U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#11

Post by john-radio » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:22 PM UTC

Bostonian wrote: post #4

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

The red states being pilloried for supposedly restrictive voting laws do not generally have more restrictions than blue states such as New York. The critics are motivated by a desire to discredit Republicans rather than a general interest in voting rights.

Yeah, you're allowed to bring water to people waiting on line to vote in Massachusetts, "Bostonian".

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#12

Post by collegeburner » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:23 PM UTC

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

Abortion is really a very simple issue, those who say it is about "regulating women" attack a straw man. Pro-lifers believe that abortion is murder of the baby. This trumps a woman's right for a medical procedure. So the question about whether it's a private medical choice or an issue of bodily autonomy doesn't even enter into the discussion. There are laws against murdering someone other ways that restrict bodily autonomy, but we aren't bothered by those; as the saying goes, your rights stop where your fist hits my nose.

On the voting law I think it's reasonable in most places. Poll-watching isn't a problem, and ID requirements aren't a big issue. I disagree with the law in that people should be able to distribute mail-in ballots since the new ID requirements make them more resistant to fraud. Not sure what you mean about removing electoral rights. I am, however, bothered by the fact that it (and most other voting laws) are driven by "stolen election" lies, which is almost worse than people trying to hang onto power (which they've done with re-districting/gerrymandering for a long time already).

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#13

Post by Sevii » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:23 PM UTC

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

America is a huge country and we've been discovering over the last decade that we are a lot more divided than we realized. It's like combining France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy into one country and expecting them to agree on everything. Luckily in America we can just move to a state where reasonable people run things.

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#14

Post by gjsman-1000 » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:24 PM UTC

collegeburner wrote: post #12

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

Abortion is really a very simple issue, those who say it is about "regulating women" attack a straw man. Pro-lifers believe that abortion is murder of the baby. This trumps a woman's right for a medical procedure. So the question about whether it's a private medical choice or an issue of bodily autonomy doesn't even enter into the discussion. There are laws against murdering someone other ways that restrict bodily au…

In which case it's very simple: Is a fetus/embryo a baby or not? And what is the logical conclusion of that?

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#15

Post by deplatform_hate » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:25 PM UTC

All of these companies, starting with Uber, should immediately terminate accounts of Texas Republican law makers and ban any further service to them.

That would be a real first step in fighting this law.

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#16

Post by newbie789 » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:25 PM UTC

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

“The abortion thing” has been a political wedge issue in American politics for generations.

Voting against our own interests because we’ve been whipped up into a frenzy by religious zealots and hardline partisans is very, very American. I don’t know exactly what you mean by “wrong”, but I suppose if you mean “should I have seen this coming?” I’d probably say “Yes. The writing has been on the wall for years.”

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#17

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:25 PM UTC

dfee wrote: post #7

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The GOP knows the only way they can keep power in Florida and Texas is by making sure people don’t move there unless they’re super conservative, hence all those stupid laws. The housing crisis in a lot of blue states has made a lot of middle class folks move to those states. Their electorate is mostly non-Hispanic white, non-immigrant and older and their numbers will continue to dwindle over time.

This doesn’t seem recognizable to me. Do you live in Texas? (Yeah, parent comment has changed.)

[deleted]

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#18

Post by hn_throwaway_99 » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:26 PM UTC

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #5

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

The GOP knows the only way they can keep power in Florida and Texas is by making sure people don’t move there unless they’re super conservative, hence all those stupid laws. The housing crisis in a lot of blue states has made a lot of middle class folks move to those states. Their electorate is mostly non-Hispanic white, non-immigrant and older and their numbers will continue to dwindle over time.

> Their electorate is mostly non-Hispanic white, non-immigrant and older and their numbers will continue to dwindle over time.

This is a dangerous fallacy. As has been widely reported, Trump increased his standing with minorities in 2020 vs 2016. In some heavily Hispanic areas along the Texas border the swing toward Trump in 2020 was over 40 points compared to 2016.

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#19

Post by bpodgursky » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:27 PM UTC

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #14

collegeburner wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Abortion is really a very simple issue, those who say it is about "regulating women" attack a straw man. Pro-lifers believe that abortion is murder of the baby. This trumps a woman's right for a medical procedure. So the question about whether it's a private medical choice or an issue of bodily autonomy doesn't even enter into the discussion. There are laws against murdering someone other ways that restrict bodily au…

In which case it's very simple: Is a fetus/embryo a baby or not? And what is the logical conclusion of that?

Somehow the straightforward answer ("no at first, yes by the end") is anathema to the activists at either end of the spectrum here. But those are the ones you hear from.

Re: U.S. companies lash out at Texas law changes, including abortion ban

#20

Post by seltzered_ » Sat, Sep 04, 2021, 4:27 PM UTC

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #5

samizdis wrote: post #3

"Looking at the abortion law, or the gun law, or the voting law, it's a form of vigilante justice, where you're empowering individuals to enforce the law," said Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Austin-based Silicon Laboratories (SLAB.O). "It's been a rough week in Texas and a harbinger of what's to come across the country." I'm from across the pond, and have spent limited time in the US - none of it in Texas - but I always t…

The GOP knows the only way they can keep power in Florida and Texas is by making sure people don’t move there unless they’re super conservative, hence all those stupid laws. The housing crisis in a lot of blue states has made a lot of middle class folks move to those states. Their electorate is mostly non-Hispanic white, non-immigrant and older and their numbers will continue to dwindle over time.

Nope. "The economy of the State of Texas is the second largest by GDP in the United States after that of California." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Texas

Texas has been growing rapidly in some areas, the thing is though is the political redistricting which means those voting power may skew towards those in rural areas. So if you see, for example, a technology company in a city like Austin trying to evangelize connecting to community to flip the vote, it might be effort done within a vacuum with less effectiveness than perceived.