What one issue matters most to you?

[Mikem]

1) Free Trade
2) Ending welfare state
3)Taxes
4)Moral Issues - Abortion/gay marriage
5) universal heathcare - NEVER!

[Erc]

Social Security / Taxes, followed by Foreign Policy concerns, followed by Education.

I don't care a jot about "social issues."  I mean, I don't particularly feel comfortable with the idea of gay marriage, I have qualms about abortion, and I support the right to bear arms (although I'd never own a gun myself).  So, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

[CARLHAYDEN]

The right to keep and bear arms.

Leave my firearms alone and we can talk.

Try to take my firearms, and I have a pretty good idea of what you intend to do next.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Out West we have a different view of Unions.

unions should be allowed to do whatever they want.

Oh should they?  If you knew what that acctually meant, you might be wistling a different tune.

He's from Eastern Kentucky originally. He probably knows exactly what that would mean.

[John Dibble]

Those benefits aren't rights.

Why should we have to give out civil unions, when you're the ones in the extreme minority?

The civil unions Lunar mentioned would be for everyone, not just homosexuals. Government marriage is not the same as religious marriage - it requires no love, no religious beliefs, nothing of that nature, and it can almost always be ended by divorce. Government marriage is essentially just a civil contract between two people, a civil union. There is one definition/set of rules regarding marriage in every state, it is uniform throughout regardless of where the marriage is performed.

Religious marriage is different - different churches require different things. Some churches don't recognize marriages performed outside their own faith, some do. Different churches have different rules governing behavior within a marriage. Different churches have different rules regarding divorce, some not recognizing divorce at all. Each one defines marriage differently through their own beliefs and rules, not uniform regardless of what the government's law says.

To me, this makes the two very different things, and they should be clearly seperate.

As far as the benefits brought on by government marriage, you are right in saying that some of them are not rights, however I think some of them are, in a sense. I do not have the right to visit anyone I want in the hospital emergency room - however, I should have the right to determine who I wish to allow if I am the one being treated. As things stand, homosexual couples can't normally do this - they are not married, nor are they family by law, so they can't go in to see their partner. Heterosexuals can get married, so this isn't a problem for them. Then there is inheritance - I don't have the right to inherit everything I want, but I have the right to determine who inherits my possessions and money after I die. Right now homosexuals can put their partners in their wills, but often this is contested by the deceased's family members, who end up getting the inheritance even though it goes against the deceased's wishes. Once married, heterosexuals automatically get inheritance rights, and the family can't change that even if they don't approve of the partner. There needs to be equal ways for homosexuals to gain these benefits for their own partners, and 'marriage' is the only way right now that could be concrete enough to do it.

Also, these relationships are not 'jokes' as you imply them to be. They are very serious relationships. Some are 'jokes', true, but the same can easily be said of many heterosexual relationships - yet the joke hetero relationships can get married all the same, and we are 'forced to recognize' these pathetic excuses for marriages regardless. But you know what, I don't recognize such 'marriages' as marriages just because the government permits them - nobody can force me to believe that such relationships are what real marriages are supposed to be. When I find the woman I love, there will only be two people's opinion on the marriage I really care about - her's and mine, anyone else who does or does not wish to recognize our love is irrelevant. I am not so weak as to define my own relationships by the standards of others, I will be the one to determine their meaning - not you, not the government, nor anyone else.

The right to keep and bear arms.

Leave my firearms alone and we can talk.

Try to take my firearms, and I have a pretty good idea of what you intend to do next.

I was having trouble thinking of my most important issue until you mentioned this. The people having the means to fight back against an oppressive government, should the need arise, is the most important thing of all, and is the last line of defense for freedom. Once it is lost, loss of freedom will inevitably follow.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Poverty, Economic Development/Regeneration, Healthcare

[Gustaf]

Hm, one issue would probably be something obvious, such as respect for fundamental individual freedoms. I'd say something along the lines of every person's basic rights to their own life.

After that probably democracy and stuff like freedom of the press. A tolerant society, freedom of religion...I could go on for a long time until I get to trivial things like tax rates or gay marriage.

[Inverted Things]

Most important for me is environment. Second most important is cutting down the world population. Third most important is 'nucular' disarmament.

[Storebought]

The War in Iraq. Kill the barbarian scum, and marginalize their European (French) enablers. Glad to see President Bush setting his priorities straight at the beginning of his second term

[Lunar]

That was pretty eloquent John.

While I value having a gun (I feel full assault weapons should be legal), I'm not certain that mass tyranny necessarily follows gun control.  There is no real potential for the complete banning of weapons either, simply slight increases in the regulation.  That's why it's far down on my list of immediate priorities.

[A18]

Anyone should be able to decide who visits them in the hospital, or who gets their money when they die.

What does any of that have to do with the gay marriage joke?

[Lunar]

Anyone should be able to decide who visits them in the hospital, or who gets their money when they die.

What does any of that have to do with the gay marriage joke?

Read his post again.  John clarified their intertwinement pretty clearly.

[A18]

You don't/shouldn't have to be married to someone to let them visit you in the hospital or to give your money to that person. I really don't see the connection.

