Summary of political beliefs

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

SOCIAL: somewhat of a libertarian with some Democratic ideas.  All for gay marriage, gay adoption, gay rights.  I believe the government has to do everything in its power to uphold free will on public property, because as much as I feel strongly about people expressing themselves and having the freedom to do what they want as long as they are not hurting anybody, I feel just as strongly for an owner of private property to do what they want in their homes, businesses, once again, as long as they are not hurting anybody.  Very liberal when it comes to censorship, I think anything should be allowed on the air as long as parents and caregivers to children are given a heads up to what's there.  Basically when it comes to that, I love the V-Chip, because any broadcaster can express their free speech and any parent can easily have anything they dont want in their homes blocked.  My views on the rights of private property owners extend to hiring practices.  I think affirmative action is beyond unconstitutional, the government has no right to tell a business who to hire.  But, I'm a big union supporter because I also think it's the workers' right to have fair pay and enough to money to adjust to the growing economy.  I'm liberal on abortion, as I see it as somehting the government can't control and whether or not to bring a life into the world is the parents' choice, not the government.  Strong advocate to the ACLU, one of our country's best organizations.  I'm all for 2nd Amendment rights barring the failure of a psychological test.  Conseratives are right, people kill people, not guns, so we just have to keep guns away from people who kill people.  As for everyone else, if you want to keep an AK47 in your home, fine by me.  Just pass the tests.  I believe the drining age should be lowered to 18, and marijuana legalized.  Hard drugs should stay illegal, because they just simply alter your mind to the point you really have no control, unlike softer casual things (I dont even consider them drugs) like pot and alcohol. Voting age should be lowered to 16, because I think our younger citizens should have a voice.  I'm 100% for a clean environment, as I see it as a right for the next generations to have a clean Earth to live on.  No businesses' profits should come at the expense of our planet.  On religion, I'm as liberal as you get.  Of course, I support peoples' right to practice, but it should be completely out of the government, courts, and schools.  Teaching faith as fact, imposing "God" onto atheists and agnostics, through the pledge and oaths, and justifying rules with religious doctrice are all imfringments on free will and thought in my eyes.  Those who do this are trying to alter the soul and very person the vicitm is, and should be punished.  If I had to some up my social views, you do whatever the hell you want, as long as you are not hurting anybody or anything, or putting someone in danger.  I'm a freedom and rights liberal Democrat. 

ECONOMIC: Basically, I'm all for workers' rights but there are few places where I think it should be up to the owners.  I believe in high taxes on the wealthy, as they should give back to the system that got them where they are to help those who were, by no choice ming you, born into a less desirable situation.  America is the land of oppurtunity no doubt, but many simply cannot help the situation they were born into, and its the responsibilty of the government to help them.  Minimum wage should be reasonable to get by in our society.  The governmentshould support unions, as they are the main defense against oppressive owners and big business bosses who use their position to exploit workers.  Since working and making money is essential in a capitalist society, owners rights to should extend only to hiring and how they run their business.  The workers have the rest of the power beyond that.  They cannot be fired without good reason, and must always be treated fairly as long as the job is getting done.  Basically on the economic side, I'm a populist with one or two libertarian leanings. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I'll redo mine, since I think I'm a little bit different than I was a few months ago, and I think I did a pretty bad job explaining them. 

SOCIALLY

General: Liberal

Total Equality: I believe in this country, the government should be blind to gender, creed, race, disability....whatever, you name it.  Age factors should be the only exception (obviously, a child should not have the same driving rights as an adult). 

Individual comes first: When it comes to social issues, the individual's wants and needs always comes first.  You cannot stop a person from excerising their free will just because the majority doesn't like it, or assumes it will have a negative effect on society.  I strongly believe it is a much bigger responsibility of a free nation to protect the minority rather than always cater to the majority.  I don't care if 99.99999% of the country is against gay marriage, I believe that gay couples' right to enter a marriage as equal as any straight couples' should never put up to a referendum.  Freedom to only the degree a particular group wants it (even if they are the majority), is not real freedom.  Real freedom is the right to your own free will, regardless.  Of course, there are always exceptions.  I advocate legalization of marijuana, but it's no myth that harder drugs are a social disease that destroy neighborhoods.  I basically believe that as long as you are not hurting someone, putting someone is danger, stealing, negatively impacting another, etc. you do whatever the hell you want.  I also believe it is not the government's responsibility to protect an adult from themselves, i.e. the seat belt law is awful and has to go for adults and owners of cars. 

Seperation of Church and State: Has there even been a bigger enemy to freedom than legislated religion? (Not in America, but read up on Europe in the Middle Ages, it's scary) No, not really.  Seperation of Church and State and a secular U.S. is the only way we will ever be truely free.  You simply cannot legislate ones' beliefs.  Of course, freedom to worship in the way you see fit (of course, unless it involves things like sacrifice) is vital to be upheld.  Also, I see no problem with prayer in a public school if everyone in the classroom (and their parents) wants to (and wants them to) participate.  Religious symbols in a public places are a problem though.  Please get the commandments out of the State Court.  I also hate the "America was founded on Judeo-Christian....blah....blah" argument.  It's bullsh**t.  If you make that argument, you obviously know jack about our Founding Fathers.  They were the biggest advocates for a secular America this country's ever seen!

Abortion: Tough, very tough.  I see legal abortions as a necessary evil.  I also think up until close to birth, whether or not the child is brought into the world is up to it's mother.  I also cringe to the thought of going back to the 40s and 50s when women would call up secret abortion doctors who used dirty instruments to perform to procedure, throw themsleves down stairs, hurt themsleves.  Pro-choicers just see the moral argument in a different.  I personally have no problem with Pro-Life people, because yes, abortion is the killing of a human being.  I just see it being legal as a necessary evil, that's all.

Gay Marriage (and marriage in general): Honestly, I don't think it's up to the government to enter people into a spiritual bond.  I think they should hand out equal marriage licenses to anyone (humans) who wants it besides close relatives.  Incest is bad. 

Death Penalty: Only in the MOST serious of violent and sick crimes.  Sorry, if you're the guy who killed a baby girl while raping her......you gotta go assh*le. 

Gun Rights: If you are 18, and you pass a psych test and physical test, THEN you have absolute right to gun ownership.  Why should a psycho be able to just walk into a gun show, buy a rifle for $50 and mow down the next family he sees. 

Freedom of Speech on the airwaves: Proper warnings on free airwaves (certainly less than what we have now though....).  Cable and satellite channels, absolute right to say, do, anything you want.  We have the V-Chip people, I don't even want to hear from a parent again that they can't control their own kid.  Besides, violent/sexual images haven't been proven to have any negative impact.  If you don't understand what you're seeing, you don't understand.  If you do understand, and you go repeat it (violence), that person has pyschological problems that have NOTHING to do with what they saw.  If you play GTA and then go shoot someone, GTA was just the trigger, you had serious problems before you ever flipped the PS2 on. 

I'll do Economic and Foriegn later

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Has there even been a bigger enemy to freedom than legislated religion?

Yes. Quite a few things.

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I'm not entirely sure what your refering to here... certainly most of the various countries, semi-countries, defacto countries, principalities, free cities... etc, etc, etc that made up Mediaeval Europe (if there was such a thing) were "not exactly" free, but that certainly wasn't the main problem...

In many countries in Europe, your rights were basically taken away if you were a Jew.  Name one bigger enemy to freedom that had an impact legislated religion has. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

All issues and concerns:

Correct.