How do you feel about controversial issues being limited to two positions?

I don't like it. And the words chosen to describe the two sides are very often very poor choices, as a friend of a friend put it so eloquently, when was it that "Life" became the antonym of "Choice"?

When it is done as part of a clever survey question, I like it.

Well, it kind of, like, depends on the question. Sometimes there are 2 positions, sometimes there are more.

Now that you mention it, I think it is probably one of the biggest problems in American politics today. We have two major political parties; we have two major stances on each issue.

America does that about just about everything, actually. You can be white or black, but they have trouble with accepting people who are multi-racial. There's gay and straight, but bi folks weird people out. And don't even mention transgender folks! Two major leagues for baseball and I think football.

There are so many gradations of gray on just about every issue I can think of. To present things in paradoxes seems to separate people from each other - to opposing ends of the spectrum. Rather than look at our differences on issues, wouldn't it be nice if we rejoiced in some of our similarities as Beings, thus bridging the gap on issues like abortion, capital punishment, age-ism, ability-ism, racism, heterosexism, etc.

I think Other answers this question for me.

this survey is a "tragic self-parody"

Of course there are shades of gray and everyone has a slightly different way of looking at things, but breaking issues down into basic elements often helps us see the core components. Often there are 2 main sides to an issue. For example, abortion is murder or not. Sure, there are a lot of sides cases, but for many this is the core issue related to abortion - it's the important part and it's the part that deserves the most focus.

Other: it depends on the issue.

I said it before, and I'll say it now: Other. You are doing exactly what you are asking about in your question by only presenting two choices. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the two options do not adequately cover the issue.

I don't hate it, but I do I dislike it.

I hope the irony of this question is not lost on the creator.

It all depends on the situation and the individual involved.

I get the idea that Zang only presented two options here to make a point. Ya think?

This survey is a joke, right?

I think these kinds of things, being that we supposedly live in the free country of america (yeah right), should not even be an issue. What should be an issue is proper education so that idiots don't go around having babies because they wan't to keep a man, thinking abortion is birth control, etc.. People should have a deep understanding (through proper education) of why it is wise not to do drugs, not to have abortions, etc... but those kinds of things are more individual choices than anything, and the law really has no business there.

I totally agree with you about educating people about better choices and then letting them make their own choices. But when you feel like we really don't have as much freedom as we should, try to remember that we've probably got it better than people in most other parts of the world. (I know...easy for me to say because I have never been falsely accused of a crime, or jailed, or had my house searched by the police.)

HEHEHHEHEHEHHEHE

Any controversy over my state of mind in the creation of this survey can be put to rest by reading the advanced stats. Although my various corrections aren't shown as such, others reiterated them for our illumination.

I don't like these options either. I'm not a big fan about having only two positions but I understand why it happens.