Skip to main content

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.
2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.
3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Iran or Chinese and North Korean communists.
4. You have to believe that there was no art before federal funding.
5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUVs.
6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial, but being homosexual is natural.
7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.
8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but PETA activists do.
10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make "The Passion of the Christ" for financial gain only.
12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.
13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Edison.
15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
16. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.
17. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag queens and transvestites should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.
18. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right-wing conspiracy. (PBA?)

GOD BLESS AMERICA
Oops, can't do that either.
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

21 Ways to Be a Good Conservative

1. You have to opposed to abortion on the grounds that it’s murder, but favor a death penalty that skews towards non-whites at a considerably higher rate than the general population and that has also resulted in the killing of people who have later been proven to be innocent. Subsequently, you also have to be able to ignore God’s prohibition against murder (Exodus 20:13).
2. You have to believe that the business community, driven by primarily by profitability and beholden only to a limited group of shareholders, has a deeper and more selfless interest in the public welfare than a government created by, staffed by and funded by the public, whose public welfare is it’s only reason for being.
3. You have to believe that it’s not important to lead by example. You also have to rigorously argue the newly developed idea of “Preemptive Invasion” despite the fact that traditional Conservative politics have, for years, argued against involvement in the affairs of sovereign foreign nations and the movement’s modern leaders, like Pat Buchanan, still argue that point today.
4. You have to have no understanding of the role of culture in a developed society and an inability to understand how the arts can and do relate to developments in the sciences. You also have to have no understanding of how many of the cherished icons of American cultural history, like the Grand Ole Opry, have benefitted at some point from funds provided by an interested, educated public who valued art and understood the value of debate created by the controversial ideas that it sometimes champions.
5. You have to willfully ignore science.
6. You have to believe that homosexuality has never existed outside of modern western culture. More importantly, you have to be violently intolerant of any disagreement over the issue. You have to believe that nobody else anywhere can be allowed to hold a different set of beliefs or morals than you.
7. You have to lack the compassion that prevents you from making glib jokes about the death of thousands of people. Millions, speaking globally. You must also forget the lessons of Jesus healing the sick such as Mark 1:40-41, in which Jesus not only shows compassion for the lepers, but he deliberately ignores the law to touch them.
8. You have to believe that children have no interest in biology or reproduction, and no need to understand it. You also have to believe that the best decisions are made with the least information.
9. You have to believe that all activists, no matter what the issue, come from San Francisco and have never been outside of it’s city limits.
10. You have to believe that money is more important than actually doing something to earn it. You have to believe that respect is worth nothing, and therefore do nothing to earn it.
11. You have to make up an argument about Mel Gibson making Passion of the Christ solely for financial gain, though nobody ever seems to have advanced that argument. You have to believe that spending millions of dollars to make films about your beliefs is more Christ-like than spending any money or time on humanitarian aid.
12. You have to believe in an interpretation of the Constitution in which the right of an individual to free and unrestricted access to a .50 caliber armor-piercing sniper rifle is as important as the rights to freedom of speech and religion. You also have to continually disparage the ACLU, forgetting that they can and do represent individuals and organizations from all races, religions and political beliefs. Including, in the past, the Klu Klux Klan.
13. You have to use millions of dollars of public infrastructure every day but have no willingness to pay for it.
14. You have to believe that strong, independent women have no place in history unless there is a male to whom they can made secondary.
15. You have to believe that tools from a system created during the Industrial Revolution to create good factory workers are somehow applicable to a modern educational system. You also have to ignore any advancements in the development of education theory since the aforementioned Industrial Revolution. You also have to believe that it’s wrong to reward a student or individual for overcoming difficult odds placed on him by a society that has yet to reach equality, but that it’s perfectly fine to reward a privileged white male that applies to an Ivy League school based solely on the fact that his father and grandfather were alumni.
16. You have to believe that Ann Coulter is a normal and very nice person and deserves to be given air time to say things like “My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building,” and “It would be a much better country if women did not vote.” You have to hold similar views of Pat Robertson, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage. You also have to make insipid, personal attacks against persons with whom you disagree, and their underage children, while simultaneously declaring that the other side is has made politics ungentlemanly.
17. You have to fail to know the distinction between socialism and communism, and fail to realize that much of Europe, Canada and even some of US policies are, in fact, socialist and have been so, successfully, for some time.
18. You have to believe than an administration that manufactured evidence to justify an invasion which has lead to a protracted conflict resulting in the death of thousands of Americans, and an administration has openly admitted to breaking the law in order to surveil US citizens, and an administration that has been connected to the vengeful outing of an undercover intelligence agent (leading to the first indictment of a sitting White House official since the Ulysses Grant administration) belongs in the White House, while a man who lied about consensual sex deserves to be impeached. You also have to mischaracterize consensual sex between adults as a sex offense in order to make your point.
19. You have to believe that you’re the victim of religious persecution, despite the fact that the majority of the country and every president since the founding of the country are Christian. In order to support this false perception, you have to spread misinformation about things like manger scenes being outlawed despite the fact that you’ve never actually researched the issue to see if it’s true. You also have to believe that showing consideration and care to those that hold a different set of religious beliefs than you is unacceptable pandering. Lastly, you must willfully ignore the facts that our country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and that the separation of church and state is a founding principal of our democracy that benefits both government and religion.
20. You have to believe that illegal Republican Party funding by corporations and the money laundering operations to enable, overseen in one case by the House Majority Leader, is somehow in the best interest of the United States.
21. You have to believe in a vast, left wing media conspiracy despite heavy documentation of just the opposite. You also have to discount the idea of a large concerted effort by the right to gain control of the media and intellectual institutions of the United States during the last 40 years following the defeat of Nixon, despite the fact that it’s been openly acknowledged for years.
OK #1---I am Pro Capital Punishment and I am Pro Choice -- IF it is not just a means of birth control

