The Issues

I found a site the other day that spelled out positions on the current political / moral issues in a succinct format. I found it to be substantially what I believed so I am including a copy here in case anyone desires to know where I stand. It became clear after reviewing them and analyzing which side I was on that I am more of a conservative than I thought. Enjoy:

Abortion

Human life begins at conception. Abortion is the murder of a human being. An unborn baby, as a living human being, has separate rights from those of the mother. Oppose taxpayer-funded abortion. Taxpayer dollars should not be used for the government to provide abortions. Support legislation to prohibit partial birth abortions, called the “Partial Birth Abortion* Ban”(*Partial Birth Abortion: the killing of an unborn baby of at least 20 weeks by pulling it out of the birth canal with forceps, but leaving the head inside. An incision is made in the back of the baby’s neck and the brain tissue is suctioned out. The head is then removed from the uterus.)

Affirmative Action

Individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse-discrimination is not a solution for racism. Some individuals in society are racist, but American society as a whole is not. Preferential treatment of certain races through affirmative action is wrong.

Death Penalty

The death penalty is a punishment that fits the crime of murder; it is neither ‘cruel’ nor ‘unusual.’ Executing a murderer is the appropriate punishment for taking an innocent life.

Economy

The free market system, competitive capitalism, and private enterprise create the greatest opportunity and the highest standard of living for all. Free markets produce more economic growth, more jobs and higher standards of living than those systems burdened by excessive government regulation.

Education – school vouchers & charter schools

School vouchers create competition and therefore encourage schools to improve performance. Vouchers will give all parents the right to choose good schools for their children, not just those who can afford private schools.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Support the use of adult and umbilical cord stem cells only for research. It is morally and ethically wrong for the government to fund embryonic stem cell research. Human life begins at conception. The extraction of stem cells from an embryo requires its destruction. In other words, it requires that a human life be killed. Adult stem cells have already been used to treat spinal cord injuries, Leukemia, and even Parkinson’s disease. Adult stem cells are derived from umbilical cords, placentas, amniotic fluid, various tissues and organ systems like skin and the liver, and even fat obtained from liposuction. Embryonic stem cells have not been successfully used to help cure disease.

Energy

Oil, gas and coal are all good sources of energy and are abundant in the U.S. Oil drilling should be increased both on land and at sea. Increased domestic production creates lower prices and less dependence on other countries for oil. Support increased production of nuclear energy. Wind and solar sources will never provide plentiful, affordable sources of power. Support private ownership of gas and electric industries.

Euthanasia & Physician-assisted suicide

Neither euthanasia nor physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. It is immoral and unethical to deliberately end the life of a terminally ill person (euthanasia), or enable another person to end their own life (assisted suicide). The goal should be compassionate care and easing the suffering of terminally ill people. Legalizing euthanasia could lead to doctor-assisted suicides of non-critical patients. If euthanasia were legalized, insurance companies could pressure doctors to withhold life-saving treatment for dying patients. Many religions prohibit suicide and euthanasia. These practices devalue human life.

Global Warming / Climate Change

Change in global temperature is natural over long periods of time. Science has not shown that humans can affect permanent change to the earth’s temperature. Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions will do nothing to help the environment and will cause significant price increases for all. Many reputable scientists support this theory.

Gun Control

The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Individuals have the right to defend themselves. There are too many gun control laws–additional laws will not lower gun crime rates. What is needed is enforcement of current laws. Gun control laws do not prevent criminals from obtaining guns. More guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens mean less crime.

Health Care

Support competitive, free market health care system. All Americans have access to health care. The debate is about who should pay for it. Free and low-cost government-run programs (socialized medicine) result in higher costs and everyone receiving the same poor-quality health care. Health care should remain privatized. The problem of uninsured individuals should be addressed and solved within the free market healthcare system–the government should not control healthcare.

Homeland Security Airport security

Choosing passengers randomly for extra security searches is not effective. Rather, profiling and intelligence data should be used to single out passengers for extra screening. Those who do not meet the criteria for suspicion should not be subjected to intense screening. The terrorists currently posing a threat to the U.S. are primarily Islamic/Muslim men between the ages of 18 and 38. Our resources should be focused on this group. Profiling is good logical police work.

Immigration

Support legal immigration only. Oppose amnesty for those who enter the U.S. illegally (illegal immigrants). Those who break the law by entering the U.S. illegally do not have the same rights as those who obey the law and enter legally. The borders should be secured before addressing the problem of the illegal immigrants currently in the country. The Federal Government should secure the borders and enforce current immigration law.

Private Property

Respect ownership and private property rights. Eminent domain (seizure of private property by the government–with compensation to the owner) in most cases is wrong. Eminent domain should not be used for private development.

Religion and Government

The phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This prevents the government from establishing a national church/denomination. However, it does not prohibit God from being acknowledged in schools and government buildings. Symbols of Christian heritage should not be removed from public and government spaces (eg., the Ten Commandments should continue to be displayed in Federal buildings).Government should not interfere with religion and religious freedom.

