Personal Liberties

The function of government is to work in the interest of its citizens, not to infringe upon their personal choices. The least restrictive government that functions in this manner is desirable, leaving as many individual liberties intact as is possible, so long as individuals don't harm the general well-being of society. If we follow our existing constitution and interpret it in a non-partisan manner, only minor tweaks are necessary.

We cannot allow our government to spy on the American public without rigorous independent oversight and a compelling and concrete rationale for doing so. We cannot legislate morality. We cannot infringe on the personal liberties of free speech, assembly, religion, and the right to bear arms in a responsible and lawful manner. We cannot promote democracy at the end of a gun barrel.

We can promote freedom and democracy by example and by succeeding as a nation. We can enforce our constitutional laws. We can do unto all others, as we would have them do unto us regardless of their position and circumstance.

There are people inside and outside of our nation who want to take our liberties away from us; it is incumbent on us as citizens to defend our way of life, but adjust it as necessary to reflect new realities and work toward a more peaceful, humane, prosperous, and free world.

In my view, personal liberties also extend to the rights a female has over her own body to choose to abort a pregnancy during the first six months. In the last trimester, I oppose abortions unless the mother’s life is at risk because the fetus can be viable outside of the womb after that point. I also believe that homosexuality is not something that men or women choose, but is a function of genetics that we need to acknowledge and respect in the same manner that we do with heterosexuals.