. Women. And. LGBQT. People?

I can't dumb it down any more for you.

You should read your question again, then read the answer I posted to your question, this time slowly....

RUBE, it's really simple. Many of us don't want kids, do not have the means to start a family or have other more personal reasons for not wanting to keep a pregnancy. There are a million reasons why a woman would want to end a pregnancy. Her hopes and dreams for her own life, maybe a bad birth defect that runs in the family line, maybe she wants to finish college or she is with an abusive partner. EVERY reason is valid and NONE of the reasons have anything to do with you. Abortion should be accessible and legal EVERYWHERE.

Rubaiyat, there are personal stories available, written by women who have chosen to have abortions. Some may appall you, but others may help you understand why a woman might choose to terminate a pregnancy. Look into it, if you wish to broaden your understanding.

It's beyond me how so many unwanted babies can be born and a certain political party will provide no monetary help in caring for them.

Is it 'beyond you" how a man can murder millions and millions of his helpless sperm every time he masturbates or uses a condom?

Are you against all forms of birth control?

Coast--again you want everything to be either or.

I'm pro-choice and I support the death penalty--minus the fact that it is disproportionately applied in cases where the criminal is a POC/poor.

Yet again, your ridiculous and absolutist assumptions about "the other side" are wrong.

inCoherent Coast - Being pro-choice isn't being pro-death. Allowing women the right to get an abortion after rape or incest or when her life is at risk, is actually being pro-life - the "life" being the living, viable human mother. Funny thing is, I'm both pro-choice and pro-death penalty (under certain circumstances). I'm pretty conservative when it comes to violent crime, despite FONDOFSB and VOICE constantly saying I defend murderers and even "glorify crime."

Coast, you have very strange, strained “logic.”

@Sanctimonious SacJon- For one, you have no clue of my position on abortion, just so happens I am in favor of the right to choose with limits... No abortions after six months. YES, it is only logical that one who is pro-choice would also feel the death penalty should be carried out against the covicted worst humans among us... It's so convienent to pick and choose your morals eh....?

COAST - whatabout whatabout whatabout and off topic, but funny you bring up the Death Penalty. Even funnier is you try to say Pro-Choice people should be pro-Death penalty? Weird and nonsense logic but OK. So, answer us this: why are so many of you "Pro-Life" people also Pro-Death Penalty? How do you rationalize that one?

Wipe the mud off your face, you're in it with eeeevereyone else.

Wow, You three are gross. I assume your comments represent your party, movement, or whatever—so much hate, intolerance of differing views, and just plain trolling. You should be embarrassed.

Sac you're extrapolating my comments to something that isn't there and ignoring the words actually written. Case in point, the media comment was clearly not about the Edhat's coverage of the Women's March, Edhat isn't one of the for profit media corporations I speak, which you know, yet choose to ignore so you can continue arguing.

"Like how anyone here who dare critiques or questions the lefts "narrative" is automatically deemed a racist, MAGA loving, bigoted, far-right extremist?" - That isn't what's happening here. Stay on topic. Plus, if that were true, I'd be calling myslef an extremist. No, when you defend anti-abortion regulation by minimalizing media coverage of marches such as these, THEN we call you what you are. A bigot. An extremist. A misogynist. Lie all you want, but your words tell us what you are.

Absolutes and black/whites? Like how anyone here who dare critiques or questions the lefts "narrative" is automatically deemed a racist, MAGA loving, bigoted, far-right extremist?

"Sac who think Dems are perfect altruists" - lol nope, never said that. You're using your Voice-logic again. Just because I'm liberal and support things like a woman's right to choose, doesn't mean I think Dems are perfect, nor that they can solve the issues with complete control. You're just blabbering nonsense as you backpedal and turn tail on your repeated claim that abortion rights articles are just inflammatory click bait, pushed on us by a solely "profit driven" media. Never mind that more than half the people in this country are either women, LGBQT or both and that these issues are of VITAL importance to them and should be for all of us, straight while males included.

You're off the rails BigUgly and clearly have no idea who I support. My disgust and disappointment for politicians on many issues, including this one, has been bi-partisan. Unlike you GT and Sac who think Dems are perfect altruists and if only they had complete control then all these issues will be solved (while ignoring they've had complete control in CA for decades, and had complete control on the federal level the past two years, and many times in the past twenty).

VOR playing the Repuglican victim card now - predictable and comical.

Thank you, General. You are spot on, as usual.

VOICE, you have no business commenting about projection when you support the worst most vitriolic hateful political party in the history of the U.S. Yes, when the far right tries to take away our basic body rights and our privacy between our sheets and our doctor's offices, we DO blame them. Get a grip.

VOICE - you're not fooling anyone. What you wrote was clear as day, you even said so. Words matter. We all see what you wrote and what you mean by it. If you didn't mean what you wrote, you'd be explaining how we're all wrong about you. Instead, you resort to deflection once again. Pathetic.

Oh here goes GT, as usual projecting and twisting a discussion into a rant against the "far-right" blaming them and them alone for all the woes in our world.

The projection is strong in you GT.

Oh here goes VOR - we triggered him over the top. As usual taking a discussion about sexuality or race and moving to his twisted view of virology and other typical what-about-isms to suit the agenda he came here to disrupt with. And you are wrong VOR - books are being removed from public libraries by your far-right network - and some public libraries being threatened to be shut down or not funded at all. They say they aren't for big government unless it is to control women's bodies or tell you what you can read and think about.