Same-sex Marriage

Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Oppose same-sex marriage.Support Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996, which affirms the right of states not to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states. Requiring citizens to sanction same-sex relationships violates moral and religious beliefs of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others, who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Social Security

The Social Security system is in serious financial trouble. Major changes to the current system are urgently needed. In its current state, the Social Security system is not financially sustainable. It will collapse if nothing is done to address the problems. Many will suffer as a result. Social Security must be made more efficient through privatization and/or allowing individuals to manage their own savings.

Taxes

Lower taxes and a smaller government with limited power will improve the standard of living for all. Support lower taxes and a smaller government. Lower taxes create more incentive for people to work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors. Money is best spent by those who earn it, not the government. Government programs encourage people to become dependent and lazy, rather than encouraging work and independence.

United Nations (UN)

The UN has repeatedly failed in its essential mission to promote world peace and human rights. The wars, genocide and human rights abuses taking place in many Human Rights Council member states (and the UN’s failure to stop them) prove this point. History shows that the United States, not the UN, is the global force for spreading freedom, prosperity, tolerance and peace. The U.S. should never subvert its national interests to those of the UN. The U.S. should never place troops under UN control. U.S. military should always wear the U.S. military uniform, not that of UN peacekeepers.[Opinions vary on whether the U.S. should withdraw from the UN.]

War on Terror/Terrorism

Terrorism poses one of the greatest threats to the U.S. The world toward which the militant Islamists strive cannot peacefully co-exist with the Western world. In the last decade, militant Islamists have repeatedly attacked Americans and American interests here and abroad. Terrorists must be stopped and destroyed. The use of intelligence-gathering and military force are the best ways to defeat terrorism around the world. Captured terrorists should be treated as enemy combatants and tried in military courts.

Welfare

Oppose long-term welfare. Opportunities should be provided to make it possible for those in need to become self-reliant. It is far more compassionate and effective to encourage people to become self-reliant, rather than allowing them to remain dependent on the government for provisions.

Source: Student News Daily

6 thoughts on “The Issues”

  1. I find myself in agreement except on a few points. Marriage is instituted by God, not Government. Man has no say in what Marriage is and because all power rightfully possessed by Government are given it by Man and Man can not give what he does not have …
    And along that same line, since I have not the power to tell you how to prepare for the future, government forcing us into a Social Security program is extortion and tyranny.
    Only one more issue, if one was to study the true and correct history of the Middle East, one may figure out that the greatest world terrorist organizations are agencies of the U. S. Government. Listen to Ron Paul, he knows and has spoken on this.

    1. Hi Doug,

      Thanks for the additional comments. I find since I added this page I have become more moderate and hopefully more tolerate of alternative viewpoints of these and other issues. That’s debatable of course. Some tell me I’m as conservative as ever, others say I’ve changed and “gone over the to the dark side” in embracing other viewpoints. Once must take a stand in life so this is where I have started. I am confident things will change with time. I don’t want people to have any doubts about what I believe on important, current and relevant issues.

  2. It is not true that all Americans have access to health care. Yes, there is the Emergency Room, but many people don’t end up there until it is too late to save them from the consequences of having been unable to afford to see a doctor. I don’t believe in Obamacare as the solution, but I make no bones about the fact that there is a crisis in accessibility and that something should be done to mitigate this, WWJD?

  3. I too was once a conservative, but now consider myself a moderate. I have suffered much and seen too much suffering among those who don’t deserve it. I found that the best of the LDS are those with some flexibility on these issues, not the iron-clad conservative types.

  4. I used to be a stanch conservative – but since become liberal in my ideas of protecting the poor and downtrodden in this country who suffer through no fault of their own.
    Aren’t all the Socialist countries the best countries to live in the world – ie., Sweden. I would rather live in a stable, fiscally conservative socialist country than here in the U.S. Canada, for instance, has never had the violent swings in it’s stock market as has the U.S. in it’s entire history. England, Canada, Australia, and many other countries enjoy a good health care system. Health care is a right – not a priviledge, when it is available only to the rich – as in the U.S.
    The free-market system does not work when we are subject to the will of large corporations that want to dominate and control our wages, work hours, and benefits for their share prices and greed.
    The Pope was right when he declared that global capitalism is slanted towards making the wealthy richer, and keeping the rest of the world in poverty. Capitalism does not work when there is greed and corruption driving profits for the rich. The U.S. is not a free country – many are enslaved by the selfishness and greed in Wall Street and the markets.

    We will only be free when Zion is established and we can go to live there someday.

    1. Great comment. Thanks for adding, especially the last line. It’s obvious that something is not working right in the U.S. these days and is only getting worse. You are so right on about when capitalism does not work – if driven by greed and corruption. I’ve seen it firsthand. I had a previous employer force his employees to make fraudulent insurance claims so he could get rid of merchandise that wasn’t moving. Have I ever shared that I actually dislike the business world. I do and wish I weren’t a slave to it for another 10-12 years. But I am confident we will see events from the heavens that will change everything in the future.

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