North Korean nuclear programs: I love my country. I love its way of life and its people. I love its earned privileges. Unfortunately, other countries want this same culture: an individual culture. They want to be able to research and do what they desire. I cannot deny such demands, but I can limit them. We need to heavily monitor the North Korean government because of a power-hungry leader and an equally hungry populace.
Dependence on foreign oil: We desperately need to drill for more oil while also heavily having companies invest in alternative energy sources. We would motivate them to do so through tax incentives/breaks.
Creation/Evolution: I believe in both creation and evolution. God says that He created man and Earth in 7 days, but never specifies just how long a day is. We perceive a day as 24 hours, but it could be a week, a month, a year, or 3 billion years. He created and then evolution occurred afterward.
Economy: It needs to fix itself by letting market forces repair it and the government needs to stop trying to get involved.
Education: Everyone should have the right to an education. No Child Left Behind is a bit screwy, however.
Separation of Church and State: To a degree. Church shouldn't influence our laws but laws shouldn't influence our religion, either.
Middle East Crisis: We had faulty intelligence when military operations began there. We need to fix the area now that we are there, however. There should be more of a diplomatic approach to the region.
Second Amendment: This is the most ingenious use of language ever used by The Framers; it purposely provides a vague description of firearm rights in the United States. This ambiguity results in the constant debate and special interest over whether to restrict guns or allow them, thus assuring that there will never be an agreement, and a balance of opinion will be sought. Incredible foresight.
Farm Policy: Stop the subsidies.
Stem Cell Research: Embryonic stem cell research, to me, is unethical and wrong; it's taking advantage of human life. There are other methods that work just as well and cost the same while causing no harm to life.
Gay Rights/Marriage: This is an "on the fence" issue. On one side, I have my personal morals telling me that this is wrong, but then I have my kind side telling me to love thy neighbor. I do not think that marriage should be an institution ensured and provided by the government. Some benefits given by the federal government should be removed for marriage in the future.
Immigration: We need to enforce our laws until new ones are made. My brother would call this "normative theory," assuming that the laws, as they are, are correct.
Environment: Protect it while considering the economy.
Health Care: Universal health care is a joke. It is a logistical nightmare and a horrid expense.
Death Penalty: Yup.
Taxes/Cuts: Only when they make good sense. Don't cut when you do not need to and do not tax when you don't have to.
War in Iraq: Based on flawed intelligence, but we need to do as much as we can to help the region while we are there.
Marijuana Legalization: Never. Never. Never.
Partial Birth Abortion: This is a wrong and disgusting thing to do to your child. You burn the baby with saline solution and then kill it while it is living inside of you.
Abortion: A terribly selfish and unethical thing to do. The only cases where this course of action would be justifiable would be in a case of rape; you didn't choose to have sex.
Euthanasia: Again, it is unethical. Suicide is a horrible thing and we should not legalize it.
American Flag Desecration: Allow it, even though I hate the desecration.
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21 comments:
Ben, I thought many of your views were very insightly espeacially about the economy. I know you have a harder time with maintaining your values, while trying to be reasonable on the issues. The fact that you thought the 2nd Amendment was ambiguous was puzzling to me. Would the Founders put an Amendment into the Bill of Rights that simply states the Militia should have guns? That is as stupid as saying surgeons should have surgical equipment. Tax cuts are good Ben. How about some spending cuts? I'm glad you are advocatind diplomacy, espeacially when McCain feels we should not talk with our enemies. I think a state's rights approach is a good way to handle some of the political controversies you mentioned. Any reasoning behind your marijuana hatred? No marijuana even for medical purposes?
Ben, I actually enjoyed reading this post. I feel like a lot of the time you really try to hold the Republican stance simply for the sake of being a Republican. I liked how in this post you admitted that you on the border on a few issues (i.e. Gay Marriage.... you know where I stand). It's definitely easier to understand for views when you explain why you feel the way you do.
I was actually really surprised when i read this, because in class i usually so forcefully disagree with most everything you say. I'm probably being prejudiced, because you're so hardcore republican, and i'm so... not. But i agreed with a lot of the stuff you said.
I looked up Partial Birth Abortion, because i'd never heard of it, and dear lord. I agree wholeheartedly. That is plain murder, i think.
