Bio

Tommy De Seno was Tea Party before the rest of America boiled the water.

This proud Catholic hails from Asbury Park, NJ (the town that rips the bones from your back, it's a death trap, it's a suicide rap, we've got to get out while we're young).

The only chink in his conservative armor is his job as an evil trial lawyer, transferring wealth from fat cat insurance companies to injured people thoughout New Jersey.

Speaking of Jersey, don't call him North or South Jersey. Tommy's a clamdigger from the Jersey Shore - sand between his toes and white stuff on his nose.

When not making welching insurance companies pay on the bets they made and lost, or shredding riffs on his guitar, Tommy is a Little League and Pop Warner coach. He's married and has fruitfully multiplied to head a family of 6.

His writing credits include over 400 published columns in the triCityNews (Asbury Park, NJ), on FoxNews.com, on Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller, and now, ready to prove he can piss in the tall grass with the big dogs, on Ricochet.

He is the editor of www.JustifiedRight.com


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Tommy De Seno's Profile

Tommy De Seno
Name:
Tommy De Seno
Hometown:
Asbury Park, NJ
Joined:
Jun 23, 2010

Recent Comments

Tommy De Seno

GayFreedomLover

Tommy De Seno:

Salvatore can speak for himself, but I've followed this entire discussion and my sense is that he probably wishes to end it because you ignore everything he says and simply and repeatedly insist, without lifting a finger to justify your views, that your definitions accurately describe the world.  You presume your conclusions and define all alternative views out of existence.  It's like arguing with a brick wall. · 3 hours ago

That, or I've made a distinction between one view (rights endowed at creation which means no man gets to pick a point of endowment), and his view (rights endowed at a time selected by other men).

I've invited discussion (not just with him but with all) on which is better policy.

Not sure how restating both our positions and inviting discussions is ignoring what he said. 

 

Tommy De Seno

From Salvatore:

I don't grant myself the power to determine which human beings have a right to life. I happen to disagree with you about what constitutes a human being.

Same thing.  Your "alive" vs "being" distinction is not a distinction at all.  They are equivalents.

I don't mean to be rude either, but you wish to end the discussion with me I believe because we've reached the point where you must concede that your view allows men to grant rights and freedoms, even the right to live, and you know that puts freedom in a far more precarious position than if we accept the self-evident truth that we are endowed with rights at creation.

Your view is dependent upon the "Good King" to avoid fascism and despotism.  But we all know you can't count on a Good King forever.  They eventually get replaced with Bad Kings.

Better to keep freedom and rights away from the grant of other men.  They are safe and sound being automatically endowed upon creation, where they remain unalienable, subject to the whims of no bad kings.

Tommy De Seno
Salvatore Padula: Is it possible to have a creation without a creator? · 44 minutes ago

No, but don't get lost in theism by my answer.  Your creator can be a random coming together of chemicals in nature. 

That is why in the Declaration of Independence, the self-evident truth is endowment of rights upon creation.  The identity of the creator is of no import.  That's why Jefferson didn't say "God."

Tommy De Seno

Sal thank you for your answer in #184. Now we can finally get to the heart of the matter.

The heart of the matter is your words "I find."

Under the American construct, no human gets to judge who has rights and who does not.  This is Lockean thought adopted by Jefferson and underpins American political philosophy:  Our rights our endowed upon creation.  They are unalienable, meaning no human can interpose himself to dictate otherwise.  No man or government can take away what he has not given.  This is the only way to be free -  free from the trespasses of government and others.

You on the other hand interpose yourself on others.  "I find."  You empower yourself to decide which living human has the right to live and which does not.  I assume in a pluralistic society you will concede that others may have a view further down the slippery slope than you do, and that person will insist more people then you do have no right to life, judging so for himself. "I find."

Back to the beginning:  There is no such thing as a pro-abortion Libertarian.  Black can't be white, even if you call it white.

