A moderates 12 point views.....have fun!

[Xolodno]

1. Against abortion...but still support a woman's right to choose. Believe that education about birth control, free birth control devices, support celibacy education (while knowing that it will not solve the problem), better education about the consequences of unprotected sex, etc. Knowing full well a law against abortion.....will not solve the problem of preventing abortion.

2. Death Penalty...against it. But until you can prove that schizophrenia, alcoholism, bi-polar disorder, etc. can be cured instead of "managed"...don't let the worst offenders out into society. Oh and provide resources to advance the field of mental health.

3. Government Budget....want a balanced budget approach...even if it means more taxes and/or cuts to programs. Tax only or cuts only...is not a balanced approach. And in case of a national crisis...deficit spending is acceptable...followed up by a plan to pay for it later (and yes...that means higher taxes or cuts).

4. Foreign affairs. Stay out of them when possible. Afghanistan was necessary...Iraq was not. Iraq should have been solved by local regional powers.

5. Unions. No problem with them...initially. But they need to recognize that they don't just support the workers...but also should support the employer. That being, instead of an adversarial role, a complementary role...."our workers can help you accomplish xyz goal provided you don't try to under cut them". Also recognize when they have "bad apples" that need to be moved into another line of work. Yes it may sound bad they can't cut it...but...they are not developing all the children to their capability. Not saying to develop merit pay...but rather a more recognizable and cohesive system that realizes whats going on (that being, you can't expect a 6th grade teacher to be responsible for a student that can't operate beyond the 3rd grade level...but instead allows them to say...when a student wasn't qualified to the next level...and allow the case to be reviewed for the chance that student can be helped).

6. Health Care...put in a hybrid single payers system. Everyone pays into it. But if you happen to be "wealthy"...you can purchase private insurance. But should your investment in abc crash and are left broke...you can still fall back on public health care because you still paid into it...while never using it.

7. Safety net....leave it alone. As anyone can be put into a situation where they need it. But...not opposed to means testing, don't need some Wall Street Exec who managed to "conceal" their income and is such an a-hole he/she also decided to dip into "free food".

8. Marriage. Seriously...why does the government recognize this? It's a social and/or religious practice. If they want to promote more procreation....then, just give tax advantages...or even cash payments for people having children...or...the same for adoption in the US so the Joe Taxpayer isn't on the hook. Otherwise...just don't bother with it.

9. Immigration. No one wants to pick lettuce....get over it. But, some are willing to for the right price. So give them guest worker (tax paying) status..and if they decide to stay...make it an equitable program. What's so hard about that?

10. Environment. Yes...protect it, so BP can't just rape oil off the coast and give everyone the finger. But at the same time, if a timber company practices actual regrowth with active management....don't punish them when its time to harvest because a rare owl decided to nest there...instead, give them tax incentives or even payments to leave an area untouched. And if they (the timber company) refuses to practice regrowth for slash and burn...take them to the "cleaners". So they don't either practice their bad habits or just don't exist anymore.

11. NSA. I'm not hiding anything...with that said, I don't think an agency should be able to know when I lay out a massive fart. In short...cull it back...besides we don't need to know when the Queen of England grabs a dildo or when Putin starts whacking off to internet porn.

12. Guns...mentally disturbed people shouldn't have them. Close the freaken loop hole already. Its not perfect...but is a step in the right directon.

[Lasher]

1. 5. Unions?

You seem to be thinking specifically of teachers' unions but you don't say that in this paragraph's title.

[MineralMan]

2. I think you're going to get a "cold" shoulder on these

views. They don't seem all that moderate to me, for the most part.

[treestar]

3. That does sound like most people in the US

Explains why we get the elected officials we get. To me that seems to lean a little left, but I am overexposed to right wingers.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Most of that sounds pretty far right. Unions, marriage, choice...all only 'moderate' if you mean

'Republican Moderates'. A Union should work for the employers? That's not just right wing, it is just delusional. And choice? I don't give a shit what you are 'against'. I'm for choice in reproductive matters without any equivocation, that means that if you are 'against' it you are free to make the choice to avoid it. The bottom line for liberals is that any government that can say you can't have an abortion also has the right to say that you must have one. Moderates and conservatives who put asterisks next to choice believe the State should control our bodies, which is why they also refuse to support marriage equality and find some verbiage about being against all marriage. Most who say that are married themselves. Are you married?