I've Been Accused of being Liberal. Okay I'm laying my cards on the table

Okay, I'm in. Here's my two cents:

Gun control -- The only control I would like to add is mandatory safety/responsibility courses, test and registration for all guns. Just like a driving test, half of it is about the consequences of breaking the law, and if you don't pass you don't get your license. I think limiting guns by class (fully automatic, semi-automatic, etc) runs contrary to the 2nd Amendment.

Gay marriage -- I think this is a 14th Amendment issue, not a states matter. States have proved themselves inept in this area anyway and submissive to religious forces. There are hundreds of legal benefits available through marriage, and there is no rational basis to deprive citizens of these benefits based on whether their X and Y chromosome counts match or not. Marriage should be available to all or none.

Abortion -- Woman's choice, period.

Church and State -- Remove Church from State, and keep it that way. "When the power, prestige, and financial support of government is placed behind a particular religious belief, the indirect coercive pressure upon religious minorities to conform to the prevailing officially approved religion is plain. . ." This applies to monotheism too. No "In God We Trust" on our money, no prayer/moment of silence in public schools, no "under God" in mandatory pledge. Decisions about scientific and health policies should be based on the best available scientific data, not on religious doctrine. Public schools should teach with academic integrity and without the promotion of religious preference, belief or slant. No tax-free status for churches or religious organizations unless they can prove they serve a substantial and tangible community service that would qualify them as it would any other non-profit organization.

Taxes -- I agree with HouDat on this though I would raise the floor about 50% above the poverty level.

Foreign policy -- I'll repeat part of what Richard said and then add a little because the issues are way too complex to sum it up with a few lines. If we as a nation decide to engage an enemy militarily, the world should know that we will win. Totally commit, win decisively, help the remaining people rebuild, but let them make their own decisions about how they will proceed. Leaders will emerge. If they decide to be our friends, as Germany and Japan did after WWII, great. If they want to remain an enemy unfortunately, they will be deciding to get the same thing again. To that I would like to add that we shouldn't be engaging anyone until we are fully commited to providing the medical care and benefits our soldiers and their families are promised and deserve.

Education -- This is another complicated area. I don't think the Feds should stay out. The states have proved here too that they are inept in some areas when it comes to providing the free appropriate pulic education to which all are entitled. Look at the history of the American Disabilities Act, IDEA, Brown vs. Board of Education, etc.if you disagree.

Trade -- Free trade with a caveat. There are times/circumstance when something less than free benefits both parties, not just economically. It is in our interest to promote economic stability in certain areas of the world in order to promote civil stability there too. South American comes to mind.

Welfare -- There must be welfare for some. We can't ignore our truly needy and turn them over to Darwinism. I would like to see more programs aimed at helping people get back on their feet. There are a number of good programs outside of government that I think we could learn from. St. Patrick's in St. Louis has a highly successful program that helps the homeless become self-sustaining.

Death penalty -- I am for the death penalty. I do not want to see the appeals process shortened. I would like more funding for and quality of representation in public defenders. Our current system isn't fair.

Social Security -- I don't think social security is as problematic as some would have us think. Moving the retirement age back periodically to adjust for longer life expectancies is fine with me and that should make a huge difference. Going private scares me. There were a lot of private pension funds hurt by Enron and the like.

Energy -- Agree with RebSaint. To that I would like to add that many cities /utility providers should look at Austin and expand on what is being done here. I would also like to see NEV's (neighborhood electric vehicles) MPH be raised from 25 to something more practical for inner city daily use. Without it, we won't likely see many changing from their gas burning cars anytime soon.

Environment -- I agree we need to protect the environment, but I also think that many private land owners are being overregulated on land use. Many individuals are and have been better stewards of the land than some of our government entities.

Immigration -- Fold the hand we have. Legalize as many of those here as we can without disrupting their lives any more than is absolutely necessary and without compromising our economy, safety and security. Then make future immigration easier, and enforce the laws currently on the books. No fence. Use technology.

Civil Liberties -- Civil liberties are getting stomped on left and right. See CHURCH AND STATE, ENVIRONMENT, DEATH PENALTY. GAY MARRIAGE, ABORTION, etc.

What does the above make me, besides ticked off?

EDTI: Well, I looked mine up. I'm a Social Liberal and an Economic Conservative. This puts me in the same corner as Jefferson.

.