Evolutions Per Minute

[punker1212]

Our tangent on the post debate thread got me wondering:

What’s a topic where you personally have evolved in your stance? What brought the change?

[punker1212]

I personally evolved on the legalization of marijuana. I voted in my state to legalize medicinal, then saw it being abused so much in the ER. Not like serious addiction abuse, but like how you can just get a card and not have it be for an actual diagnosis.

I always maintain that substances are substances, natural or synthetic, and they impact the brain. So I worried that legalizing recreational marijuana would work in that gateway sense and we would see a lot of unintended consequences of use in pregnancy, young people’s prefrontal cortexes not fully developing etc.

I evolved because friend, who is an OT, described what he perceived is that marijuana, being lumped together with very hard illegal drugs, is already a “gateway”. Friend stated he witnessed friends try MJ, see that nothing bad really happened, and that made it a lot easier to try other drugs (heroin, meth, etc). He shared his belief that if marijuana weren’t categorized with hard drugs, the lateral use would decrease.

I let that marinate and, blending this viewpoint with things I understood professionally about substance use disorders, something clicked and I evolved.

[dc2london]

Interesting pinker!
This is an interesting thread. I need to think about this.

[jkjacq]

I'm trying to think. We've always been a fairly liberal household. however I will say that both parents were pretty racist and homophobic when I was younger. My mom has moved way past that I think with me always pointing it out and my brother dating a WOC, my father not so much.

I just become more liberal the older I get. Probably in response to things I perceive as being taken away, ie reproductive rights. And at this point in my life I feel like healthcare, birth control, houses, socks, food, should just be handed out on street corners to everyone.

[jkjacq]

OOOOHHH I know. I used to be very very pro death penalty. I no longer am.

I can't pinpoint an exact time, but as I've read and learned, its not a deterrent, its more costly than life imprisonment, and with mistakes/or downright lies, you cant be sure you are executing the right person.
So I no longer am pro death penalty.

[punker1212]

Feb 27, 2020 12:58:42 GMT -6 jkjacq said:

I'm trying to think. We've always been a fairly liberal household. however I will say that both parents were pretty racist and homophobic when I was younger. My mom has moved way past that I think with me always pointing it out and my brother dating a WOC, my father not so much.

I just become more liberal the older I get. Probably in response to things I perceive as being taken away, ie reproductive rights. And at this point in my life I feel like healthcare, birth control, houses, socks, food, should just be handed out on street corners to everyone.

I love this and also laugh because I’ve been told time and again that I’ll become more conservative as I age. Haven’t yet.

[punker1212]

Feb 27, 2020 13:02:54 GMT -6 jkjacq said:

OOOOHHH I know. I used to be very very pro death penalty. I no longer am.

I can't pinpoint an exact time, but as I've read and learned, its not a deterrent, its more costly than life imprisonment, and with mistakes/or downright lies, you cant be sure you are executing the right person.
So I no longer am pro death penalty.

That's interesting! Do you think it was mostly reading that changed your mind vs discussions? Influence from figures you respect?

What was it like being part of a party that was mostly against the death penalty?

[dc2london]

Feb 27, 2020 13:09:33 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

Feb 27, 2020 12:58:42 GMT -6 jkjacq said:

I'm trying to think. We've always been a fairly liberal household. however I will say that both parents were pretty racist and homophobic when I was younger. My mom has moved way past that I think with me always pointing it out and my brother dating a WOC, my father not so much.

I just become more liberal the older I get. Probably in response to things I perceive as being taken away, ie reproductive rights. And at this point in my life I feel like healthcare, birth control, houses, socks, food, should just be handed out on street corners to everyone.

I love this and also laugh because I’ve been told time and again that I’ll become more conservative as I age. Haven’t yet.

