Listening to music was a bad idea, and I can’t sleep, so I figure I might as well do something constructive.
So I’ll try to explain my political views, and to why I refuse to join a party.
First and foremost of importance to me, I’m anti-death. The term “pro-life” is used to identify people who are opposed to abortions, but there are pro-life people who are in favor of war, capital punishment, and assisted suicide. I am opposed to all of these things. The death penalty is unnecessary. A life sentence in a Supermax prison is worse than a quick escape with a last meal and a needle. If the government kills people, how do they have any kind of moral superiority over the killers themselves? War is only acceptable when it’s out of necessity. In the case of abortion in particular, I want Roe v. Wade overturned, and for states to decide, rather than to ban it outright on the national level. States like California will allow just about any procedure imaginable, and Mississippi do the opposite. The abortion debate has dominated politics for thirty years, and if you were to remove it from the national picture, the country as a whole would be better for it. It’s a very divisive issue that turns normally sensible people into rabid ideologues. I also do not support putting people who want to die and women who seek abortions in jail. They need therapy and our help. Prosecute the doctors who perform them, and make sure they are never able to practice again.
I’m opposed to gay marriage, but I’m in favor of civil unions. However, I’m also in favor of keeping the status quo where the states decide their own paths. Here in New Jersey, we allow civil unions, and we recognize out-of-state marriages as civil unions, but we do not recognize gay marriage. That, I believe, is a fair compromise that other states should look at.
I’m in favor of voluntary environmentalism, but not the green movement. Environmental laws are anti-freedom and un-American. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ will return, that the Antichrist will rule the world, and that the Earth will only end when God himself chooses it. Humanity will not destroy the world, but we can ruin the ecosystem for certain animals, and that’s unfortunate. Smog is disgusting, and we should do what we can to pollute less. That said, greens take the issue way too far. I don’t drive. I take public transportation, walk, or carpool. I also recycle. That’s about all I do for the environment, though. I don’t know what my carbon footprint is, nor do I care.
I love animals, and I deplore animal cruelty. I have never in my life not had at least one pet. I would like to see less brutal methods of killing animals for meat, but I’m against groups like PETA, who kill more animals than any other organization. I am not a vegetarian, as I could never live without eating meat. Although I respect those who take a principled stand against eating meat, I have no respect for phony vegetarians who will still eat chicken or fish.
I believe in free markets and small government. The deficits are disgusting and we need radical overhaul to reverse them. Lower social spending is the key. Abolish the IRS, get rid of income taxes, and create a national sales tax. Social Security will never be solvent when I’m approaching my twilight years, but I’m going to have to pay for it for the rest of my life. That’s unfair. We need to phase it out sooner or later.
Religion is a good thing. Individual extremists who use religion as a weapon are bad. “God” on our money and in the pledge is fine. Prayer in school should be fine as well, provided it is voluntary and does not disrupt class. The War on Christmas is legitimate, but people on the right overreact. It’s largely not a matter of people hating Christianity, but a matter of capitalism and not wanting to offend the minority groups, even though 80% of Americans profess to be Christian, and many Jews and non-religious people still celebrate the holiday. America was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Early Americans actually banned Christmas celebrations because they believed it was a pagan holiday. Thanksgiving was the big holiday back then, and was mainly a religious event.
I consider myself a feminist to some extent, but not the radical definition that has become accepted by the mainstream. I support full equality for women, and equal opportunity for girls. I still wouldn’t want to see women in the MLB or NFL, but it is an absolute disgrace that we have never had a woman President. Margaret Thatcher was the greatest Prime Minister the United Kingdom has ever had, and she was also the only female to hold the job. I tend to gravitate toward strong, opinionated women, even if it often leads to clashing. Good debate is always welcome, it’s just a matter of keeping things civilized.
I am opposed to any sort of racial, sexual, or religious quotas. I am also against hate crimes laws, because “reverse discrimination” is racism just the same. I don’t care if a murderer is motivated by chauvinism, anti-semitism, or homophobia. Murder is murder, and you should be harshly punished for it. While I am a Catholic, I think it is unfortunate that there will soon be six Roman Catholics on the Supreme Court, with two Jews and one Protestant. If one looks at the demographics of the United States, the Supreme Court does not reflect them very well… but I would not suggest a quota system to change that.
I am strongly against illegal immigration and would like a large wall erected to keep people from entering from Mexico, and the same with the Canadian border, but at a later date as it is less of a priority. As with abortions, I believe the best thing to do is to prosecute those who employ illegals rather than the illegals themselves. If they can’t get a job, they’ll deport themselves. Also, take a look at the specific cases. If they speak English, and if they have anchor babies, consider giving them a visa, but put them in the back of the line.
While I do not smoke tobacco or marijuana, I support the rights of people who do. Legalize pot and tax it. Stop marginalizing people who smoke tobacco. If the owner of a restaurant wants to allow smokers in his or her building, that is their business, and their business alone. Smoking and non-smoking sections worked just fine, thank you very much. I am against the legalization of hard drugs like cocaine and meth, though. Throw the dealers in jail for a long time, and clean up the users. If they become repeat offenders, fine the shit out of them so that they can’t afford the drugs.
I have voted for quite a few Democrats on the local level since registering in 2004, but I usually wind up voting for Republicans on the national level. I don’t think I could ever join the Democratic party as it exists today. If I were to run for office, I would probably have to register as a Republican, but I often see my political views as more in line with the Libertarians. If only their platform wasn’t in favor of abortion and gay marriage, I could see myself joining them. Ron Paul is the greatest statesman we’ve had since Reagan.
