This has been making the rounds, though originated at BZOINK! It's just social questions that are controversial, no/few actually tough questions on policy like foreign diplomacy, nuclear power/waste, economics & distribution of wealth etc.

My positions, in case you've forgotten, are very liberal though hopefully tempered by pragmatism. Learn more here or read below.

Abortion?: Always has been and always shall be around. The question is do we want to admit that, make it safe and offer counselling before, during and after or will women continue to solve their own problems at great cost to their bodies?

Death Penalty?: I'm against it, but happy I don't have to make the decisions. I don't believe it's a deterrant, I don't agree it's particularly cheap and on a philosophical level don't believe anyone deserves it. 2 wrongs and all. That said there are times when just locking someone up just won't do. People can keep being influential from behind maximum security and if the only response to a danger like that is termination, then I'll accept the sin and go with it.

Prostitution?: Should be a legal trade, with taxes and unions, etc. Should be regularly monitered for health reasons, like an industrial installation.

Alcohol?: good stuff though I've possibly taken to drinking too often. Also the drinking age should be 18. And what the hell is the deal with blue laws? If states can come up with their own rules regarding alcohol there should be some way to easily figure out what those rules are if you don't live said state. Currently it's NOT easy.

Marijuana?: I don't like it much but there's very little difference between it an tobacco as a controlled substance. It should be legal and taxed, though I want more clear studies on its effects on brain chemistry. I've heard enough stories of folks wrecking their cars with no alcohol, only weed in them. It may have to be regulated for that.

Other drugs?: Also should be legal and addiction education should be mandatory in ninth grade. It should be taxed heavily with a clear stream to fund addiction recovery clinics. Or however else they do it in Amsterdam. Addiction is a medical issue and the drug war has been a joke for all of my life.

Gay marriage?: Civil unions for all. If a religion doesn't recognize it yet, that's the problem of the religion. Homos and Hets all get civil unions.

Illegal immigrants?: frustrating, prickly topic. Order and laws are important as are the imaginary lines that separate countries. But I know the people who cross don't do it lightly. Who willingly chooses to leave their home, their family and country and go somewhere where things are more expensive and wildly different? Also, California is *reliant* on them and they are exceptionally convenient for employers in other border states. If you want to curb it you'd have lower protections for workers: lower the minimum wage to about half (BTW it's been established you can't support yourself on the current minimum), elliminate benefits, the 40 hour work week, health insurance and worker's comp. An oligarch's dream, maybe, but anyone who thinks smacking around the small time resteraunteurs, day labor companies and sweatshops will slow the tide without having to address the reasons is delusional.

They're here, they were here when they were white American speculators in Nuevo Mexico and they are not going away. deal.

Smoking?: I'm not a good smoker, which is probably just as well. Cajoled into it around 20 and smoked off and on averaging some three - four per month. currently I lay off or the boy won't kiss me }:P I wish it were less demonized by the anti-smoking people. The return on taxing the stuff is starting to slip. We've all gotten point now: it's bad, yes, yes. We know. Please stop shouting. Prolly best to keep informing people, but no need to freak. And raising the ratings on movies where people smoke? Puh-leeze.

Drunk driving?: dunno. It's bad. really fucking bad. I wish, on behalf of most people who don't intend to drive drunk, that there were a way to more easily glean our BAC. I'm not sure I see a problem with how it's currently prosecuted. Extreme negligence can get a pretty bad sentence, I suppose worse fines/more time and technology to deprive repeat offenders of that priveledge may help, but I'm skeptical.

Cloning?: I think I was most happy to not be president when the decision on stem cell research had to be made. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I'm glad I'm not responsible for more than my own $0.02. which are: All I've got to go on cloning are *MANY* sci-fi stories that tell me all of the creepy things that can happen/go wrong. I seriously don't see the point beyond harvesting organs and tissues. replicating yourself or your children seems kinda dumb to me.

I hate churchies who insist it's in violation of God's order. What retarded nonsense. God is everywhere. In everything. Something cannot be outside of the spectrum of God's presence. It's an illogical arguement.

Racism?: I hate all prejudiced people. };>

Premarital sex?: It happens. Let's stop lying to ourselves and prepare ourselves for the consequences of the actions we take. Education, education, FEAR, and education. (seriously pics of syphilitic organs was enough for some five years for me) Sex ed should be mandatory in high school, and in junior high the health department of every school should be working hand in hand with parents to prepare students. Parents MUST be involved in talking to kids about sex. Teachers can only toe one line at a time and for a class of 30 kids a teacher cannot be expected to teach the viewpoints of 60 parents.

Religion?: My own is Roman Catholic. It's how I relate to the divine, though I don't hold up as a staunch Catholic because I often disagree with anything the Church has to say regarding sex and reproduction. I maintain a few other avenues to the divine but their rubric is harder to address. As for it's place in society: It is how a community can come together. In any town it's an institutionalized social circle. If you move somewhere new and don't know anyone there's a ready group of people to relate to if you're the churchy type.

In this country, founded on religious freedom, it has no place in legislation, meaning that there should be no legislation that supports, promotes or places greater validity on any religion over any other. that leaves tons of grey area, and believe it or don't, I'm fine with that.

The war in Iraq?: A disastrous distraction from the war on terror. It has not made us safer, it was never meant to. It was meant to be about revenge and propping the current administration and successful prosecutors of war. Perhaps they will be successful in the end, but since I don't believe the ends justify the means I don't give a shit. If this much effort were poured into Afghanistan, it would be settled, safe and civilized instead of having an installed president who really only rules one city and the countryside is run by tribal warlords with a thousand different laws, taxes and attitudes toward Al Qaeda. Getting bin Laden won't end this war (terror). Since this war doesn't have actual military goals, it cannot be won. But a country in sore need of help would have been helped by now.

If this were really about human rights, why haven't we joined the World Court? We have no credibility until we do.

Bush?: a national embarassment

Downloading music?: I don't do it, primarily because I am behind the times tech-wise. But I have reaped the benefits. Stealing is stealing. But since I so little respect for record companies and the RIAA I can barely be moved to care.

The legal drinking age?: er. I said above that it should be 18. It's an adult thing to do, it's when you can smoke, vote, have sex, in California it's when you can take a driver's test without taking a class, and most obviously it's when you can head off to war.

Porn?: yes please. Some of it's fairly vile, but so long as everyone is a consenting adult I can't say as it matters so me. It's a piece of celluloid away from being prostitution and I already gave my thoughts there.

Suicide?: The most hateful thing I have ever heard someone say was a teacher who thought it was selfish on the part of a girl who killed herself. I personally believe it's the selfish side of me that wants people to stick around when they're facing so much pain. I can't live their life for them so I have no right to dictate how/when they may choose death.

I'm stuck on the ethical problems with turning people over to mental wards when I know they're thinking about it. But I know I'm not the person who's going to talk them down. Telling people who are tremendously depressed that I've been there, that the great gaping hole in their chest can eventually go away, that joy is actually possible for them just won't work if I can't supply evidence immediately.

But I am selfish and I think so are most people toward their loved ones. and so I wish we as a society knew and understood depression better.