The question of capital punishment
July 16, 2020
Good Thursday Morning.
On Tuesday, for the first time since 2003, the federal government carried out an execution. The inmate who was executed was convicted in 1999 of killing a family of three. A second federal execution took place earlier this morning. The two cases have brought the question of capital punishment back into the public consciousness, and we want to know what you think.
We’ve also got some questions on Walmart’s new face mask requirement in all its stores, traveling out of state for and a user-suggested question about the virtues of mayonnaise.
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Two follow-ups from yesterday’s conversation about Washington’s name change
I’d like to address the Redskins comments from yesterday. As someone who’s spent a lot of time on Native American reservations, this type of push is a joke to them. I remember being told they laugh at all politicians and people running around trying to eliminate what white people perceive as racist symbols that offend the Native community - but never want their input. Native Americans don’t want us to rename our damn football teams. They have much larger and more important needs. We’re spending so much time focusing on eliminating symbols that are perceived as racist or derogatory instead of actually addressing real issues. Let’s pat ourselves on the back because the Redskins name is gone - has the pain of the Native community changed at all? Not one damn bit.
I’m really saddened by the 20% of participants who viewed the change of Washington’s team name to be “political correctness gone too far.” As a Jewish person, it would be so incredibly demeaning to have an NFL team be called the “Kikes” — and as I understand it, that’s how it has been for decades for Native Americans faced with the “Redskins” team name. This isn’t about “political correctness” — it’s about being more educated and sensitive to those around you.
Results from July 15, 2020
Question 1: Where do you stand on your tax returns?
If we ever start to levy taxes in the Tinaverse, it’s nice to know they’ll be paid and filed on time.
Maybe we would have a more favorable view of taxes if we actually got something in exchange for paying them (like healthcare, a college education, paid parental leave, better infrastructure, etc.) instead of endless wars and tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.
Question 2: Do you generally support or oppose efforts by the United States to keep Huawei out of the United States and its allies?
This is remarkable. While a significant number of you aren’t sure, nobody — not a single person — is opposed to blocking Huawei.
Huawei cannot be trusted and neither should TikTok. I am not an alarmist but we should be more sensitive to technological threats and Chinese aspirations are not aligned with a free and open society. Just witness what is happening in Hong Kong.
Is there even any hard evidence that Huawei is a security threat? I only hear perspectives from U.S. media/political figures and those have an obvious bias.
Question 3: Do you think the country is headed in the right direct or the wrong direction?
epic handshake meme between conservatives and libs: the country is on the wrong track
Re: right direction - ask me again in November.
The country is moving right now, but it's so hard to tell which direction it's moving in. Knowing if decisions and actions are right or wrong won't be clear until we (or people in the future with no emotional connections to things happening now) look back. Choosing 'right' or 'wrong' is really dependent on who you ask at the moment and their personal feelings, even though some things (human rights, science, who you want for president in Nov) should have a clear right choice.
Question 4: What's your current view of Dr. Anthony Fauci?
Dr. Fauci is still rather popular in the Tinaverse.
Re: Fauci, most people just project their desired Trump stance onto Fauci and cast him as a foil to POTUS. For every person who hates Trump and thinks Fauci is a "voice of reason," it's worth recognizing you have someone who sees the roles as reversed.
There’s probably some truth to that. Additionally:
54% of those with a favorable opinion of Fauci said their opinion has gotten more favorable over the course of the pandemic (43% reported no real change and 2% said less favorable)
88% of those with an unfavorable opinion of Fauci said their opinion has gotten more unfavorable over the course of the pandemic (12% said it’s gotten less unfavorable)
I was a little weary of Fauci when I felt that he was censoring himself to appease trump - but now that trump is tantruming about him, I like Fauci even more!
Dr Fauci seems to have become too indecisive. One day he says one thing and then another it’s contradictory. It seems like he’s had enough and should retire.
Fauci has served many presidents and was awarded a medal by another Republican president, yet now we're trying to make him a partisan figure? The criticism leveled at scientists during this often boils down to inconsistent advice. This is a new disease that we've only had months to study. We should expect our scientists to make the best recommendation based on the data we have. When more data is available, we can expect the guidance to change. This is the process of science. I'm a scientist in a different field, and I do this everyday. In fact, this is exactly what my employer pays me to do. To put it another way, your parents (or insert another figure you respect) are sometimes wrong. Does that mean you ignore their advice about everything?
Question 5: Finally, do you believe in astrology?
"Partially" should have been an answer for the astrology question. I think the planets and stars affect us in all kinds of ways we don't understand, and to say they don't is quite out of touch. There's plenty of "woo woo" in our current astrological systems and communities that buy into them, though.
If you are seeking answers in astrology, go to church!
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