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[bilmore]

Originally posted by Spanky
What the hell has happened to this board? What does it take to get a rise out of people? Why don't we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya?

First I hit the liberals and then the conservatives and not even a wimper.

I am going to try the shotgun approach. Here are the principles of my organization. Anyone that disagrees with them is a MORON. That is right - totally and utterly ignorant. Here they are: either agree with them or consider yourself stupid.

1. An individual's reproductive system is none of the government's business. Those who oppose abortion should not use the government to deny others access to safe abortions. Reducing abortions in this country is best achieved by reducing unwanted pregnancies, not by making it illegal (which will simply change the location of abortions from the hospital to the back alley).
2. Government should not prevent contraceptive distribution, nor prevent teaching adolescents the causes of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. These efforts, along with encouraging abstinence among our teenagers, are the best ways to reduce unwanted pregnancies, and therefore, abortions.
3. In our society there should be a strict separation of church and state. Current efforts to prohibit abortion, and virtually end birth control, are thinly disguised efforts by certain religions groups to impose their religious beliefs on others.
4. It is imperative our government establish the framework to preserve our Earth for future generations. This goal is compatible with a growing capitalist economy and it is our duty to make it happen.
5. Education should be a top government priority. The government should pursue strict standards in education, including student testing and effective teacher evaluation. The educational curriculum should focus on the core academic disciplines of reading, writing and arithmetic. There should be no social promotion for students, incompetent teachers should be dismissed, and competent teachers should receive a decent and fair salary.
6. Discrimination is wrong. No person should be denied the American dream on the basis of race, gender, creed, national origin, income level, or sexual orientation. Further, quotas and preferences are fundamentally in conflict with this belief.
7. The government should keep taxes as low as possible.
8. The government should not interfere in the economic activity of its citizens unless absolutely necessary. There should be absolutely no subsidies or price controls of any kind as the government should be a catalyst for wealth creation not wealth re-distribution.
9. The government should exercise a strict fiscal policy of balanced budgets and a monetary policy focused on low inflation and a sound dollar.
10. The federal government should continually and persistently pursue international treaties that promote free markets and human rights throughout the world.
11. The government should focus on maintaining and expanding our county’s infrastructure, as this is one of the best ways the government can contribute to economic growth.
12. The federal government should spend a sufficient amount of money on defense so we can insure the security of our nation and keep all our commitments to all our allies. The federal government should focus its resources on the construction of a missile defense system because the first priority of any nation should be the protection of its citizens.
13. The government should also protect its citizens from internal threats, by stopping the vast proliferation of assault weapons and other firearms. This position does not conflict with the second amendment and it enables us to enjoy our personal freedom to pursue happiness without fear.
14. The medical sector of our economy should not be socialized and only medical doctors (not bureaucrats, insurance company representatives or non-medical HMO personnel) should determine which sort of treatment is best for their patients.
15. All law enforcement organizations should be well funded and supported by the community. The government's priority should be community policing and victims’ rights. Our laws should provide for a life sentence for those who commit three violent felonies or sex offenses.
16. Valid and probative evidence should not be excluded from a criminal trial based on technicalities. The exclusionary rule is not in the U.S. Constitution, and the courts should stop pretending it is.
17. Treatment as opposed to incarceration is the best way to deal with all drug possession offenders.
18. The proliferation of lawsuits in this country has damaged our economy and benefits trial lawyers at the expense of the rest of community. Steps should be taken to insure that frivolous and groundless lawsuits are dismissed from our courts and all cases should be diverted to mediation and/or arbitration rather than proceeding directly to trial.

Okay.

I guess.

That's one viewpoint.

Hey, who am I to argue with you?

You may be right.

There's a lot of sense to what you said.

I'll have to think this one over.

(And, my favorite: )

There's really no "right" or "wrong" for these issues, and your opinion is as valid and important as anyone's.