Now yes, the Bible has a commandment that says "Thou Shalt NOt Kill", but over in Matthew 5:38--the Bible says, "an eye for an eye" -- now in this particular verse that often is misunderstood in many ways - he is talking about the law--for example, you steal my ox you owe me an ox -- you kill my brother you owe me for the rest of your life, so unless you are going to indenture yourself to a family for the rest of your life or perform a miracle to bring my brother back--you owe me your life.

The Bible also says in Matthew 7:12 "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" -- so if you want to live -- don't kill somebody -- if you want to kill somebody be ready to lay down your life for it...

People will try to shoot holes in Heubs post, but David I believe you set yourelf up for people to shoot holes in your post -- unlike Heub put too many restrictions on your points -- imho but glad you're thinking...
OK. Here we go:


quote:
Originally posted by David L.:
21 Ways to Be a Good Conservative

1. You have to opposed to abortion on the grounds that it’s murder, but favor a death penalty that skews towards non-whites at a considerably higher rate than the general population and that has also resulted in the killing of people who have later been proven to be innocent. Subsequently, you also have to be able to ignore God’s prohibition against murder (Exodus 20:13). Most conservatives think "an eye for an eye" has that covered.

2. You have to believe that the business community, driven by primarily by profitability and beholden only to a limited group of shareholders, has a deeper and more selfless interest in the public welfare than a government created by, staffed by and funded by the public, whose public welfare is it’s only reason for being. [COLOR:RED Most conservatives don't expect the business community to do anything other than make money and pay taxes. The gov't is publicly funded to keep up the roads, provide a common defense, etc.. Let the state and local gov't take care of the rest.[/COLOR]

3. You have to believe that it’s not important to lead by example. You also have to rigorously argue the newly developed idea of “Preemptive Invasion” despite the fact that traditional Conservative politics have, for years, argued against involvement in the affairs of sovereign foreign nations and the movement’s modern leaders, like Pat Buchanan, still argue that point today. You use "Preemptive Invasion" when you have been attacked by terrorist and would like for it not to happen again.

4. You have to have no understanding of the role of culture in a developed society and an inability to understand how the arts can and do relate to developments in the sciences. You also have to have no understanding of how many of the cherished icons of American cultural history, like the Grand Ole Opry, have benefitted at some point from funds provided by an interested, educated public who valued art and understood the value of debate created by the controversial ideas that it sometimes champions. You lost me on this one.

5. You have to willfully ignore science. Who ignores science?

6. You have to believe that homosexuality has never existed outside of modern western culture. More importantly, you have to be violently intolerant of any disagreement over the issue. You have to believe that nobody else anywhere can be allowed to hold a different set of beliefs or morals than you. Most educated conservative people know that homosexuality has existed before and can calmly discuss the issue. Just becasue a lot of conservatives think homosexuality is immoral dosen't mean they can't discuss it.

