State Your Positions

[minionofmidas]

Abortion:
Legal abortions are nowhere as dangerous as illegal ones, so I prefer them that way.

Iraq:
They had their reasons to go there, they had very little to do with stated reasons. Everybody knew beforehand they were lying about WMDs. Now there are only wrong ways out.

Tax Cuts:
Were totally oversized.

Gun Control:
The government should know exactly who has them. If any of your guns ends up where it shouldn't be, you should be banned from ever having one again. Otherwise, keep roughly as is.

Educations:
Ban all Private Schools.

Religion:
No established religion should run the government.

Homeland Security:
No expert. Abolish the Patriot Act.

Other Civil Liberties:
Keep Affirmative Action. Legalize marajiuana and tax it to death.

Gay Marriage:
Vision: Abolish all state-sponsored advantages of marriage.
Compromise: Allow civil unions - don't care whether they'll be called marriage or no.  

Death Penalty: Abolish. Now. It's a disgrace to America.

Immigration:
Open all borders. Keep a count of who's coming in.

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[??????????]

Iraq:
They had their reasons to go there, they had very little to do with stated reasons. Everybody knew beforehand they were lying about WMDs. Now there are only wrong ways out.

WMDs did and still do exist.

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Why?

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That would destroy the US more then it already is being destroyed by illegal immigration.

[Bono]

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Why?

If anything, we should be banning public schools.

[migrendel]

Portugal rejected a referendum which would liberalize the abortion law 49%-51% a few years ago. There have been some prosecutions of nurses who perform abortions, most notably the case of Maria do Ceu Ribeiro, but they have met with much controversy. For example, the Catholic bishop of Oporto has denounced the prosecutions.

[Bono]

Portugal rejected a referendum which would liberalize the abortion law 49%-51% a few years ago. There have been some prosecutions of nurses who perform abortions, most notably the case of Maria do Ceu Ribeiro, but they have met with much controversy. For example, the Catholic bishop of Oporto has denounced the prosecutions.

Yea, I know that, since I live here. It was a referendum to increase the "window" in which abortion is legal from 12(or 8, whatever, I don't remember), to 16 weeks. Yes, tehre have been prosecutions, but most judges don't give serious sentences for it.

[Brambila]

Bon dia! Como estao voce?

In Portugal Abortion is legal up to 12 weeks and afterwards is legal if the mother is physically or psychologically threatened by carrying the fetus. Somebody said that it's a Catholic country- not as much anymore. No nation in Europe except for Malta, Poland, Andorra, Ireland, and the Vatican are really predominantly Christian. Sure, they might call themselves Catholic, but that's a pretty broad term.

I only wish Portugal was less restrictive of human rights, but I see it highly unlikely that it will change the abortion laws to humanity's benefit. If anything, they will make abortion more common and more legal. Spain also has similar laws as Portugal does.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Educations:
Ban all Private Schools.

great idea!

[classical liberal]

Education: Make parent's raise their children.  If that involves associating with others in their community to build a school and hire teachers then that works, maybe even if it's extrapolated to a county-wide school district.  However, anything beyond that involves undue government intervention.

[classical liberal]

Abortion:
If a sh**tty life is soon to begin it is merciful to prevent that life from beginning.

Iraq:
The Administration should have never lied to get us there.  There are plenty of good reasons other than oil for the invasion.  Saddam was escalating the situation in Palestine.  The presence of an actual Legislature in the old capital of the Arab empire significantly changes he situation in the states of the former Arab Empire.

Tax Cuts:
Should have happened in a manner that reduced the tax code by 10,000 pages rather than by increasing them.  It would be so much easier if the Tax code was 1 line "At the end of each financial year all individuals shall be given 4 months and 15 days to total all of their income and send a copy of their tabulation along with a payment of 15% of that total to the Treasury of the United States."  No tax credits, no special interest giveaways, no loopholes, and no forms; just everyone paying 15% of their income in tax.

Gun Control:
Go by the constitution.

Religion:
Go by the consitution.

Homeland Security:
Make the reforms suggested by 9/11 commission and the Intelligence Committee report.

Other Civil Liberties:
Trash Affirmative Action. Legalize marajiuana.

Gay Marriage:
Marriage is for child raising.  The benfitis of marriage are rewards for people who enter into a relationship that will produce a child.  They are not rights.  While heterosexuals who marry and do not have children are abusing the system, to allow more abuse than is already occurring is unacceptable.  Rather than allow more people to abuse the system, there should be a crack down on those already abusing the system.  Divorce laws should undergo tort reform, etc.

Death Penalty: Should be more widespread.

Immigration:
Make it feasible to immigrate legally and deport everyome who tries to do it illegally.

[cwelsch]

Abortion:

Outright abolition, full right to life from conception.  All risk to the mother's life issues can be treated with caesarean section rather than abortion (widely accepted diagnosis).


