ISSUE
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LIBERAL
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CONSERVATIVE
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Abortion
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A woman has the right
to decide what happens with her body. A fetus is not a human life, so
it does not have separate individual rights.The government should provide
taxpayer funded abortions for women who cannot afford them.The decision to
have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body
and the government must protect this right. Women have the right to
affordable, safe and legal abortions, including partial birth abortion.
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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.)
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Affirmative Action
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Due to prevalent
racism in the past, minorities were deprived of the same education and
employment opportunities as whites. The government must work to make up
for that.America is still a racist society,
therefore a federal affirmative action law is necessary. Due to unequal
opportunity, minorities still lag behind whites in all statistical
measurements of success.
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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.
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Death Penalty
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The death penalty
should be abolished. It is inhumane and is ‘cruel and unusual’
punishment. Imprisonment is the appropriate punishment for
murder. Every execution risks killing an innocent person.
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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.
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Economy
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A market system in
which government regulates the economy is best. Government must protect
citizens from the greed of big business. Unlike the private sector, the
government is motivated by public interest. Government regulation in
all areas of the economy is needed to level the playing field.
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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.
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Education - school vouchers
& charter schools
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Public schools are the
best way to educate students. Vouchers take money away from public
schools. Government should focus additional funds on existing public
schools, raising teacher salaries and reducing class size.
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School vouchers create
competiton 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.
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Embryonic Stem Cell Research
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Support the use of embryonic
stem cells for research. It is necessary (and ethical) for the government
to fund embryonic stem cell research, which will assist scientists in
finding treatments and cures for diseases.An embryo is not a human. The tiny
blastocyst (embryos used in embryonic stem cell research) has no human
features. Experimenting on embryos/embryonic stem cells is not murder.Embryonic
stem cells have the potential to cure chronic and degenerative diseases
which current medicine has been unable to effectively treat.Embryonic stem
cells have been shown to be effective in treating heart damage in mice.
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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.
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Energy
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Oil is a depleting
resource. Other sources of energy must be explored. The
government must produce a national plan for all energy resources and
subsidize (partially pay for) alternative energy research and production.Support
increased exploration of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar
power.Support government control of gas and electric industries.
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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.
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Euthanasia
& Physician-assisted suicide
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Euthanasia should be
legalized. A person has a right to die with dignity, by his own choice. A
terminally ill person should have the right to choose to end pain and
suffering. It is wrong for the government to take away the means for a
terminally ill person to hasten his death. It is wrong to force a person to
go through so much pain and suffering. Legalizing euthanasia would not lead
to doctor-assisted suicides of non-critical patients.Permitting euthanasia
would reduce health care costs, which would then make funds available for
those who could truly benefit from medical care.
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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.
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Global Warming/
Climate Change
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Global warming is
caused by an increased production of carbon dioxide through the burning of
fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). The U.S. is a major
contributor to global warming because it produces 25% of the world’s carbon
dioxide. Proposed laws to reduce carbon
emissions in the U.S. are urgently needed and should be enacted immediately
to save the planet.Many reputable scientists
support this theory.
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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.
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Gun Control
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The Second Amendment
does not give citizens the right to keep and bear arms, but only allows for
the state to keep a militia (National Guard). Individuals do not need
guns for protection; it is the role of local and federal government to
protect the people through law enforcement agencies and the
military.Additional gun control laws are necessary to stop gun violence and
limit the ability of criminals to obtain guns.More guns mean more violence.
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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.
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Health Care
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Support free or
low-cost government controlled health care.There are millions of Americans
who can’t afford health care and are deprived of this basic right.
Every American has a right to affordable health care. The governement
should provide equal health care benefits for all, regardless of their
ability to pay.
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Support competetive,
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 governement-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.
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Homeland SecurityNOTE – there are
many facets to Homeland Security. This entry focuses on airport
security.