7. You have to lack the compassion that prevents you from making glib jokes about the death of thousands of people. Millions, speaking globally. You must also forget the lessons of Jesus healing the sick such as Mark 1:40-41, in which Jesus not only shows compassion for the lepers, but he deliberately ignores the law to touch them. Once again, you lost me on this one...

8. You have to believe that children have no interest in biology or reproduction, and no need to understand it. You also have to believe that the best decisions are made with the least information. No. Most conservatives believe it is their business, not the school's, to teach their kids about sex and reproduction.

9. You have to believe that all activists, no matter what the issue, come from San Francisco and have never been outside of it’s city limits. That's just silly. Besides, there are conservative activist too.

10. You have to believe that money is more important than actually doing something to earn it. You have to believe that respect is worth nothing, and therefore do nothing to earn it. You just don't make any sense here.

11. You have to make up an argument about Mel Gibson making Passion of the Christ solely for financial gain, though nobody ever seems to have advanced that argument. You have to believe that spending millions of dollars to make films about your beliefs is more Christ-like than spending any money or time on humanitarian aid. Most conservatives will agree that it's Mel's money and he can spend it any way he sees fit.

12. You have to believe in an interpretation of the Constitution in which the right of an individual to free and unrestricted access to a .50 caliber armor-piercing sniper rifle is as important as the rights to freedom of speech and religion. You also have to continually disparage the ACLU, forgetting that they can and do represent individuals and organizations from all races, religions and political beliefs. Including, in the past, the Klu Klux Klan. I can't find anywhere stating that any one right in the Bill of Rights is more important than the other ones. Most conservatives would agree that they all are equally valuable. As far as the ACLU, they deserve all the derision they get. I figure most conservatives will agree with me on that one.

13. You have to use millions of dollars of public infrastructure every day but have no willingness to pay for it. Is that anything like the welfare checks being thrown at people with no intention of ever getting off their butts and getting a job?

14. You have to believe that strong, independent women have no place in history unless there is a male to whom they can made secondary. Pardon me? Most conservatives have no issue with strong, independant women. What are you taking about?

15. You have to believe that tools from a system created during the Industrial Revolution to create good factory workers are somehow applicable to a modern educational system. You also have to ignore any advancements in the development of education theory since the aforementioned Industrial Revolution. You also have to believe that it’s wrong to reward a student or individual for overcoming difficult odds placed on him by a society that has yet to reach equality, but that it’s perfectly fine to reward a privileged white male that applies to an Ivy League school based solely on the fact that his father and grandfather were alumni. Once again you are wrong. Conservatives believe that the most qualified person, be it black, white or green, should be the one who gets into the Ivy League school.

16. You have to believe that Ann Coulter is a normal and very nice person and deserves to be given air time to say things like “My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building,” and “It would be a much better country if women did not vote.” You have to hold similar views of Pat Robertson, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage. You also have to make insipid, personal attacks against persons with whom you disagree, and their underage children, while simultaneously declaring that the other side is has made politics ungentlemanly. No. Conservatives are smart enough to sort the wheat from the chaff when any of the above named individuals have something to say. Conservatives also are smart enough to know when somebody is just trying to get a rise out of their audience.

17. You have to fail to know the distinction between socialism and communism, and fail to realize that much of Europe, Canada and even some of US policies are, in fact, socialist and have been so, successfully, for some time. All educated conservatives need to know, really, is that they both suck and have never work succesfully anywhere they are tried.
18. You have to believe than an administration that manufactured evidence to justify an invasion which has lead to a protracted conflict resulting in the death of thousands of Americans, and an administration has openly admitted to breaking the law in order to surveil US citizens, and an administration that has been connected to the vengeful outing of an undercover intelligence agent (leading to the first indictment of a sitting White House official since the Ulysses Grant administration) belongs in the White House, while a man who lied about consensual sex deserves to be impeached. You also have to mischaracterize consensual sex between adults as a sex offense in order to make your point. Lets set this one straight. Libby was an AIDE, nothing more nothing less. Clinton was impeached for lying to a grand jury. And, the only thing manufactured is you fuzzy memory that forgets that your wonderful dem's in Congress voted for the invasion of Iraq.