Tommy De Seno

For a guy who was so insistent about others answering questions he posed, Salvatore doesn't reciprocate well.

Tommy De Seno

Duane Oyen

Salvatore Padula

I'm interested in where the authority comes from for you to decide at what point someone becomes human, and who beside you actually gets to make that decision.

Also, you need to switch to "person" because that is what you are attempting to describe.  "Human" is a settled scientific designation based upon DNA

You seem to have already reached the conclusion by asking at what point "someone" becomes human. I see the question as being when something becomes a human being. As I've stated, I think it is self-evident that there is a distinction between human life and a human being. Individual skin cells are human life, but are not themselves human beings.

Once again you give your conclusion.

Please tell me where you derive the authority to make the determination, and who else gets to make the determination.    Must we look for consensus, or will individuals be allowed to make their own conclusion on how far along personhood is established?

Tommy, your argument has flipped here to the opposite of your earlier "human life begins at fertilization" assertion.

How so?  I'm asking Sal about his idea, not mine.

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno:

I thought I addressed that in #113. To borrow your own phrase, you may not have agreed with my answer.

You gave me the conclusion.

I'm interested in where the authority comes from for you to decide at what point someone becomes human, and who beside you actually gets to make that decision.

Also, you need to switch to "person" because that is what you are attempting to describe.  "Human" is a settled scientific designation based upon DNA

You seem to have already reached the conclusion by asking at what point "someone" becomes human. I see the question as being when something becomes a human being. As I've stated, I think it is self-evident that there is a distinction between human life and a human being. Individual skin cells are human life, but are not themselves human beings.

Once again you give your conclusion.

Please tell me where you derive the authority to make the determination, and who else gets to make the determination.    Must we look for consensus, or will individuals be allowed to make their own conclusion on how far along personhood is established?

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno: Salvatore how about an answer on my question regarding moral equivalencies? · 3 minutes ago

What would you like to know? · 29 minutes ago

From my prior post:

How about you explain this "moral equivalent" business to me.  You seem to have some external factor, decided upon by other men, that values some humans over another.

Delve into that.  What is the factor?  Where did it originate from?  Who gets to be in control of it? · · 9 minutes ago

I thought I addressed that in #113. To borrow your own phrase, you may not have agreed with my answer. · 12 minutes ago

You gave me the conclusion.

I'm interested in where the authority comes from for you to decide at what point someone becomes human, and who beside you actually gets to make that decision.

Also, you need to switch to "person" because that is what you are attempting to describe.  "Human" is a settled scientific designation based upon DNA

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno: Salvatore how about an answer on my question regarding moral equivalencies? · 3 minutes ago

What would you like to know? · 29 minutes ago

From my prior post:

How about you explain this "moral equivalent" business to me.  You seem to have some external factor, decided upon by other men, that values some humans over another.

Delve into that.  What is the factor?  Where did it originate from?  Who gets to be in control of it? ·

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore how about an answer on my question regarding moral equivalencies?

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno

GayFreedomLover

Tommy De Seno: There is no such thing as a pro-abortion libertarian.  Just as there is no color black that is white.  Simply impossible.

It's settled science that an embryo is both human and alive.

It's settled libertarian politics that we are endowed with rights upon creation.

I don't want to be politically correct and say don't have the debate.  Feel free.  But it's pointless. · 6 hours ago

I agree with "alive."  I don't think there's a definition of "alive" that would exclude embryos.  "Human" is a different story.  I agree with your conclusion, but defining the other side's argument out of existence isn't an answer.  Science doesn't provide a definitive conclusion as to when an embryo becomes "human." · 19 minutes ago

It does it's genetic.

It's not genetic. Each and every individual cell in your body has a complete set of your genetic material. It has to be something else.

I don't think you will find a scientist in the world who will agree with you that an embryo is not human.  Do you have a citation?

