Rank

Issue

Explanation

1

Balanced budget

The U.S. national debt is out of control.  Lately the Federal government is spending billions of dollars on the Iraq War while cutting taxes and giving more tax breaks to the wealthy.  If a small company were run like that it would quickly go out of business.

2

Stay out of foreign wars

Let’s not have any more Vietnams and Iraqs.  Regarding Iraq, we should either leave immediately or strive to break that country into three separate and geographically contiguous smaller countries ... one for the Shiites, one for the Sunnis, and one for the Kurds.

3

Protect the environment

The dinosaurs ruled the earth for over 160 million years and left it in pristine environmental condition … until an asteroid came along. 

On the other hand, Man’s Industrial Revolution began a scant 200 years ago, but look at the environmental mess that the earth has become:  global warming, pollution, demise of animal species, over population of humans.  Politicians must take immediate action to turn this tide around.  Will we last as long as the dinosaurs?  Heck, without turning around our damage, I doubt modern man will last another thousand years. 

4

The shocking fact about the world population is how fast it has been growing:

• In 1804 there were only 1 billion people on the earth.
• In 1927 there were 2 billion.
• In 1960 there were 3 billion.
• In 1999 there were 6 billion ... double that of just 39 years earlier!

See http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm

5

The most effective way to curtail the violence in the Mideast is for the United States to slash the amount of military and economic aid that it gives Israel.  Prior to mid-2006 I would never have harbored such a thought, but since then:

• I have viewed the 79 minute video "Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land" on Google Video. Note:  if you do a Google search, you can find the video and a transcript elsewhere on the internet.

• I have learned that one third of the U.S. foreign budget goes to Israel.  See:  http://www.washington-report.org/html/us_aid_to_israel.htm

• I have read former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's book "Palestine - Peace Not Apartheid" (2006)

The net message from all of the above is that Israel stands in violation of U.N. Resolution 242 (1967) by not vacating settlements that it established in territories acquired during the 1967 war.  The settlements are connected by Israeli built roads and patrolled by Israeli troops.  Palestinians living in these territories are made to suffer extreme poverty and indignity.  The U.S. through its generous annual support of Israel effectively makes itself a partner in these crimes ... which is why both the U.S. and Israel are vilified in the Arab world and also why the U.S. has lost credibility as a peace broker.

The bottom line is that ironically the U.S. can actually win the war on terrorism by spending less money.  Note:  Jimmy Carter's book does not come to this conclusion.  That's the one fault I have with it.  He never mentions how much aid Israel receives nor does he advocate slashing it.  However, from reading his book, that's the obvious conclusion that I come to.

Advice to Palestinians and other members of the Arab world:  Recognize Israel's right to exist and cease the suicide bombings and other attacks.  All they do is give Israel an excuse to launch counter attacks, build walls and otherwise continue to abuse the Palestinian people.

6

I would like to see the U.S. 2nd Amendment modified.  It reads:  "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."  This was passed in 1791 - a time when the U.S. military was weak and the most potent weapon was a musket that had slow muzzle velocity, limited range, and reload time was lengthy.  I can't imagine our forefathers passing the second amendment if 21st century machinegun-like weapons existed.  At a minimum no one other than the military and law enforcement officers should be able to own semi-automatic weapons.

Literally the 2nd Amendment requires membership in a militia in order to "keep and bear arms", so modification of the 2nd Amendment shouldn't be needed to restrict private ownership of guns.  A militia is "a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency".  The modern equivalent of a militia is the National Guard.  So, if you're not a member of the National Guard, you should not be allowed to own a gun according to the 2nd Amendment.

Unfortunately there are slim hopes for serious gun control legislature to be passed in the United States.  The NRA (National Rifle Association) can take credit for that.  They do nonstop monitoring of legislature going on in all 50 states and actively lobby to stop gun control bills.  Their cutting edge design web site, http://nra.org/,  gives the nauseating details.

The best way to drive down health care costs is tort reform (see above). 

I saw Michael Moore's "Sicko" movie on July 6, 2007.  It does a marvelous job of throwing a light on the deficiencies of health care in the U.S. and holds up the health care systems of Canada, England, France, and Cuba as ones we should emulate.  Based on the evidence presented in the movie, Michael Moore is 100% correct.  All U.S. politicians, aspiring politicians, and concerned citizens should see "Sicko".  It's an eye opener!

9

Stem cell research

Countless numbers of disabled people worldwide could benefit from medical advances that could be made if the religious right would cease their objections over stem cell research.  Such medieval thinking is one of numerous reasons why I don’t go to church.

10

Separation of church and state

Nothing irks me more than a politician who says “We will prevail in this war/conflict, because ‘God is on our side’”.

The founding fathers of the U.S. were brilliant men when they introduced the concept of  “Separation of church and state.” 

11

Exclude “Creationism” from school science texts

Creationism is religion, not science.  Religious views do not belong in a science text.

12

13

• I'm for the death penalty. 
• I don't like the endless appeals that people on death row can invoke.
• I don't find value in the debate over the methods of execution ... the guillotine should be restored.
• I don't believe that the insanity defense should be permitted.  Whether a person is sane or not should not be a factor in determining their guilt or innocence.

14

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