19. You have to believe that you’re the victim of religious persecution, despite the fact that the majority of the country and every president since the founding of the country are Christian. In order to support this false perception, you have to spread misinformation about things like manger scenes being outlawed despite the fact that you’ve never actually researched the issue to see if it’s true. You also have to believe that showing consideration and care to those that hold a different set of religious beliefs than you is unacceptable pandering. Lastly, you must willfully ignore the facts that our country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and that the separation of church and state is a founding principal of our democracy that benefits both government and religion. Conservatives don't have to research the manger scene issue, they just have to pick up the paper. I know of no conservative who won't show consideration for other religions. They just don't believe that their's should be punished or left out for the sake of other religions.

20. You have to believe that illegal Republican Party funding by corporations and the money laundering operations to enable, overseen in one case by the House Majority Leader, is somehow in the best interest of the United States. Conservatives are smart enough to know that it unfortunately happens in both parties or have you forgotten about $90,000.00 in "cold cash".

21. You have to believe in a vast, left wing media conspiracy despite heavy documentation of just the opposite. You also have to discount the idea of a large concerted effort by the right to gain control of the media and intellectual institutions of the United States during the last 40 years following the defeat of Nixon, despite the fact that it’s been openly acknowledged for years.
You're going to have to come up with some hard facts and paper to back it this BS comment. conservatives aren't blind or deaf. They can see for themselves what liberalism is doing with the schools and the media. We can't help the fact that you won't admit it.

Maybe this will help straighten out your misconceived notions concerning conservatives.
It is nice to know, NOW, that I am a little bit of both!! I have Liberal in me, and I have Conservative in me.

I do believe strongly that any tax-paying AMERICAN should be able to do what they want, when they want, IF IT IS LEGAL. That is the RIGHTS were given... basically.

I will defend MY rights, and I will defend anyone else's rights... whether I agree or disagree...

I agree with anyone's right to disagree with me, with all due respect, as I will agree with my own right to disagree with anyone else, with all due respect.

Sadly, although I am an American WITH rights, I am also a human being first, and I DO make mistakes... plenty of them.
I did not thik this up either, I just agree with it, and got it months ago.
1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.

2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.

3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.

4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.

5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.

6. You have to believe everything Rush Limbaugh says.

7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.

8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.

9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.

10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.

11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.

12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.

13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.

14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.

15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.

16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.

17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.

18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher.

http://www.unwind.com/jokes-funnies/politicaljokes/goodrepub.shtml
25 ways to be a good Republican: 1) Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you are
millionaire conservative radio jock, which makes it an illness and
needs our prayers for your recovery.

2) You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success
all on their own.

3) You have to believe that the US should get out of the UN, and that our
highest national priority is enforcing UN resolutions against Iraq.

4) You have to believe that government should stay out of people's lives
but it needs to punish anyone caught having private sex with the wrong
gender.



5) You have to believe that pollution is ok, so long as it makes a profit.

6) You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to
Allah or Buddha.

7) "Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving their
jobs to India.

8) You have to believe that a woman cannot be trusted with decisions about
her own body, but that large multi-national corporations can make decisions
affecting all mankind with no regulation whatsoever.

9) You have to believe that you love Jesus and Jesus loves you, and that
Jesus shares your hatred of AIDS victims, homosexuals, and Hillary Clinton.

10) You hate the ALCU for representing convicted felons, but they owed it
to the country to bail out Oliver North.



11) You have to believe that the best way to encourage military morale is
to praise the troops overseas while cutting their VA benefits.

12) You believe that group sex and drug use are degenerate sins that can
only be purged by running for governor of California as a Republican.

13) You have to believe it is wise to keep condoms out of schools, because
we all know if teenagers don't have condoms they won't have sex.

14) You have to believe that the best way to fight terrorism is to
alienate our allies and then demand their cooperation and money.

15) You have to believe that government medicine is wrong and that HMO's
and insurance companies only have your best interests at heart.



16) You have to believe that providing health care to all Iraqis is sound
government policy but providing health care to all Americans is socialism
personified.

17) You believe that tobacco's link to cancer and global warming are "junk
science", but Creationism should be taught in schools.

18) You have to believe that waging war with no exit strategy was wrong in
Vietnam but right in Iraq.

19) You have to believe that Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him,
a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when
Cheney was doing business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a
we-can't-find-Bin-Laden diversion.

20) You believe that government should restrict itself to just the powers
named in the Constitution, which includes banning gay marriages and
censoring the internet.



21) You have to believe that the public has a right to know about the
adulterous affairs of Democrats, while those of Republicans are a private
matter.

