This is the post that I alluded to previously. I am going to test the solidarity of my friendships and associations. I am going to tell you my personal stance on some of the hottest topics that people seem most inclined to post comments, cartoons and articles about. I’m not going to try to sway anyone to agree with me, this is merely a leap of faith.

These are the topics I plan on addressing: Gay Rights, Abortion, Health Care & Welfare, Illegal Aliens

So here goes (by the way, this is going to be a long post, probably my first multi-pager)… 

Illegal Aliens

We’ll start with the least talked about topic (I think at least). I think if you want to live here, then you need to become a citizen. I understand that illegal aliens may do the jobs that a lot of Americans don’t want to do, and they will do it for a lower wage. I also get the fact that if illegal aliens were citizens then they cost more to employ because of the additional overhead. I don’t really care. If you are caught working here illegally, then you should be deported immediately and the employer should be fined, harshly. Miranda rights only apply to citizens. You deserve no legal representation. You have no rights.

If you want to become a citizen then you go through all the proper channels to do so. U.S. Immigration stipulates that you must have a permanent address and a valid green card for five years to apply. I have friends who have done it. If they can do it, then you can do it. I don’t think you should be given the choice if you are caught. I believe the act of fraud does not indicate the intention of compliance. Perhaps if more illegal aliens were going about it the right way, they would be paying taxes. If they are paying taxes then perhaps we will pay less in taxes. I’m not opposed to people coming to work and live in this great country. In fact I encourage it. I just don’t like to be taken advantage of.

Health Care & Welfare

This is a complicated subject. I have known people that have benefited from a social form of health care. I know people benefit greatly from welfare programs. In fact I am, in no way, opposed to welfare. I think its a great program, if its not being abused. I don’t think the government should be your permanent babysitter. If you have had a run of bad luck and you have to apply for welfare, then I’m glad my tax dollars are helping you through that tough time. I do, however, expect that you will be making the effort to become self-sufficient again. Welfare shouldn’t be a permanent form of income.

I think you should be given a time frame, perhaps five years is enough. If, in five years, you are still on welfare and unemployed, then you should be denied any more welfare benefits. I understand that sometimes bad luck strikes often and usually at the most inopportune times so if, after the said time frame, you have shown that you have made an effort to become self-sufficient then you should continue receiving welfare benefits. Again, I don’t like to be taken advantage of.

Health Care is a bit more tricky. I know that people need health care because you can’t always predict when you are going to get sick and when you are unemployed, that seems to be when it always happens. I don’t really have the answers for our health care issues. I don’t think people should be forced to buy health care, especially if they can’t afford it, and they definitely shouldn’t be fined for not having it. There has to be a way to make health care available only to people who don’t have it and when they truly need it without small businesses having to incur additional costs per employee, per hour. I also think there should be options within a health care program that allows some organizations to opt out without penalty because of conflicting interests.

I’m speaking, of course, about Catholic organizations that want to opt out of being forced to provide contraception and birth control. I think the right to freedom of religion should allow these organizations to choose not to participate without retribution. It goes back to the age old debate of the separation of church and state. I don’t think the government should mandate what an organization must provide even if it violates their religious creed and penalizing them makes it come off as punishing them for being Catholic. I only pick the Catholics because I am Catholic.

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