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Airport security –
Passenger profiling is wrong, period. Selection of passengers for
extra security screening should be random. Using other criteria (such
as ethnicity) is discriminatory and offensive to Arabs and Muslims,
who are generally innocent and law-abiding.Terrorists don’t fit a profile.
“…Arabs, Muslims and South Asians are no more likely than whites to be
terrorists.” (American Civil Liberties Union ACLU)Asked on 60 Minutes if
a 70-year-old white woman from Vero Beach should receive the same level of
scrutiny as a Muslim from Jersey City, President Obama’s Transportation
Secretary Norman Mineta said, “Basically, I would hope so.”
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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. “If
people are offended (by profiling), that’s unfortunate, but I don’t think we
can afford to take the risk that terrorism brings to us. They’ve wasted
masses of resources on far too many people doing things that really don’t
have a big payoff in terms of security.” – Northwestern University
Aviation Expert A. Gellman.
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Immigration
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Support legal
immigration. Support blanket amnesty for those who enter the U.S.
illegally (undocumented immigrants). Also believe that
undocumented immigrants have a right to:
– all educational and health benefits that citizens receive (financial aid,
welfare, social security and medicaid), regardless of legal status.
– the same rights as American citizensIt is unfair to arrest millions of
undocumented immigrants.
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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.
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Private Property
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Government has the
right to use eminent domain (seizure of private property by the
government–with compensation to the owner) to accomplish a public end.
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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.
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Religion and Government
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Support the separation
of church and state. The Bill of Rights implies a separation of church
and state. Religious expression has no place in government. The
two should be completely separate. Government should not support
religious expression in any way.All
reference to God in public and government spaces should be removed (eg., the
Ten Commandments should not be displayed in Federal buildings).Religious
expression has no place in government.
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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.
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Same-sex Marriage
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Marriage is the union
of people who love each other. It should be legal for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender individuals, to ensure equal rights for all.
Support same-sex marriage.Opposed
to the creation of a constitutional amendment establishing marriage as the
union of one man and one woman. All individuals, regardless of their
sexual orientation, have the right to marry.Prohibiting same-sex citizens
from marrying denies them their civil rights. [Opinions vary on whether
this issue is equal to civil rights for African Americans.]
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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.
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Social Security
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The Social Security
system should be protected at all costs. Reduction in future benefits
is not a reasonable option. [Opinions vary on the extent of the current
system's financial stability.]
Social Security provides a safety net for the nation’s poor and needy.
Changing the system would cause a reduction in benefits and many people would
suffer as a result.
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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 privitization and/or allowing
individuals to manage their own savings.
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Taxes
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Higher taxes
(primarily for the wealthy) and a larger government are necessary to address
inequity/injustice in society (government should help the poor and needy
using tax dollars from the rich). Support a large government to provide
for the needs of the people and create equality. Taxes enable the
government to create jobs and provide welfare programs for those in
need. Government programs are a caring way to provide for the poor and
needy in society.
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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.
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United Nations (UN)
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The UN promotes peace
and human rights. The United States has a moral and a legal obligation
to support the United Nations (UN). The U.S. should not act as a
sovereign nation, but as one member of a world community. The U.S.
should submit its national interests to the greater good of the global
community (as defined by the UN).The
U.S. should defer to the UN in military/peacekeeping matters.The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations
Security Council the power and responsibility to take collective action to
maintain international peace and security. U.S. troops should submit to
UN command.
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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.]
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War on Terror/Terrorism
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Global warming, not
terrorism, poses the greatest threat to the U.S., according to Democrats in
Congress.Terrorism is a result of arrogant U.S. foreign policy.Good diplomacy
is the best way to deal with terrorism. Relying on military force to
defeat terrorism creates hatred that leads to more terrorism.Captured
terrorists should be handled by law enforcement and tried in civilian courts.
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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.
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Welfare
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Support welfare,
including long-term welfare.Welfare is a safety net which provides for the
needs of the poor. Welfare is necessary to bring fairness to American
economic life. It is a device for protecting the poor.
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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.
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