22) You have to believe that the public has a right to know about
Hillary's cattle trades but that Bush was right to censor those 28 pages
from the Congressional 9/11 report because you just can't handle the truth.

23) You support state rights, which means Ashcroft telling states what
locally passed voter initiatives he will allow them to have.

24) You have to believe that what Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital
national interest but what Bush did decades later is stale news and
irrelevant.

25) You have to believe that trade with Cuba is wrong because it is
communist, but trading with China and Vietnam is just dandy.
quote:
Originally posted by Southern Patriot:
OK. Here we go:


[QUOTE]Originally posted by David L.:
21 Ways to Be a Good Conservative

1. You have to opposed to abortion on the grounds that it’s murder, but favor a death penalty that skews towards non-whites at a considerably higher rate than the general population and that has also resulted in the killing of people who have later been proven to be innocent. Subsequently, you also have to be able to ignore God’s prohibition against murder (Exodus 20:13). <SNIP>
<SNIP>

AND SO ON. <SNIP> You're going to have to come up with some hard facts and paper to back it this BS comment. conservatives aren't blind or deaf. They can see for themselves what liberalism is doing with the schools and the media. We can't help the fact that you won't admit it.

Maybe this will help straighten out your misconceived notions concerning conservatives.
Proof positive, Southern Patriot is a NEO CON. but we already knew that.
In order to make a Legitimate Statement of what you must believe to be a Republican, it is necessary to ask an OFFICIAL Republican.

This then is the answer to that question, contined in the Republican national Committee extract of the 2004 National Platform.
quote:
Abortion
Promote adoption & abstinence, not abortion clinic referrals.
Human Life Amendment to the Constitution.
Civil Rights
Affirmative Access, without preferences or set-asides.
States should not recognize gay marriage from other states.
Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.
The Patriot Act is used to track terrorist activity.
Homosexuality is incompatible with military service.
Support the advancement of women in the military.
Crime
Support the death penalty.
Best way to deter crime is to enforce existing laws.
Drugs
Jail time and school drug testing deters drug use.
Education
Promote school choice and home-schooling.
Support voluntary student-initiated prayer in school.
Energy & Oil
No Kyoto, no mandatory carbon emissions controls.
Environment
Private property ownership key to environmental agenda.
Cap-and-trade market-based air pollution reductions.
Families & Children
Families are the cornerstone of our culture.
Foreign Policy
Nations that support terrorism are just as guilty.
A global coalition has broken al Qaeda cells.
The Pakistan government working with US to fight terror.
Saudi Arabia has joined the War on Terror.
Iraq is now becoming an example of reform.
Libya's munitions have been destroyed.
Iraqi government has gained broad international support.
Pursue a comprehensive strategy against WMD proliferation.
Applaud the success in mobilizing international cooperation.
The Broader Middle East Initiative spreads democracy.
Provide new strategies to help poor nations.
Objectives of assistance and the strategies must change.
Government Reform
Stop activist judges from banning Pledge & Ten Commandments.
Gun Control
Open more public land to hunting.
No frivolous gun lawsuits, no gun licensing.
Health Care
Government-run universal health care leads to inefficiencies.
Ethical research yes; embryo cells no; cloning no.
ABC for AIDS: Abstinence, Be faithful, Change behavior.
No assisted suicide.
Homeland Security
Bush has kept the charge to protect our country.
Bush has implemented biodefense measures.
Bush and Congress have been careful to protect liberties.
Keep our homeland safe by taking action on multiple fronts.
Keep our homeland safe by taking action on multiple fronts.
Establish minimum safety requirements at chemical plants.
Greatly increase the federal bioterrorism budget.
Recapitalize and enlarge the Coast Guard's fleet.
Break down the wall between intelligence and law enforcement.
Support to create a National Intelligence Director position.
Establish a National Counterterrorism Center.
Provided Arm Forces better pay, treatment, and training.
Cover all basic housing costs for average service members.
Increased funding for VA health care.
Equip our nation to fight 21st Century adversaries.
Provide $10 billion to defend from ballistic missiles.
Immigration
Only legal immigrants, through tightly controlled borders.
Amnesty encourages illegal immigration.
Use biometric data to better track foreign travelers.
Principles & Values
We saw the spirit of courage and optimism on 9/11.
Technology
Support do-not-call and do-not-email lists.
War & Peace
Terrorists seek weapons of mass destruction to kill us.
Shrink the space in which the terrorists can operate.
Total and complete destruction of terrorism is needed.
Afghanistan is liberated and the American people are safer.
Saddam had capability to reconstitute his weapons programs.
Welfare & Poverty
Faith-based welfare grants equal with secular groups.
Move more welfare recipients off the welfare rolls.
The Liberal Party of New York State nominated John F Kennedy for president in 1960. This is their 2004 Platform.
quote:

