Evidently my last post hurt some feelings and caused some folks in my life to get upset. This is why I don't normally blog about politics. I was concerned that my last post would ruffle feathers, and it did. That was TOTALLY not intentional.
My Dad's a staunch Republican.
My Uncle's a strong Democrat (I'm truly VERY sorry if calling you a liberal was a faux pas -- evidently I don't know what's the difference between a Liberal and a Democrat -- yet ANOTHER reason I should just stay off this topic).
I love both of these men dearly.
Even so, I truly feel that when it comes to government, IN MY OPNION, "less is more". I'm not one of those "drop off the grid and move to Montana and build my own compound" libertarians, but I really do think that the Libertarian philosophy meshes better with my current point of view.
Heck, at this point, if I was still a Republican, what good would it do? When was the last time NY went for a Republican president? I think we're pretty darn blue around these parts. I know it's not PC to say "my vote doesn't count", but in New York State, when it comes to national elections, it really doesn't. The state will go overwhelmingly Democrat whether you like it or not.
So that's it. Probably my last political post. I won't make any guarantees, but I don't think I want to ruffle any more feathers.
(I never thought changing political parties would make so many people so upset. I guess I was naive.)
In closing, I will remind everyone who was so upset at my last post of a quote that is thought to summarize Voltaire's point of view: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." (Specifically, it was written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall (pseud. S. G. Tallentyre) in the biography "The Friends of Voltaire" in 1906.) I just hope the people in my life can find it in their hearts to give me this latitude. I am, after all, a work in progress.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Coming out of the (POLITICAL) closet...
Well, I was raised in a Conservative Republican Home. My dear uncle (I really do love him dearly) is a raging (raving?) Liberal. I actually really like hearing both sides of the debates and issues. I don't only want to hear things from people who agree with me. It gets boring.
Although I've been a registered Republican for 20 years, I've come to believe that NO single political party really "fits" my beliefs. I have been feeling a bit of "drift" away from the Republican party line for quite some time now, and didn't feel comfortable still officially carrying that label. And I have always known I'm not a Democrat.
I did some research. I did some soul-searching.
And I came to the conclusion that I'm a rare breed: a pro-life Libertarian. And yes, I think you can be both pro-life AND a Libertarian.
You see, I believe that abortion is wrong. I really do believe it is murder. HOWEVER, I don't believe I have the RIGHT to press that belief onto someone else. This issue was the LAST thing tying me to the Republican party, and a few months ago, I realized that my belief that you can have a moral belief without trying to legislate and impose that morality on others is exactly what makes me a Libertarian (in my opinion).
And I don't believe that repealing Roe v. Wade is the way to reduce the number of abortions performed in this country. Personally, I believe that the BEST way to reduce the number of abortions in this country is education (including pregnancy PREVENTION first and foremost). And I REALLY think that everyone involved -- both "pro-life" and "pro-choice" -- would agree that everyone would be better off if we could reduce the number of abortions (no one LIKES abortion!).
I think that before someone has an abortion, they should have a sonogram (preferably one of those newfangled 3-D sonograms) so they KNOW what they will be aborting. A woman should know exactly how developed her baby is (what organs have formed, what functions and processes have already started in its tiny body, etc) so that she can make an informed choice. I believe that funding for places like Planned Parenthood should not exceed the funding for places like CareNet (http://www.care-net.org/). In fact, I think everyone would be well-served if these two groups could find a way to work together.
The funny thing is, I remember when I was a kid, my friends' dad was a Libertarian and we thought he was NUTS (politically). What irony.
Although I've been a registered Republican for 20 years, I've come to believe that NO single political party really "fits" my beliefs. I have been feeling a bit of "drift" away from the Republican party line for quite some time now, and didn't feel comfortable still officially carrying that label. And I have always known I'm not a Democrat.
I did some research. I did some soul-searching.
And I came to the conclusion that I'm a rare breed: a pro-life Libertarian. And yes, I think you can be both pro-life AND a Libertarian.
You see, I believe that abortion is wrong. I really do believe it is murder. HOWEVER, I don't believe I have the RIGHT to press that belief onto someone else. This issue was the LAST thing tying me to the Republican party, and a few months ago, I realized that my belief that you can have a moral belief without trying to legislate and impose that morality on others is exactly what makes me a Libertarian (in my opinion).
And I don't believe that repealing Roe v. Wade is the way to reduce the number of abortions performed in this country. Personally, I believe that the BEST way to reduce the number of abortions in this country is education (including pregnancy PREVENTION first and foremost). And I REALLY think that everyone involved -- both "pro-life" and "pro-choice" -- would agree that everyone would be better off if we could reduce the number of abortions (no one LIKES abortion!).
I think that before someone has an abortion, they should have a sonogram (preferably one of those newfangled 3-D sonograms) so they KNOW what they will be aborting. A woman should know exactly how developed her baby is (what organs have formed, what functions and processes have already started in its tiny body, etc) so that she can make an informed choice. I believe that funding for places like Planned Parenthood should not exceed the funding for places like CareNet (http://www.care-net.org/). In fact, I think everyone would be well-served if these two groups could find a way to work together.
The funny thing is, I remember when I was a kid, my friends' dad was a Libertarian and we thought he was NUTS (politically). What irony.
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