Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The "Social" issues

The last piece in my series on a Republican platform.
What to do about the social issues. My answer is no surprise. No big changes.
The Republicans gain more votes then they loose by supporting Pro Life, Pro family. Conservative social values. Survey after survey has shown this. For instance single issue pro-life voters outnumber single issue pro-choice voters 2 to 1. Most of the people who support liberal social policies and vote Democrat are not going to start voting Republican if the Republicans abandon those issues. Conversely a large number of Republican voters will stay home or migrate to third parties if the Republican party abandons conservative social causes. I am not arguing that this makes sense I am only stating facts.
The Republicans do have to do a better job of explaining their views but that's another issue.
On the two big ones I would try to accommodate some tweaking and too that end I have a massage to my religious conservative friends.
I have been thinking about what Cal Thomas has been saying. He is right to a point. I do not think the Christian Right should abandon politics but morality does not follow the law the law follows morality. So you should spend more time on convincing the the world to be moral and then the laws will follow.
Also think in increments. Abortion is a good example. An overwhelming number of Americans support abortion restrictions except where the life of the mother is at stake or in cases of incest and rape. We loose them when we insist that it be restricted in those instances too. I am not saying morally you are wrong to restrict it in cases of Rape and incest but that only accounts for what 1% of all abortions, Wouldn't it be great if we could stop 99%. We might be able too if we convinced the public we were the moderates on the issue by taking that circumstance off the table. Do that and eventually people will come to see it our way on the rest.
Another big one Homosexuality . NO one should be discriminated against in housing and employment and government should not be telling people what to do in their bedrooms. We should say that. However we should also say that it is not the governments job to give affirmative approval to a lifestyle that a majority believes is of questionable morality. That is an important distinction.
The Republican party and the Christian right need to discuss openly and come to terms with how theses issues are presented but it would be a great mistake for them to part ways.

8 comments:

ambrosiajr said...

I have said it before SOL, you guys should stay away from social issues in these trying times. Its just not that important to the electorate. You want to win, stop trying to legislate morality.

Also, have you by any chance read up on how you are born either being straight or gay? While not conclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that that is the case..Its not a choice. Here's a snipet from ASA...

American Psychological Association Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality - most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.
A recent study suggests linkage between a mother's genetic make-up and homosexuality of her sons. Women have two X chromosomes, one of which is "switched off". The inactivation of the X chromosome occurs randomly throughout the embryo, resulting in cells that are mosaic with respect to which chromosome is active. In some cases though, it appears that this switching off can occur in a non-random fashion.

And who are you to judge whether someones sexual orientation is morally objectionable....

Ye who are without sin cast the first stone.

Son of Liberty said...

I don't get to judge them. I do get to decide that I want to believe what the bible says about it and what I want to teach my children. Since there is a severly divided opinion as to the morality of homosexual conduct the Government should not be giving it a stamp of approval ie a marriage certificate. Further the government approves marriage between heterosexuals because that provides a proven benefit to society. No such benefit has been shown to exist for Gay marriage. In fact the evidence that does exist shows otherwise.

People are born with genetic predispositions for a lot of behaviours. In some the predispositio is stronger then others and there are usually outside factors that affect whether a person acts on those predispositions. There is no simple answer to the question Nature or Nurture?
Addictive personalities, pedophiles even schizophrenics have genetic predispositions that cause them to engage in behaviour outside the norm. We try to find ways to cure them. I feel bad for Gay people. No one is trying to help them to live a normal life. instead we want to encourage them to engage in behaviour that is unnatural and unhealthy.

As to what we should stay away from I am sure you will understand if I discount advice on that subject from a liberal democrat;-)

ambrosiajr said...

I beg to differ...I'm a blue dog democrat.

Also, you say you're not judging, yet you say they aren't leading a "normal life". Who are you to say what's normal for people? I didn't know you were the decider on the normality aspect of ones life. I, for one, would hate to have you dictate to me what your idea of normal is...and likewise on your part. My idea of normal and your idea of normal are vastly different. Also, you seem to be quite demeaning in your assessment of someone's sexuality by saying its unnatural. Again, if you are not judging, then you can't make an assumption as to what one person's normal is.

Also, I don't think any gay person would take kindly having you "feel sorry" for them.

Talk about elitist!

Are you sure you don't go to the Westboro Baptist Church?

Son of Liberty said...

Lets forget about religion.
lets look at it from a common sense logical perspective a man's penis was made for inserting inta a vagina. a vagina was made to recieve it and the result is reproduction. Do you think it is normal to instead want to stick a penis into the portion of a mans body that was intended to vacate waste from the body? Isn't that unnaturaul on its face?

Just based on the purposes of the various parts of the human body homosexuality is abnormal.

We make Judgments about whats normal all the time.
Is it normal to be sexually attracted to animals or dead bodies? Is it normal to obtain sexual gratification by inflicting pain or recieving pain?
Is it normal to want be a cannibal?
Is it normal to be a cutter? or Bulimic? is it normal to be an alcoholic. is it normal to want to engage in incest?
Is it normal to have 5 wifes or be attracted to Children. Is it normal to believe you are Jesus Christ or Genghis Khan?


Why is it not ok to conclude that being sexually atracted to the same sex is not "normal" and why shouldn't society make those distinctions?

And lets say you have the right to be abnormal (in harmless cases) if you want. I'll go along with that. Is society then obligated to give you a stamp of approval ? Isn't it enough to just leave you alone?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I don't even know where or what the Westboro Baptist Church is

I currently attend a reformed (Dutch) Church if you must know.

ambrosiajr said...

Westboro Baptist Church remark was a joke on my part. Google it.

I think that 2 people that love each other, regardless of their sex (or their parts) have every right to be happy without someone saying how "abnormal" they are. That's just ignorant. We're not talking animals, necrophelia, sadists, masochists or pedophiles. If that's how you equate a gay person, then I, in turn, feel sorry for you that you think that way. And I don't think anyone is looking for a stamp of approval, just the rights that you talk so much about embodied in the constitution that all MEN are created equal.

Son of Liberty said...

it is not about love. There is nothing wrong with love it is about sexual attraxtion.

Son of Liberty said...

Attraction

Sorry I have fat fingers

ambrosiajr said...

I knew what you meant. I wish we could spell everything phonetically.