But then i don't completely agree with your stance on regular abortion. Yes, it's selfish, and yes, it is unethical, but i don't think rape is the only case that it's acceptable. What if your child is, no doubt, going to die? Or will have some terrible disease? I really don't think you can make rape the only exception to the rule.
ahh the almight flag desecration issue. I agree with you ben. I hate people doing it but it's a form of protest protected by the goverment. Hate it so much but just got to let things be.
NEVER legalize Marijuana? I think it's bound to happen eventually.
Stem Cell Research: There are other methods that work just as well and cost the same...... Ingham man...i need some examples here you can't just leave it at that, you should have written a full report on the better alternative..come on man
Hey, Lowe. The alternative is using human skin cells. This method does not violate the sanctity of life.
I think that this is a really interesting post, Ben! I am jealous of your stronge beliefs and have opinions on your political orientation. I am still trying to figure this out for myself!
I do believe that we need to find news way to loosen our dependence on not only foreign oil, but oil in general. I think the government should invest more money into research for this.
The economy definitely needs to be reevaluated. However, I do not believe it is as bad as CNN, FOX, etc are saying it is.
Moreover, I am also against universal health care. I think the current candidates are making it sound way too good to be true. It's not realistic.
Also, I am not educated in North Korea, nor do I believe that Americans can only rely on the media to show them "how North Korea is." All I know is that American security is very important, but I don't think that the U.S. should jump into any kind of turmoil or war with them. Especially after the war in Iraq.
I really should hate you but for some reason I don't. I think it's because I remember a time when you were young and innocent and didn't have values and views that I found revolting.
Ben I agree with a lot of your views. But alas, you most likely knew that. I very much enjoyed this post, especially the gay marriage part.
nah man...i think using human skin cells violates my extreme christian morals...you have to think about the life of a skin cell..i dont want to go bustin' out experiments on such a fragile little thing! simple as this...gold jacket, green jacket? WHO GIVES A @$(%&!@$(^!&$^...stem cells, skin cells...there ya go
ben forget about the right to trample the flag! what if i want to excercise my right of life liberty and the persuit of happiness and marijuana will make me happy!!?!? or how about for symbolic speech i want to light up a fat blunt infront of some cops...should i not beable to do this!!?! WHAT THE HECKKKKKKK
I don't think you should draw the line with abortion at rape. In the case of rape (and incest often accompanies in debates), allowing abortion only takes a really bad situation and makes it worse. It is true that the woman shouldn't have to suffer for what the man did, but what about the child? The child shouldn't have to pay for the sins of the father. A child concieved in rape is no less a human being and no less deserving of life than a child concieved in a loving relationship. It doesn't really make sense to be against abortion in all cases except rape, if you argue against abortion from the standpoint that it is a human life that is taken away.
Well, Emily, I am firmly against abortion when it is used as a form of leisurely and voluntary birth control. With rape, you didn't choose to have sex, you were forced to. Abortion seems to be used more often as a first option to get rid of something that you are solely responsible for making. That is when it is wrong in my eyes.
ben ben ben,
u are an interesting fellow. wow. so much to respond about. i agree about the oil! i had to pay $25 and probably only got 1/4 of a tank in my jeep. :(
um whats micro-evolution?
true true about economy and education. like mr smith said, the "no child left behind" doesnt help those who cant be helped with just testing and pushing.
..blah..
firearms... yea i want to keep that amendment.
gay marriage.. its a right to be married and i think anyone should be allowed that right.
anyways..i'm done reading. haha ok bye.
Micro-evolution is the modification and diversification of a species within itself. For example, a long legged horse micro-evolving to a short legged horse. This form of evolution is plausible because it modifies preexisting genetic material and doesn't just jump from one form of life to the next.
If macro evolution (the more commonly-known one) were true, you would have descended from a rock at some point, or so I hear.
You wouldn't have descended from a rock; rocks aren't living. If you want I can go into all the proof for evolution we learned in AP Bio; if not, suffice it to say there's a lot.
But as for abortion, so the only part of it you disapprove of is that people use it excessively and freely?
And what is wrong with the times it puts whenever I post on blogs? It is definitely not 5:37.
As I said, "or so I hear."
The whole point of this is to show that genetic material is passed down from one form of life to another once evolved. It shows how radical macro-evolution is because it requires such broad jumps from stage to stage.
On abortion, yeah. I try not to take a religious view on anything governmental, so my whole argument is that in the beginning, abortion was used as a last-resort, not first-resort birth-control as it is today.
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