I still want to be a Democrat

Some people think that just because you own guns you have to be a Republican. This is hard for me to do, however, because I hold some liberal views.

I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about guns and what I think about gun controls, so I wanted to take a moment and point out some of my more liberal views. Needless to say, come election time, I've been forced to vote both ways on occasion.

First of all, I'm pro-choice. I just do not think that the government has the right to tell people what they can do with their bodies. Pregnancy is a private situation, and it should be a private choice. That said, I think the issue should be up to the states, as I recognize that what people believe in Utah isn't the same as in California.

Gay Rights. Gays should be allowed in the military. They should be able to marry or have civil unions. It's a human right in my opinion, and the arguments against it just do not seem very strong to me. I don't think that gays (or other minorities) should necessarily have more rights than anyone else, but they should at least be on common playing ground as everyone else. Again, since this is one of those very controversial issues, I think it should be left up to the states and not the Federal Government. I am totally against any sort of Federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

The government has no right to dictate what I can or cannot do in my own bedroom amongst consenting adults.

Legalization of drugs: I'm against the drug war, because I think that it has caused more problems (both in our country and abroad) than it has solved. And I'm not just talking about marijuana here, I'm talking about everything. As much as I hate cocaine & heroin, I think they should be legal and regulated so as to take their trafficking out of the hands of hardened criminals. Our criminalization of cocaine has given countries like Columbia decades of bloody civil war and terrorism.

Environmental protection: I'm strongly in favor of protecting the environment. The fishing industry can and should be regulated so as to preserve fisheries from collapse. We should preserve vast stretches of forest for wildlife, and so that we can enjoy these areas! Here is a huge area where hunters & environmentalists can work together. After all, you can't go hunting if there aren't enough places to hunt!

Alternative energy: I am strongly in favor of removing any subsidies for oil, natural gas, and coal. I am strongly in favor of the government providing subsidies & incentives for people to develop, purchase, and install solar & wind power. Our fuel economy standards should be increased for all vehicles. Electric cars & motorcycles can and should be made, and if the government has to browbeat the auto makers into making these vehicles available to the public, then dammit they should. our addiction to foreign oil is helping our enemies. It is giving money to radical islamists and radical socialists in Venezuela. For security reasons alone, we must get away from using oil as much as possible.

Universal healthcare: I'm not yet decided on this issue, but I'm beginning to lean in favor of such a system. If they can make it work in every other industrialized nation (including Israel) then why not here too?

So you can see that with views like this, it is hard for me to vote Republican, but it is also hard to vote Democratic when they are trying to leave me disarmed and vulnerable to maniacs and criminals.

Democrats like Jim Webb do give me hope for the future though, that we can work something out within the party.