Iraq:

It's always justified to kill a dictator and to free a people, but the US should pay restitution to all the victims and victims' families of people it killed, provable terrorists excepted.  I'm rooting for the reconstruction to succeed because I think freedom and democracy will help the world in the long run, but I hate the massive spending associated here since it was derived from involuntary taxation.


Tax Cuts:

More of them, eliminate payroll taxes and eliminate the bottom bracket of the income tax over and over again as we can afford it until it becomes a situation where a good 70 or 80 percent of people pay very little in taxes.  Eventually hope to replace the tax system with user fees, donations and a system of national lotteries.


Gun Control:

Against most of it, although I don't have a problem with violent felons being prohibited from buying guns.  The police can't be everywhere, and so we must take responsibility for our own protection when they can't help us out fast enough.  Just wave a gun at most criminals and they run, usually little need to fire a shot.  Gun control should mean stiff penalties for violent criminals that use guns to committ crimes.


Education:

The Dept. of Ed is unnecessary pork at the federal level, we should pass various measures to provide vouchers to people, and make sure that we open up the area to allow more innovation like charter schools.  We should also scale back tenure so we can fire bad teachers more easily.


Religion:

"...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."


Homeland Security:

Repeal the Patriot Act, downsize or eliminate the Homeland Security Department.  The best way to stop terror is a combination of free trade, democracy promotion, and immigration deregulation.  Free trade and democracy promotion attack the root of terrorism, since undemocratic and anti-market regimes are the source of terror.  Immigration deregulation loosens the job on existing law enforcement and INS officials so instead of trying to stop Mexicans and Haitians that just want to work they can actually find the people that shouldn't be here.  Instead of tracking down harmless illegals that just want access to the US job market, the INS needs to spend its time on known terrorists.


Other Civil Liberties:

We should have all of them.  As long as you don't use force or fraud on others, it's all you.  That's what we should be striving to allow, because that's what every person is oed (the Founders knew it if you read the national debates on the Nnth Amendment).


Gay Marriage:

Privatize marriage, let people do what they want, same as bar mitzvah and baptism.  No need for licenses, and polygamy should be allowed (with adults) as well.  It doesn't hurt us any more than gay marriage.


Death Penalty:

For it, especially for rape and molestation.  I'd be willing to part with it in exchange for extremely difficult prison sentences.  We could also abandon it in exchange for restitutive criminal justice, so you pay back whomever you wrong.

[cwelsch]

valid reasons, but explain how to invade all these nations without the resources and manpower.

"The Congress shall have Power ... To ... grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal"

[minionofmidas]

Iraq:
They had their reasons to go there, they had very little to do with stated reasons. Everybody knew beforehand they were lying about WMDs. Now there are only wrong ways out.

WMDs did and still do exist.

Saddam himself trashed his WMD arsenal in the early '90s before his enemies got it. Some stuff survived, due to chaos caused by the Kuwait war, the uprising afterwards and the US bomb raids. That's what every source with any amount of access said, that's what all the evidence always pointed to. the numbers the US and UK bandied about did not only count every little thing they don't have a 100% proof of destruction of as existent, but also assumed that every factory continued to churn out weapons until the UN got to it - which given the state of most of the things is just manifestly absurd.

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Why?
[/quote] Because they stand in the way of equal opportunity.

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That would destroy the US more then it already is being destroyed by illegal immigration.

[/quote] I'm concerned with the safety and sanity and fairness and prosperity of the Earth, not the prosperity of Europe or the US. We have too much for our own good already.

[WalterMitty]

abortion:
strongly opposed to abortion.  the *only* exception i make is for the life of the mother.

iraq:
a necessary war.  those who believe that saddam didnt pose a threat have their heads buried in the sand.  many of those same people probably believe that arafat is a statesman and   that syria really isnt supporting terrorism.  in short, i believe the best defense is offense.  syria and iran would be mighty nervous if i were president.

tax cuts:
i support any and all tax cuts.  there is no such thing as a bad tax cut.

gun control:
i support most reasonable gun control measures  there are too many guns in the hands of the wrong people.

education:
oppose vouchers.  education should primarily be the responsibilty of states and localities.  however, i do favor limited federal intervention to help level the playing field with regards to poor school districts.  as for busing, sadly it is still necessary.

religion:
oppose school prayer.  oppose public ten commandment displays.  support 'under god' in the pledge,

homeland security:
a bureaucratic mess.  sadly, president bush has caved to those who want more and more government agencies.

civil liberties:
support limited AA.  

gay marriage:
support

death penalty:
strongly opposed to the death penalty

immigration:
support full amensty.  i was disappointed in the half-ass proposal from president bush and with the right wingers in the republican party who seem hell bent on being 21st century george wallaces.

