Maybe one day a lot of you will realize that supporting the troops is completely different than supporting the administration... WHEW! What is wrong with you people?
I can't understand the correlation to Cheney's hunting accident and supporting the Iraq troops ... but what I can understand, is that the term LIBERAL has become a four-letter word. It used to mean something, but not anymore because the party is so confused and splintered that it has no sense of itself. Let me explain to you my political platform, and keep in mind that I am a member of the democratic party and a christian!
Iraq war? How we got there was an embrassement to America's credibility and destroyed our international reputation. Our leaders knowingly and purposefully duped the American public and tried to lie about it to the rest of the free world. Now, that being said, our troops are there and I am 110% behind them staying there and finishing the job they started. Regardless of the motives or processes of our government in invading Iraq, leaving now would be disasterous. All American's should support the troops in every way we can so they can finish the job and help to establish a free, capitalistic, non-secular society in the middle east. I understand that we fight them there, so that we don't have to fight them here. Support your troops! Always question your government.
Capital Punishment? Absolutely. Potential criminals need the deterence of the death penalty to stop them from commiting crimes, even though the number of murders detered through this method may be small. A criminal convicted in a court of law of pre-meditated murder with malice or violence should be sentenced to death. It is the only appropriate sentence for someone who has denied another their right to life. The state (ie. government) derives it's powers from the consent of the people, and the laws of the state are derived from the represenatives of the people. Those denying others the unalienable right to life therefore forefeit their rights to the state.
Abortion? I do believe that abortion within the 1st tri-mester of a pregnency should be legal. Most growth here is on a cellular level, and although life has been created and cellular mitosis has begun, this lifeforms development remains in the embryonic stage. After this time, abortions should only be permitted if continuation of the pregnency is dangerous to the mother or baby. I believe that private sector's own charities should encourage adoption based programs with the limited assitance of the state governments to discourage abortions in the first place, as well as abstinence and safe-sex programs to discourage conception amongst non-married individuals.
Gay marriage? Marriage should be defined as a legal partnership between and a man and a woman that is recognized by the state. End of story. Men who want to be women do not qualify.
What's all this about the state? The worst president we ever had in the history of this incredibly great nation was Abraham Linclon. He abused his powers as executor and military commander to change this nation forever. He concentrated our nation's power on the federal level, set a standard of ignoring the law, encarsarating political adversaries, suspended habeus corpus, and take away the individual powers of the state. I believe the individual states should (1. have the power of their individual state legislatures to appoint their senators. Instead of the senators being elected by popular vote. That's what the house of represenatives is for!) and (2. create their own social programs (if any) and support their own local based initiatives).
Fair Tax? Absolutely. The current tax system is to hard on the poor, to lenient on the wealthy, and there are far too many corporate and individual tax loopholes. If taxes were only collected on the transactions of goods and services, everyone would pay their fair share, the economy would flourish, government revenues would increase, and everyone could save themselves from hiring H&R Block every April!
Drugs? The worst scourage of our society. I am 100% for a massive war on drugs. Take the gloves off and let's put aircraft carriers off of Maricaibo with FA18s flying CAP free to enguage drug smuggling aircraft. Let's take the gloves off and get serious with foreign governments so we can put boots on the ground in drug producing countries, and work with their governments and armed foreces to put them on the run. Here in the USA we should make drug laws 20x more stringent than they are, severity of punishment will actually be an issue to consider for the dope and crack heads.
Domestic Programs? I believe the private sector, with encouragement from government, should provide most domestic programs. If America came together with as much of a war on poverty (privately based) as we have come together for our war on terrorism (government based) then imagine the possibilities of lowering crimes rates, increasing commerce, and helping the arts and sciences to flourish.
Military spending? No problem! If we had a fair tax and a more responsible government, we could spend oodles on military hardware. And nothing says 'think twice' like CAP missions over international waters offshore, or a navy battle group parked just off your shore, you know that T. Roosevelt grew international respect when he steamed US battleships all over the world in a show of American military might. It's not a bad thing!
AND let's make government non-secular. What's wrong with that? I am all for everyone worshiping their own way, and believing their own way, but government "by the people, for the people" (yes I know, Abraham again- UGH!) should never favor ANY religion.
Maybe more later- but it's time to do something else... let the lashing begin!
- C
