Josh Benner

Author: the Josh Benner Blog

  • Bill Nye the logical fallacy guy on abortion

    Bill Nye (the science guy) released a video on abortion. I enjoyed his show as a kid and I’ve always thought he seems like a nice guy. However I think he is off base in this video and I find the arguments he’s using to be fallacious. I also find the video to be extremely vain as he chuckles at people who have the audacity to be pro life. If you’re pro choice, be pro choice, but these arguments are weak.

    For a point by point critique:

    “Eggs get fertilized, and by that I mean sperm get accepted by ova a lot. But that’s not all you need. You have to attach to the uterine wall, the inside of a womb, a woman’s womb. But if you’re going to hold that as a standard, that is to say if you’re going to say when an egg is fertilized it’s therefore has the same rights as an individual, then whom are you going to sue? Whom are you going to imprison? Every woman who’s had a fertilized egg pass through her? Every guy who’s sperm has fertilized an egg and then it didn’t become a human? Have all these people failed you?”

    (more…)

  • The eve of infamy; and where I was on 9/11

    Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
    Flickr Creative Commons

    Originally posted September 11, 2012

    As I write these words, the stresses of everyday life come to mind. I think of how busy I am between school, work, and other commitments. I’m so often short-sighted and allow myself to get frustrated. It’s getting late and I jot some thoughts down before going to sleep. On this night, my thoughts are on the past and with people I’ve never met. Fourteen years ago tonight, thousands of Americans went to bed, unaware that it was the eve of their last day on earth.

    For me, that’s surreal. Monday was an ordinary start to the work week. In the evening, people played with their kids, and watched Monday Night Football, and kissed their spouses goodnight. They prepared to go on flights for work, or vacation, or just to make it home. They thought about what bill needed to be paid and the home repair which needed to be completed. They went to sleep like it was any other night and woke up to a beautiful Tuesday morning. (more…)

  • Thoughts on Virginia shooting

    Woke up this morning to a news update about a reporter shot live on the air.

    I thought maybe it was in a dangerous area or a hostile story. It wasn’t. It was in Virginia and it was a tourism piece on a morning show.

    My mind has been on this story all day. There are murders everyday and every one of them is a tragedy. For the young woman who died, Alison Parker, her last moments on earth are now on display for the whole world to see, forever. Before the shots were fired,still images of Parker show a young woman who still had her whole life ahead of her. In an instant, someone took that life from her, and took her from her friends and family, senselessly.

    I think of the cameraman: Adam Ward. He was engaged to the morning show producer who was watching live. Two people killed in cold blood, shot at point blank range.

    The shooter, a disgruntled former employee posted a video that he took. I watched it, not sure what to expect. I was shaking at the end. He walks up, preparing to ambush the two. The reporter and the woman she’s interviewing are focused on the interview and don’t look to the shooter. He actually points the gun at Parker before putting it down. The cameraman has no idea he’s moments away from his own death. He’s panning around to take in scenic images of the area. I think that’s why the shooter hesitated. He wanted the news cameraman to have the camera back on Parker.

    In my mind, I keep hearing Alison’s screams. She turned and ran for her life. Those are her last moments. Frantically doing whatever she could to get away from the gunfire.

    Rest in peace Alison and Adam.

    jrb

  • Planned Parenthood on the defensive, another video released

    The Center for Medical Progress has released another video of a higher up with Planned Parenthood discussing sales of fetal tissue.

    With the first video, Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards was quick to dismiss the footage, attacking the organization. She states, “The allegation that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation is not true.”

    Since the release of Richards’ statement, that has been largely accepted. People argue this video is taken out of context. Planned Parenthood is merely selling fetal tissues, which is legal. The only reason they’re discussing money is to cover storing and sending the materials. (more…)

  • Iran deal, priorities, and consistency

    VIENNA — Iran and a group of six nations led by the United States reached a historic accord on Tuesday to significantly limit Tehran’s nuclear ability for more than a decade in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions.
    -New York Times, July 14, 2015

    This deal is being lauded by many. For the next several years, Iran is going to take a step back with their nuclear ability. In the short term, Iran is supposed to reduce centrifuges down to 5,000. But Pakistan developed nukes with 3,000 centrifuges.

    To think that this isn’t going to pave the way for Iran to develop nuclear weapons, based on the provisions of the agreement, is absurd.

    Where is the outrage over this? Donald Trump does not have a legitimate chance of becoming the president, and we have time for his comments. Legislatures have time to talk about flags and what they represent, but we make a deal with an Iranian regime in spite of the evils which they are endorsing and engaging in RIGHT NOW. People want to restrict gun access for law abiding citizens while not restricting nuclear weapons access to terror states. We have time to celebrate bakers getting fined tens of thousands of dollars and yet there’s no outrage over this deal with Iran, a fascist country that persecutes homosexuals, treats women as second class citizens, sponsors terrorism, and threatens America and our allies. I’m sick and tired of people refusing to be consistent on values. Regardless of what you think of justice, spending, and various social programs, making this deal with Iran is not good for America. (more…)