A BRIEF HISTORY AND PLATFORM of THE LIBERAL PARTY

The Liberal Party of New York State is the longest existing third party in the history of the United States. It was founded in 1944 as an alternative to a state Democratic Party dominated by local party machines rife with corruption and a Republican Party controlled by special interests.

The Liberal Party has a history of nominating candidates on the basis of merit, independence, and progressive viewpoints, regardless of party affiliations. Past Liberal Party nominees have included such distinguished public servants as Governors Averell Harriman, Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo, United States Senators Robert Wagner, Sr., Herbert Lehman, Jacob Javits, Robert Kennedy and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and New York City Mayors Fiorello LaGuardia, Robert Wagner and John Lindsay.

The Liberal Party provided key support in Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1944 victory in New York State. In 1960, the party's 406,000 votes for John F. Kennedy provided his margin of victory in New York State, and the state's 43 electoral college votes ultimately provided his national margin of victory.

In the '40's and '50's, the Liberal Party pioneered rent control and consumer protection legislation for the state. In the 1960's the party initiated the suit in the United States Supreme Court for congressional reapportionment, one immediate result of which was the election of Shirley Chisholm, the nation's first African-American congresswoman.

Today, the Liberal Party remains an influential force in New York politics, and is continuing in its tradition of supporting aspirants for office who are both progressive in their ideas and capable of meeting the challenge of providing good government

Reproductive Freedom

The Liberal Party supports a woman's right to choose abortion and rejects all measures to restrict this basic civil right. Women should have access to information on all the alternatives available to them so that they are able to make informed decisions. Abortions, birth control measures and decent pre- and neo-natal health care should be available to all women, regardless of their ability to pay. We support the expansion of programs which provide for sex education and availability of condoms to young people as a means to promote responsible sexual behavior, prevent against the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and reduce teen pregnancy.

Health Care

The Liberal Party believes that access to affordable, decent health care for all is the mark of a civilized society and supports universal health insurance. No American should die because of a lack of financial resources. In addition, health care dollars must be spent more efficiently. Non-emergency patients currently forced to use expensive hospital emergency rooms should instead have access to community-based primary medical facilities and preventative programs. Alternative cost-effective care, including at-home and hospice care should be made available to those not requiring hospitalization.

Education

The Liberal Party believes that a quality public school system is essential for equality of opportunity for all Americans, regardless of economic circumstances. We have consistently opposed all measures, including tuition tax credits, to fund private and parochial schools with taxpayer dollars. These proposals can only serve to destroy the viability of our public school system and raise serious constitutional questions regarding the separation of church and state. All students who have the desire and ability to pursue higher education should be able to do so and should be financially assisted, when necessary, so as to enable them to fully realize their potential.

Crime

Government's first responsibility is to protect its citizens from harm; the right to safety is the most basic civil right. Individuals who commit crimes must be held responsible for their actions. The Liberal Party supports life imprisonment without parole legislation and is opposed to the death penalty. Capital punishment has never been a deterrent to crime and the state ought not resort to this ultimate brutality.

Civic Responsibility

The Liberal Party believes it is a privilege to be an American citizen. Those who reap the benefits of our enduring democracy, the freedoms we enjoy and our economic system have a duty and obligation to give back something positive to the nation. We believe all citizens must partake in the electoral process. There is no greater threat to the survival of our democracy than the apathy of the people.

The Environment

New York, the United States, and the world are in the grip of an environmental crisis. This crisis not only threatens the survival of endangered species and habitats, it threatens the health and well-being of the human population as well. We can no longer ignore the long-term effects of human activities on the environment. It is essential that environmental considerations and costs be fully taken into account by government and business alike.

Civil Rights

Certain groups within our society have historically suffered discrimination due to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and economic class. The Liberal Party supports comprehensive civil rights legislation to ensure that members of such groups are not discriminated against, either in or outside of the workplace.

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×