Yeah I'm doing the opposite lol

[dc2london]

One thing I have definitely evolved on is the effects of systemic racism. It's not that I thought it was a myth, it was just that I didn't realize how deep and persistent it is because, well, privilege. Attending a university with a diverse faculty and student body made a big difference. I should have sought out more reading /listening earlier than I did

[blurnette989]

I used to be very anti GMO but the more I read the more it seems it's not GMOs that aren't inherently the problem, but instead monoculture and corporate factory farming. Also some GMOs are problematic like Roundup altered seeds, but it isn't that GMOs are innately problematic.

Also I'm still 110% fuck Monsanto.they are terrible.

[milano]

I feel like I've evolved on almost everything. I grew up in a Republican household, and paid very little attention to anything politics (except presidential elections and I'm pretty sure I skipped one of those due to moving around) until sometime in 2014, when I had my first kid. I switched my registration to Independent when I moved back to PA in 2016, and shortly after to Dem. Basically I evolved by reading and doing my own research. Turns out I am very liberal, and am horrified by the beliefs I used to have before I paid attention/cared. I used to be very "bootstrappy", and was generally just clueless to hardship, because I was a comfortable class white woman.

[jkjacq]

Feb 27, 2020 13:10:41 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

Feb 27, 2020 13:02:54 GMT -6 jkjacq said:

OOOOHHH I know. I used to be very very pro death penalty. I no longer am.

I can't pinpoint an exact time, but as I've read and learned, its not a deterrent, its more costly than life imprisonment, and with mistakes/or downright lies, you cant be sure you are executing the right person.
So I no longer am pro death penalty.

That's interesting! Do you think it was mostly reading that changed your mind vs discussions? Influence from figures you respect?

What was it like being part of a party that was mostly against the death penalty?

Well I grew up/still live in a very pro-death state, I think our last execution was within past five years?  And quite honestly most democrats in Idaho would be considered conservative almost anywhere else in the US until recently.
Yes mostly reading, discussions online etc. probably moved my thoughts.  Also a lot of murder tv and how they wrongly accuse a lot initially.

[athn64]

Feb 27, 2020 13:16:10 GMT -6 blurnette989 said:

I used to be very anti GMO but the more I read the more it seems it's not GMOs that are inherently the problem, but instead monoculture and corporate factory farming. Also some GMOs are problematic like Roundup altered seeds, but it isn't that GMOs are innately problematic.

Also I'm still 110% fuck Monsanto.they are terrible.

I'm with you on Monsanto. They own like 60% of the fields around here.

[athn64]

When I was younger I was very anti-abortion from growing up in a religious home. But I realized how hypocritical of me it was and changed my stance on that. I can't pinpoint when it exactly happened, but I've been very much pro choice for awhile now.

[enchanted]

Feb 27, 2020 13:11:04 GMT -6 dc2london said:

Feb 27, 2020 13:09:33 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

I love this and also laugh because I’ve been told time and again that I’ll become more conservative as I age. Haven’t yet.

Yeah I'm doing the opposite lol

Yup.

[crimsonandclover]

I was also very anti-abortion, and I still think a major goal should be to reduce the number of abortions. However, instead of just banning them (which I used to think was the solution), I now think the methods should be excellent sex ed in school, free birth control to anyone who wants it, and increased social support for struggling families so they don't feel they have to abort an unplanned pregnancy just because they can't afford another kid in daycare. That would go a long way to reducing the number of abortions without placing undue hardships on women who need an abortion for other reasons. Part of my evolving on this issue was hearing stories of women here who had to make very difficult choices.

[punker1212]

Do y’all think the Internet has made it more accessible to evolve on your views? Does that even factor in?

[roloma]

Tangently political, I was never an organ donor until probably 8 years ago. I was very (selfishly) nope, not gonna cut me open and take my organs. I have no idea why, aside from being a selfish asshole. But as I grew, and saw more of the world around me, I realized how horrible that was. I also lost some friends and had friends lose children and saw the impact the totally selfless decision to donate organs had. It changed my whole stupid perspective.