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

 

My answer is that not all living material that is genetically human is a human being. I would say it's safe to say that you cannot call an embryo a human being until it is a distinct organism that will naturally develop into a single, identifiable fetus (though it is human life genetically). Until the embryo has moved beyond the blastocyst stage, it is possible that it will develop into two or more fetuses (twins etc.). This occurs at around fourteen days after fertilization. I think that the earliest that it can be argued that an embryo is a human being is at that point. At this point, a proto-nervous system begins to develop and the embryo, if left to develop, will become a single person. I think the latest it could be argued that an embryo attains moral status as a person is at viability. Like I said, I'm open to argument, and I assume that the correct answer is closer to the blastocyst stage than it is to viability.

You are conceding human and parsing the word "being."

Being is synonymous with live.  We are back to killing a live human.

Edited on May 21, 2013 at 1:41am
Tommy De Seno

GayFreedomLover

Tommy De Seno: There is no such thing as a pro-abortion libertarian.  Just as there is no color black that is white.  Simply impossible.

It's settled science that an embryo is both human and alive.

It's settled libertarian politics that we are endowed with rights upon creation.

I don't want to be politically correct and say don't have the debate.  Feel free.  But it's pointless. · 6 hours ago

I agree with "alive."  I don't think there's a definition of "alive" that would exclude embryos.  "Human" is a different story.  I agree with your conclusion, but defining the other side's argument out of existence isn't an answer.  Science doesn't provide a definitive conclusion as to when an embryo becomes "human." · 19 minutes ago

It does it's genetic.

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Richard Fulmer: So, when does an embryo become a person? · 7 minutes ago

Legally at birth, as has been the case throughout history. Morally, I think that when an embryo carries the same moral significance as an infant is difficult question to answer. I would rule out the notion that a zygote is the moral equivalent and I would say that a viable fetus is clearly the equivalent. Between the two, I'm open to argument and I think we should err on the side of protecting life. · 5 minutes ago

How about you explain this "moral equivalent" business to me.  You seem to have some external factor, decided upon by other men, that values some humans over another.

Delve into that.  What is the factor?  Where did it originate from?  Who gets to be in control of it? · 2 minutes ago

I'll answer your question when you answer mine. I'm on strike as far as you're concerned. · 7 minutes ago

My apologies I thought I answered all your questions several times.  Which is still pending? (note:  merely disagreeing with my answer does not mean I owe you another).

Tommy De Seno

Salvatore Padula

Richard Fulmer: So, when does an embryo become a person? · 7 minutes ago

Legally at birth, as has been the case throughout history. Morally, I think that when an embryo carries the same moral significance as an infant is difficult question to answer. I would rule out the notion that a zygote is the moral equivalent and I would say that a viable fetus is clearly the equivalent. Between the two, I'm open to argument and I think we should err on the side of protecting life. · 5 minutes ago

How about you explain this "moral equivalent" business to me.  You seem to have some external factor, decided upon by other men, that values some humans over another.

Delve into that.  What is the factor?  Where did it originate from?  Who gets to be in control of it?

Tommy De Seno

Richard Fulmer

Salvatore Padula

Richard Fulmer

Salvatore Padula

Richard Fulmer

 

Saying that you are a libertarian and oppose abortion is not the same thing as saying that in order to be a libertarian it is necessary to oppose abortion. Are you making the claim that it is inherently impossible to be a libertarian who does not oppose abortion?

Yes.  Anyone can claimto be a libertarian, but no one who advocates initiating force against innocent human beings truly isa libertarian.

Agreed, but you seem to be saying that anyone who disagrees with the proposition that an embryo is a human being from the moment of conception cannot be a libertarian. Is that the case?

Maybe I've missed something.  I'm not aware of any serious person who argues that an embryo is not a human being.  Pro-choice advocates have been forced by science to admit that embryos are human.  Their argument has become that embryos aren't "persons."  For a response to this argument, see my original point: No one has the right to decide that a human being is not a "person" and therefore is not protected by the Constitution. · 3 minutes ago

Precisely.

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