No, I meant the big G, since in this case I'm using it as a proper name.
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No, I meant the big G, since in this case I'm using it as a proper name.
So the aborting, evolution God. Gotcha. :)
EPA: Like many here I am for the EPA and believe they are necessary. I am less sure about the endangered species act.
Drilling for oil: I am actually pretty neutral about it. I would like to see less subsidies for oil and more focus on alternative fuels. I am more opposed to mountaintop removal for coal because I think it exploits an economically impoverished population. I do think that alternatives should be actively explored not "to save the planet" so much as "to have a system in place when the inevitable shortages occur". I could care less about "sticking it to another country".
Subsidies:This is way too broad a category. For instance I am definitely for the NIH and the NCI. If I or my family had serious medical problems then you bet I would be trying to get care from Bethesda! or one of the NCI or NIH funded centers of excellence. Without subsidies from the US many highly innovative ideas would not exist. There would be no space program, no nuclear power, probably no internet....However, do I see a large need for us to subsidize corn production for fuel and feed (nope).
High incarceration rate: My personal belief is that actions have consequences and that incarceration should serve two purposes. 1) It should not be an entirely comfortable life. 2) Job and lifestyle training, heck as these people are taken from society give them real training in how to hold a job and how to function in society. MUCH of the high incarceration rate has to do with the drug addiction so certainly offer drug rehabilitation programs. As for the death penalty, there are truly evil individuals who exist who should in no way be able to participate in society again. Could I personally be the one to inject even the most vile person with the fluid that stopped their heart? (I don't think so, and I find it difficult to ask another individual to do something that would tear me up morally and emotionally inside.)
War on Drugs: Legalize most illegal substances BUT require mandatory drug tests for job performance and allow employers to discriminate based on drug usage. This is already done with alcohol (pilots take breathalyzer tests etc...).
Tax the Rich- feed the poor: I am unaware of a first world country that does not have some form of a welfare system. I leave it to my conservative colleagues to find a few for me so that I can judge how charity alone works. Do I wish to make welfare a comfortable lifestyle? NOPE make it uncomfortable to be there. Make people work, and make retraining programs available for those who want to get out of "the system". I don't advocate the welfare system because I have a big heart. I advocate a system for the same reason the Romans did it, to pacify the population and increase personal security.
Taxes: I don't feel the current tax rate is onerous, I didn't feel the tax rate before the tax cuts was onerous. I would not be opposed to paying more taxes. I REALIZE I AM FUNNY ABOUT MONEY!!! I simply don't care that much about it (Drives Clay bonkers!). My current standard of living is extraordinary I don't aspire to a better one, I could be perfectly happy with a slightly decreased standard. I do despise waste, and would like better accountability for the money I spend on infrastructure, welfare, medicare and medicaid, etc.... So by all means advocate thrift and accountability but higher taxes are more of just a shrug to me.
In the interest of full disclosure :Household income is in the top 10% according to Highlanders chart thingie.
Gun control: I would like to see more done to stop gun related crimes without inhibiting a citizen's right to own a firearm. I don't think these are two diametrically opposed goals.
War in Iraq: In order to obtain security in Iraq we essentially instituted a welfare/workfare system where we began paying Iraqi citizens to not shoot at us. This irks me, I understand the welfare system and it's necessity internally, but am much less gung ho exporting this to a country with large sources of internal revenue. I personally think there was no reason to begin the war other than a petty man's personal vindictive. I TOTALLY support the war in Afghanistan, it is necessary it is important and we DO need to pay for infrastructure and education in that country for our national security interests.
Vote:I take a bizarre view of this. I believe that any individual that is over 18 has not only the right but the duty to vote and should not be allowed to shirk this duty. I think not voting should be heavily fined, I believe some industrialized countries do this now (haven't done the research though so I could have old data).
Illegal Immigration: Shrug, this issue doesn't keep me up at night. Immigration in general, I am for making it easy for qualified individuals to get citizenship. For border countries I am for granting many more worker status in the form of a visa or card of some sort to people. Then totally crack down on the BUSINESSES and INDIVIDUALS that hire people who are undocumented. People come because there are opportunities for undocumented work make the industry clean up it's act and the workers won't come. To me the answer isn't more fences it is taking away the revenue stream.
Affirmative Action/ Racism etc..: I am more ambivalent of this, like Swae, racism and sexism certainly exist. I was told on more than one occasion in college not to take the hard science classes, to take classes for teachers etc..... I KNOW that I was paid less in my first job than a boy who was hired to do a less skilled job (I KNOW because I did the payroll!) Now I didn't listen to the teachers and I certainly didn't stay at my first job. But I still often use my initials at work so that people don't know right away that I am female. I have witnessed Chinese scientists Americanize their name so that they would be considered for a grant. (Same science just denied for funding if the name sounded Chinese). I am a big proponent of EQUAL OPPORTUNITY how to legislate that I am less sure of.
I tend to be more liberal with social issues. Personally my marriage was a covenant between my God (yup Squid with a capital G) my spouse and me. The government had no part of it. If I were in charge I would take away ALL stipulations on what marriage between adults (yup this would mean polygamists too). I don't think government has a place in my marriage period, for tax and children purposes maybe some sort of legal contract. Maybe not a workable solution yet but this is how I feel.
Abortion rights, I believe this is a terrible and personal and private decision made even worse because of the rampant politicization. To be honest I am not exactly pro choice (I believe in limits). I believe that every male that has had sex with a female without first proposing and getting an acceptance for that offer places a female in a potentially untenable situation. I believe that the time for considering termination for the most part is in the first trimester, later term abortions would have to have special extenuating circumstances. I don't believe life begins at conception, for me the line starts somewhere around 5 or 6 months post conception.
Evolution: I think of this like physics it has nothing to do with my religious beliefs it is a scientific belief. (It doesn't effect my faith in God to believe that he used an ordered set of events like the big bang and evolution to create. Nor do I believe that the Big Bang or Evolution can in any way prove or disprove the existence of God. In my opinion, proof of existence would negate faith and mandate belief taking away man's free will.)
Pie: I love making pies and sending pieces to my friends! In fact it's pie making time again so look for some in a mailbox near you soon!
I realize my beliefs are not in line with most on these forums and I do so enjoy discussing ideas. (One of my favorite in WoW activities was picking a topic and chewing it over with Palooka because we were so often on opposite sides of the fence). We had great conversations and I treasure those.
That is all.
Gotcha, my ass. :-)
Without getting into a theological or philosophical (or grammatical) discussion here, why don't we continue to agree that human rights are inalienable and are merely recognized by some very wise men who ultimately came to a consensus addendum, without which our Constitution could never have been ratified?
I meant "gotcha" in the "I understand" way, not in the "I win" way.
Those wise men believed in God (big G) and not the changeable to suit whatever passing feel-good fancy floats the liberal boat - god. Most liberals I know are proud atheists, either in word or by action (despite their words.) Think Bill Maher if you need a poster-boy. Although I think he's a talentless hack, he is at least intellectually honest with himself.
The country was founded on Judeo-Christian sensibilities, which are now under assault, despite the lip-service and rationalization. We've got a candidate who paints himself as a God-fearing Christian supporting postpartum abortion.
But that's fine. I can deal with the hypocrisy. There's enough of that to go around on both sides. We can agree to your premise on rights, whatever their source.