[LoisLoan]

Feb 27, 2020 13:47:24 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

Do y’all think the Internet has made it more accessible to evolve on your views? Does that even factor in?

100%. I'm in a very red area. There was a billboard down the street from my house growing up with Jesus kneeling and crying that said in huge words "Abortion is Murder".  So I used to be staunchly anti-choice.  This is going to expose me as the creepy lurker that I am, but my stance on this changed from lurking The Bump and reading abortion debates on there.  I specifically remember HeatherR (if anyone here remembers her) as helping change my views on this. Having easy access to testimonials from women who have had to make that tough choice, and also having access to facts to debunk all the abortion myths that the right pushes also helped tremendously. 

[blurnette989]

Feb 27, 2020 13:44:21 GMT -6 crimsonandclover said:

I was also very anti-abortion, and I still think a major goal should be to reduce the number of abortions. However, instead of just banning them (which I used to think was the solution), I now think the methods should be excellent sex ed in school, free birth control to anyone who wants it, and increased social support for struggling families so they don't feel they have to abort an unplanned pregnancy just because they can't afford another kid in daycare. That would go a long way to reducing the number of abortions without placing undue hardships on women who need an abortion for other reasons. Part of my evolving on this issue was hearing stories of women here who had to make very difficult choices.

Oh you kind of touch on something I believe deeply in and have evolved on. I am pro-choice, I 100% would prefer abortion to be not as common, but I don't think I have any say in that BUT a big thing I've changed is on shifting my beliefs from reproductive rights to reproductive justice. Because truly it isn't just about women *not* having babies, its allowing women also who want babies to be able to have the physical, mental and societal support to have children they want. It goes both ways, and is so much more complicated. If we don't have these safety nets in place it hurts society as a whole, but also black and brown women disproportinately. 

If you'd like to learn more I highly recc reading on this site: www.sistersong.net/reproductive-justice

[oreobitsy]

My parents always told me that once I started making money I would get more conservative. Not true.

[hawkeye2015]

Feb 27, 2020 13:47:24 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

Do y’all think the Internet has made it more accessible to evolve on your views? Does that even factor in?

Definitely. I've always been pro-choice but like others was okay with restrictions and cut-offs. 16 year old me didn't know that pregnancy complications were a thing and had no idea that women still died in childbirth. Having access to the internet let me read so many stories that really provided facts I did not get in high school health class.

[oreobitsy]

I love this thread.

I grew up in a religious conservative home. My evolution is definitely a 180 from that life of Sunday church, bible camps, etc. I do consider myself spiritual but don't follow religion in an organized sense. It was a source of frustration for me as a kid because I questioned a lot. I think moving out and meeting more people with different backgrounds helped me be less worried about having those questions and allowed me to focus on what mattered to me.

That said, I have struggled at times with how to give my kids some bible background. We tell our kids that many people believe in a God or higher-being, but that it looks different for everyone based on their traditions. So they know the basics of our religious traditions but not all the really in-depth meat of it.

[dc2london]

Feb 27, 2020 13:47:24 GMT -6 punker1212 said:

Do y’all think the Internet has made it more accessible to evolve on your views? Does that even factor in?

Double edged sword, IMO. It's easier to hear a variety of experiences and positions, but it's also easy to silo yourself and just dig in further and further into your preconceived notions

[dc2london]

Wow, enchanted I'm sorry that has ever happened to you. If it ever happens again Will hold your earrings

[redbears]

When I was younger and super naive, I had such a hard and fast stance on immigration. I thought everyone should here should go through proper channels and become “legal”. I’m embarrassed now at how little sympathy I felt for people getting in trouble for not having proper identification. I met my husband (who works in government solely to help people) and he is much more progressive than I am. He absolutely helped me see the light and get out of my privileged head. Over the years I have come around on a lot of issues because of him. We still argue over things because he is the leftist left and I consider myself a right leaning lefty.