[John Dibble]

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Why?
[/quote] Because they stand in the way of equal opportunity. [/quote]

For the life of me I can't figure out why some people would want to end private schools. Equal opportunity - it's an impossibility, get over it. You want to ban private schools, that doesn't give people equal opportunity - the people who can afford private school will hire tutors for their kids, and those who are rich enough will just hire teachers to home school. I suppose you'd like to ban those in the name of equal opportunity? You want to send kids from good schools to inferior ones for the mere crime of having parents willing to spend money on a better education for their children - how selfless of you. We live in a capitalist society - there will always be those who have better opportunities. If you hate those that are well off so much you should move to a communist nation - they're all about equality.

And just so you know, I went to public school.

[Lunar]

Private schools are great - the government doesn't have to pay for them.

[Beet]

Abortion:
Banned or legal (no exceptions) depending on development (or lack thereof) of the cerebral cortex in the particular fetus. I oppose all the restrictions migrendel opposes, but support laws requiring informed decisions and oppose federal funding for elective abortions.

Iraq:
The positive aspects are outweighed by the negative ones. Particularly, the fraying of alliances, the cost in attention and resources from other areas, the weakening of our moral base and thus international "image", the setup of a puppet government, and the loss of life.

Tax Cuts:
Support low taxes, but they have gone low enough under the Bush presidency. Government revenue as a % of GDP is now at a record low (data available since 1962). Strongly support inheritance taxes, inheritance further perpetuates privilege for a few.

Trade:
Support free trade. Support protectionism in case of national security (military), development of infant industries (very rare cases), or to ward off substantial social unrest (also very rare). Generally support free trade & oppose corporate welfare/subsidies.

Social Security:
Support major overhauls. Raise the retirement age to 67 or privatize a portion of it.

Medicare:
Support moderate tort reform, oppose national health care system. Support prescription drug trade with authorized countries.

Gun Control:
Support the right to own guns except for assault weapons. Support gun registration. Obviously inner cities have different problems with guns than suburbs or rural areas. Concealed carry should be a state and local issue.

Education:
Support educational vouchers for failing schools, but oppose cutting existing spending to public schools. Support mandatory education at an accredited institution. Oppose legalized home schooling.

Religion:
Supports all voluntary, unofficial religious expression in school, including prayer. Support right of teachers to post Ten Commandments in classrooms. Oppose prayer, Ten Commandments, or moments of silence mandated by legislatures.

Homeland Security:
Support, but it should be reformed based on the 9/11 commission findings and have increased coordination and expanded authority over international US operations, such as military and intelligence operations. Should cooperate more with other countries. Should seek primarily to root out the source of terrorism and defeat radical Islam as an attractive intellectual and emotional force.

Civil Liberties:
Oppose race-based affirmative action. Support socioeconomic affirmative action. Support the creation of an executive-level commission reporting annually to Congress on civil rights and race related issues.

Gay Marriage:
Should be a states' issue. No constitutional amendment. Would vote for civil unions in Maryland, not gay marriage.

Death Penalty:
I support the death penalty. Support for the death penalty generally rises and falls with US crime rates. Just as support for social security privatization rises and falls with the stock market.

[The Duke]

Lewis Trondheim,

I don't agree that we should ban private schools.  In the US, most private schools are religious in nature.  A religiously grounded education is important to many parents.  I understand that you wouldn't want to have school vouchers, but I don't understand why you'd want to ban them.  Shouldn't you, as a liberal, support diversity instead of uniform control?

[cwelsch]

Jesus f*$%-ing Christ you guys scare me.  Private schools are fine, some people have specific social or religious views and want to impart them to their children.  We have Catholic schools, hippy-granola schools, vegan schools, right-wing schools, business schools, art schools, charter schools, etc.  They pay for it, what do we care?

It creeps the F%$@ out of me that some people want to ban or coerce the closure of private schools.  That's despotic and authoritarian, jesus christ.  God I hate socialists and the labor party.

Like the goddamned French Revolution around here.  And I mean the Robespeirre Terror, not the 1789 National Assembly part.

[Brambila]

I like you.

[John Dibble]

Well, my way of saying it was a bit more cool and composed, but I think cwelsch sums it up pretty well too.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm glad to see so many others here who hate private schools. Yes, they should either be outlawed, or crippled.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

For the life of me I can't figure out why some people would want to end private schools.

Because so many private schools suck.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Oppose legalized home schooling.

Homeschooling is the last hope for Kentucky's youth.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

For the life of me I can't figure out why some people would want to end private schools.

Because so many private schools suck.

and most have uniforms.

And I totally share your view on school uniforms.

[Keystone Phil]

For the life of me I can't figure out why some people would want to end private schools.

Because so many private schools suck.

I attend a Catholic school and I receive an excellent education. My school sure doesn't suck, Bandit. I'm so happy that liberals like you and BRTD will never be able to tell the parents of this country where they have to send their kids to school.