You may not agree with me on all of these issues, but I hope that you’ll respect my positions as I respect yours. But if you’re a single-issue voter looking for a single-issue candidate, well then, look elsewhere. I’m not it.

Abortion
An abortion is a terrible thing. I doubt that very many women who have ever had one would disagree with that statement. But a government has no right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. I fully respect the opinions of those who feel that the rights of the unborn require them to fight against abortion. But in this case, I agree with the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as the courts of most civilized countries, that the rights of the mother must come first. To do otherwise endangers a woman’s health, and abrogates her rights as a citizen.

American women have come a long way in their fight for equality in this country, but there is still much work to do. I fear that women’s rights are now being threatened more seriously than ever before, and that is one major reason why I’ve chosen to run. If elected, I will make the preservation of a women’s right to chose a major focus of my work. If necessary, I will move to sponsor federal legislation that guarantees a woman’s right to choose.

Gay Marriage
Can we please leave gay people alone? Our government’s only reasons for recognizing a relationship between two people are pragmatic – taxation, property ownership, inheritance rights, and custody of minors, to name a few. Whatever else a personal relationship means is none of the government’s business – those are matters that are between you, your partner, your church, and your God.

No one, especially not me, is suggesting that Catholic priests or Methodist ministers be required to perform same-sex marriages. A church’s doctrine is also none of our government’s business, as long as that doctrine doesn’t infringe on the civil rights of any individual. But for us to tell same-sex couples that they are not entitled to the same legal rights as heterosexual couples is an infringement of their rights. Gay Americans are Americans, and as such they deserve full and equal protection under the laws of the United States. Whether we do so by legally recognizing their relationships as “marriages” or “civil unions” is immaterial.

I worry that religious dogma is abetting a persistent lack of tolerance in our culture. We should work on that.

Stem Cell Research
I appreciate those who have ethical concerns about stem cell research, but the potential to alleviate human suffering is so great that we simply must fund this research, period.

Flag Burning
Burning an American flag is a reprehensible act, but I don’t think that we should pursue a constitutional amendment to ban it. Why? Ironically, I think, burning a flag is an expression of free speech that our constitution guarantees, a right that our flag represents. On a more practical note, we’ve got too much other important work to do. We have drowning cities, mounting debt, and international crises to deal with. Let's devote our full energies toward improving what’s behind the flag. If we do that, the flag will take care of itself.

The Port Thing
I think that the sale is a mistake. If Dubai Ports is willing to pay $6.8 billion, then clearly they feel that there is more than that in potential return on their investment. Why not keep that revenue stream at home? While American companies have shunned port management in recent decades, two of the world's top ten port management firms are still American-owned. Why not run a competitive bid between them? Doing so might re-kick-start American interest, and it would certainly make us all feel a little better. Then, maybe, we could start to focus on the other real issue - that port security hasn't really improved since 9/11.

Intelligent Design
I believe in intelligent design. It's called evolution.

School Prayer
Go ahead and pray - anywhere, anytime. It's your right as an American. Just please don't force your ideals on others. If you're a teacher or other authority figure, that probably means that you shouldn't try to lead a class in prayer. But we don't need laws to tell you that - common sense should dictate your actions. Gee, I'm sounding more like Kinky Friedman every day. Frightening... :-)

Want other issues addressed?  Write to me and I'll post responses here.

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