Belief

There's a meme that's been running around lately about points of belief and then I was listening to NPR and they ran a segment called "I Believe..." so I will take that as a sign from an unspecified deity or deities who may or may not exist and may or may not resemble this.

I believe that you, and you alone, are responsible for choices you make. Not your parents, not your friends, not society, not the government, not people who died hundreds of years ago.

I believe that you are guaranteed certain rights according to the Bill of Rights and Constitution but one of those rights is NOT the right to not be offended. You also do NOT have the right to force your beliefs on me and mine. If you don't like what I believe that's fine but don't try to make me put my beliefs aside just because you can't handle anyone believing anything other than what you do.

I believe that you are responsible to care for yourself and your family. If you are not in a position to do so then work harder to get yourself there. Do NOT expect the government, and by extension me, to bail you out.

I believe that the government is NOT to be a social conscience. Programs like welfare and Medicare are nothing more than forced charity and I, for one, am tired of being told that I HAVE to contribute for programs that I do NOT agree with.

I believe that politicians have lost sight of the fact that their jobs were to be public service, not service to their own pocketbooks.

I believe that what I own is mine. It is NOT on loan from the government to take back anytime they wish.

I believe that the right to bear arms has no limitations. If you can afford it then you can buy it and carry it. I believe that any laws restricting the purchase or carrying of weapons is unconstitutional.

I believe that the facts tell the story in regards to the complete and utter ineffectiveness of gun control laws when it comes to curtailing crime.

I believe that those who view the government as the Great Caretaker are either too lazy to care for themselves or feel that we are incapable of making our own choices so the government has to step in for our own good. I believe that is the MOST insulting attitude to see in a politician anywhere.

I believe that the extremists who hate America and everything it stands for will not stop attacking us if we try to ignore or appease them. They have never needed a reason to attack us other than our continued existence and success which is a slap in the face of their belief systems.

I believe that it doesn't matter who you sleep with as long as they're a consenting adult. This also means that it's none of the governments business if you decide you want to get married. If a church decides they don't want to perform the service that is their right but as it is a personal decision the government should have no say in it whatsoever.

I believe that if you choose to commit a crime then you are a criminal. You have forfeited any claim upon the rights guaranteed a law-abiding citizen. This means, no cable TV, no weights, no three hot meals a day, no conjugal visits, no dignity.

I believe that as long as people such as Jesse Jackson and David Duke insist on doing nothing more than reinforcing the differences between people we WILL have racism. If you emphasize someone's color, even if you think it's for a positive reason, you are merely entrenching racism that much more.

I believe that it doesn't matter what color you are or what country you're from as long as you're willing to work hard to succeed then you will do so.

I believe that if you immigrate to a country then you should learn the language of that country and NOT expect the citizens of that country to change themselves and their government to suit you.

I believe that if you enter the country illegally then you are a criminal. You are not an example of the American Dream. You are not someone to be glorified. You are to be found and deported.

I believe that if you enter the country legally then I will welcome you and your family with open arms. You have shown enough respect for yourself and your new home to abide by the regulations that govern your migration.

I believe that the US of A is the greatest country in the world. Period. End of story.

I believe that the UN is a useless drain on resources of many, many countries.

I believe that a terrorist is just that. Not a 'freedom fighter' or an 'insurgent.' They are spoiled children lashing out because they can't have their way and if that means they have to kill thousands of innocent people they don't care.

I believe that as long as people insist on ignoring fact and instead relying on their opinions to form public policy we will continue in the negative, socialist direction this country has been going for decades.

I believe that as long as we are more concerned with the self-esteem of our children as opposed to their education we will see more and more public schools graduating un-educated people unable to compete for anything other than "Do you want fries with that?"

I believe that those who resort to emotional arguments or name-calling do so because they cannot refute the logic behind the points their opponent is making.

I believe that there are many people out there who will label me a cold, heartless bastard instead of addressing any of the points I made above. I believe if you are unable to have a rational discussion about it then don't bother with the names. I've been called much, much worse and the name-calling didn't bother me then either.