[redbears]

Feb 27, 2020 13:16:46 GMT -6 milano said:

I feel like I've evolved on almost everything. I grew up in a Republican household, and paid very little attention to anything politics (except presidential elections and I'm pretty sure I skipped one of those due to moving around) until sometime in 2014, when I had my first kid. I switched my registration to Independent when I moved back to PA in 2016, and shortly after to Dem. Basically I evolved by reading and doing my own research. Turns out I am very liberal, and am horrified by the beliefs I used to have before I paid attention/cared. I used to be very "bootstrappy", and was generally just clueless to hardship, because I was a comfortable class white woman.

 Yes yes yes.  This is the essence of my evolution as well.  

[starbuck]

Climate change.

It's not that I ever felt it was ok to shit on the planet, but I was raised that these things were #1 not man made, just natural cycles, and #2 used by alarmists to find new ways to control you.

On #1 I don't think there is any denying that human activity has massive impact on the planet. Like, the fact that there are people out there who believe our literal 7+ billion people species with our constant consumption and development has no impact. Some of the denial, IME, was rooted in people believing that God gave humans dominion over the Earth, therefore we were free to do to it what we want. They miss the stewardship element, that we were entrusted with something, completely. (sometimes when I say things like that to a religious denier they make that Tucker face like their minds cannot comprehend that this might be a responsibility of ours and it makes me sad.)

#2 Nobody is sitting there twirling their mustache over their big win of making you set your AC at 74. Like find a better conspiracy theory because I'm embarrassed for you, dude.

Obviously climate change matters, but even if the climate weren't changing, there are plenty of reasons why treating the planet with care is important - human health, biodiversity, etc. I cannot claim to be perfect but I am trying to make conscious decisions about how we use resources in & outside our home. And I have put in a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out the best way to add thoughtful flora and other features to our yard to support wildlife, specifically birds and pollinators.

This is stupid, but I put in a suet bird feeder the other day and it makes me so damn happy. There's a woodpecker on it now, a blue jay waiting his turn, and plenty of birds hopping around for dropped seed.

[dc2london]

Working with an almost 100% immigrant population opened my eyes to the realities of being undocumented or living with fear of deportation. Sure, there are lots of resources for people who want to learn english, for example, but they are in schools and libraries--government buildings. I never understood how many people are constantly looking over their shoulder while they just try to protect their children.

[dc2london]

Feb 27, 2020 15:15:53 GMT -6 starbuck said:

Climate change.

It's not that I ever felt it was ok to shit on the planet, but I was raised that these things were #1 not man made, just natural cycles, and #2 used by alarmists to find new ways to control you.

On #1 I don't think there is any denying that human activity has massive impact on the planet. Like, the fact that there are people out there who believe our literal 7+ billion people species with our constant consumption and development has no impact. Some of the denial, IME, was rooted in people believing that God gave humans dominion over the Earth, therefore we were free to do to it what we want. They miss the stewardship element, that we were entrusted with something, completely. (sometimes when I say things like that to a religious denier they make that Tucker face like their minds cannot comprehend that this might be a responsibility of ours and it makes me sad.)

#2 Nobody is sitting there twirling their mustache over their big win of making you set your AC at 74. Like find a better conspiracy theory because I'm embarrassed for you, dude.

Obviously climate change matters, but even if the climate weren't changing, there are plenty of reasons why treating the planet with care is important - human health, biodiversity, etc. I cannot claim to be perfect but I am trying to make conscious decisions about how we use resources in & outside our home. And I have put in a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out the best way to add thoughtful flora and other features to our yard to support wildlife, specifically birds and pollinators.

This is stupid, but I put in a suet bird feeder the other day and it makes me so damn happy. There's a woodpecker on it now, a blue jay waiting his turn, and plenty of birds hopping around for dropped seed.

Not stupid. Adorable. But not stupid.