Nichelle Cunningham Period 3 January 15, 2014 Buescher Am I Conservative or Liberal? Am I conservative or liberal?

Questions like this are supposed to make a person think and come up with valid reasons for their positions. A conservative is a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics. A liberal is a person open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values. A person can be both liberal and/or conservative. Their opinions on fiscal, social and political issues are what determine their positions regarding a conservative or liberal status. Based on a few polls, it was determined that I am a more liberal in areas such as social and fiscal problems. But when it comes to political things, it was determined that I am in the middle. When it comes political involvement, I am both conservative and liberal. I believe in governmental action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all but not at the expense of the rights of others. I believe that it is the duty of the state to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. I do believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need, but I do not believe that the government should intervene in areas where there is no need. For example, the decision to have an abortion is one entirely up to the woman. This is a personal decision of a woman regarding her own body and the government must protect this right. Although I think this is true, I do not believe that it is a very good decision. An

unborn baby is a living human being and should not be aborted unless the situation is absolutely necessary. A topic in which I am more conservative is the topic of affirmative action. Liberals say that due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were and are deprived of the same education and employment opportunities as whites. Liberals say that the government must work to make up for the past and a federal affirmative law is necessary. That, due to unequal opportunity, minorities still lags behind whites in all statistical measurements of success. Yet, I disagree. I believe that individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is definitely unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse discrimination is not a solution to racism. Some individuals in society are still racist, but American society as a whole is not. When regarding fiscal issues, I more liberal than I am conservative. I think, when it comes to topics such as social security, I believe that the system should be protected and reduction in future benefits is not a reasonable option. Social security provides a safety net for the nations poor and needy. Changing the system would cause a reduction in benefits and many people would suffer as a result. Although in its current state, the social security system is not financially sustainable. It may collapse if nothing is done to address its problems. Many people may suffer as a result of this also. On another topic, such as taxes, again I am both liberal and conservative. In arguments concerning taxes, liberals believe that higher taxes (mainly for the wealthy) and a larger government are necessary to address inequity/injustice in

society. Liberals also believe that the government should help the poor and needy using tax dollars from the rich. I believe that taxes enable the government to create jobs and provide welfare programs for those in need. Opposed to this argument, conservatives believe that lower taxes and a smaller government with limited power will improve the standard of living for all. Lower taxes create more incentive for people to work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors. Money is best spent by those who earn it, not the government. I agree that the rich should be taxed more than those of average of lower income homes. I do not believe in a bigger government, but that the government should help the poor and needy. When concerning more social issues, again, I am liberal. When issues such as same-sex marriage are brought up, I believe that marriage is the union of people who love each other. It definitely should be legal for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals to ensure equal rights. Prohibiting same-sex citizens from marrying denies them their civil rights. Conservatives believe that same-sex relationships violates moral and religious beliefs, but the Constitution states that religious views will not be taken into consent when making laws. In conclusion, questions like these are supposed to make a person really think about where they stand over issues such as politics and social issues. With a person like myself, I have different views on a lot of different things, and its important to come up with valid reasons for my position concerning certain issues.