[Horus]

Moral issues aka keeping the government out of people's personal lives.

[Lunar]

You don't/shouldn't have to be married to someone to let them visit you in the hospital or to give your money to that person. I really don't see the connection.

Ok, so you support giving out civil unions with the exact same benefits as marriage but without the name?

Why not call it all by the same name and leave marriage to the churches?

[Defarge]

Right now War in Iraq and War on Terror, followed closely by trying to solve the economic injustices within America.

[A18]

You don't/shouldn't have to be married to someone to let them visit you in the hospital or to give your money to that person. I really don't see the connection.

Ok, so you support giving out civil unions with the exact same benefits as marriage but without the name?

Why not call it all by the same name and leave marriage to the churches?

No. I don't think you should go get a "civil union" for this stuff. You should just be able to declare whoever you want to be able to visit you in the hospital. I wasn't even aware that you couldn't do that.

For inheritance, I'm almost 100% certain you can give your money to whoever you want.

Only married people should be able to adopt.

[12th Doctor]

Out West we have a different view of Unions.

unions should be allowed to do whatever they want.

Oh should they?  If you knew what that acctually meant, you might be wistling a different tune.

He's from Eastern Kentucky originally. He probably knows exactly what that would mean.

So then he approves of beatings, kidnappings, poisoning of pets and blowing up cars then?

[Nym90]

Gay Marriage...

HAHAHA  sorry, couldn't even hold my laughter for a couple of seconds.


Seriously, though, aside from Iraq and the War on Terror... Education is my top priority.

I fail to see what is humorous about the concept of marriage, but that's just me.

As for my top issues: Education (improving the efficacy of public education and strengthening the ability for teachers to do their jobs), the environment (alternative energy sources, reducing dependence on oil), increasing the accountability and efficiency of government, poverty, economic development of disadvantaged areas.

[12th Doctor]

Most important for me is environment. Second most important is cutting down the world population. Third most important is 'nucular' disarmament.

What exactly do you mean by "cutting down the worlds population"?

[12th Doctor]

Gay Marriage...

HAHAHA  sorry, couldn't even hold my laughter for a couple of seconds.


Seriously, though, aside from Iraq and the War on Terror... Education is my top priority.

I fail to see what is humorous about the concept of marriage, but that's just me.

As for my top issues: Education (improving the efficacy of public education and strengthening the ability for teachers to do their jobs), the environment (alternative energy sources, reducing dependence on oil), increasing the accountability and efficiency of government, poverty, economic development of disadvantaged areas.

Geez... have a snese of humor.  I only said that because I knew that it would be mentioned by someone.  People make way to big a deal out of the issue, on both sides.

[Nym90]

Out West we have a different view of Unions.

unions should be allowed to do whatever they want.

Oh should they?  If you knew what that acctually meant, you might be wistling a different tune.

He's from Eastern Kentucky originally. He probably knows exactly what that would mean.

So then he approves of beatings, kidnappings, poisoning of pets and blowing up cars then?

That's hardly "typical" union behavior.

Obviously I don't agree with his statement, I feel that unions and management should be a check and a balance against each other, but I feel that the pendulum has, in many cases, swung too far toward management. Unions have brought many rights to workers that management would have never voluntarily given, things that we mostly take for granted today.

[Nym90]

Gay Marriage...

HAHAHA  sorry, couldn't even hold my laughter for a couple of seconds.


Seriously, though, aside from Iraq and the War on Terror... Education is my top priority.

I fail to see what is humorous about the concept of marriage, but that's just me.

As for my top issues: Education (improving the efficacy of public education and strengthening the ability for teachers to do their jobs), the environment (alternative energy sources, reducing dependence on oil), increasing the accountability and efficiency of government, poverty, economic development of disadvantaged areas.

Geez... have a snese of humor.  I only said that because I knew that it would be mentioned by someone.  People make way to big a deal out of the issue, on both sides.

Sorry, it's not always easy to pick up on stuff like this over the internet.

I see what you mean now, that it's funny for that to be the most important issue to someone, you weren't laughing at the concept itself. I can understand why it would be a very important issue for someone who is gay, however, and I feel that equal rights for all people is very important, even if it doesn't affect me personally. So while it's not my top issue, it's definitely important to me.

[12th Doctor]

Out West we have a different view of Unions.

unions should be allowed to do whatever they want.

Oh should they?  If you knew what that acctually meant, you might be wistling a different tune.

He's from Eastern Kentucky originally. He probably knows exactly what that would mean.

So then he approves of beatings, kidnappings, poisoning of pets and blowing up cars then?

That's hardly "typical" union behavior.

Obviously I don't agree with his statement, I feel that unions and management should be a check and a balance against each other, but I feel that the pendulum has, in many cases, swung too far toward management. Unions have brought many rights to workers that management would have never voluntarily given, things that we mostly take for granted today.

Eric, I have explained this to you before.  Trust me, my Uncle is a union President.  This is typical union behavior.

[A18]

Gay marriage has absolutely nothing to do with equal rights.