Why I'm a Republican

Why do I lean towards the right side of the political spectrum? For a long time, it was mostly because my parents did. Over time, I developed some opinions on gun control, abortion, marriage, etc. However, for a time I considered myself a moderate. That was during my disillusioned high school days in the IB programme. I supported gay marriage to a certain extent--I mean, my church didn't have to allow it, so why couldn't the U.S.? I changed my opinion by the time I got to college. I still hated gun control.

When I got to college, I sort of lost touch with the political arena. This was mostly because I was trying to focus on school and felt like I didn't have time to acquaint myself with politics.

Since this election, however, I have tried to become more knowledgeable about politics. I am still a Republican. Why? (this list is in no particular order)

1. I am against gun control

I think gun control is flat out the dumbest thing ever. Does anyone remember what happened during prohibition? That's right, the drinking problem got a lot worse! That's what will probably happen if the government decides to take away our right to own firearms. I stand by the mantra "It's not the gun that kills; it's the hand that pulls the trigger". I like having the right to defend myself, thank you very much. And think of it this way: would you try to rob someone if you knew that everyone had a gun? I think not. And having the right to weapons is in the Bill of Rights: the right to bear arms.

2. I am against abortion

I believe that everyone has a right to life. Sure, the woman has a choice to kill the baby inside of her, but does the baby have any say in the matter? No! If you don't want to get pregnant, there are ways to prevent pregnancy: birth control pills, condoms, etc. And there's the best way yet to not get pregnant: don't have sex in the first place. Now, I do support abortion in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is in jeopardy. My mother has a cousin who had to have an abortion because there was a problem that would not only kill the baby but would also kill her. Even in these cases, I don't think the decision to have an abortion is a decision to be made lightly. Abortion has always been legal in these instances. If it interests you, of all the abortions that are performed in this country, very few are for cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening conditions.

3. I am against gay marriage

I support the traditional family. Now, when I say that I am against gay marriage, I am not saying that I am against gays. Far from it. I know people who are gay and bisexual, but I do not hate them. The reason I am against gay marriage is on the basis that marriage should be exclusive to being between a man and a woman. If gay marriage is legalized, who says that a man cannot marry two women? Or a woman marry two men? "But they love each other" one may say. Well, two thirteen-year-olds can profess to be in love, but should they get married? No!
Since it seems that even those who voted for Obama voted for measures to keep marriage between men and women, I guess this is somewhat irrelevant.

4. I don't like socialist medicine

I was born in a country that had socialist medicine, and it stinks. When my mom was having babies, she and my dad had to pay for the epidural separately and the clinic had to call in an anesthesiologist to administer it. The anesthesiologist came when it was almost too late when my brother Craig was born, and he didn't come in time for me. I was born quickly, so that had something to do with it.
Now, the idea of everyone being able to have health insurance is a great idea, hypothetically. It would probably work in a small country with not very many people, but it would be disastrous in the United States. Who likes waiting in line at the DMV to get a license renewed? Well, that's what it would be like to go the doctor, only worse. In countries such as Japan and Canada that have government-sponsored health programs, people have to wait months for simple medical procedures and sometimes people die. Or if they have money, they'll come to the United States for quick healthcare. I have a friend who served his mission in Montreal but had to come home early because he had to have surgery. Recovering from the surgery he needed would already take months, but it would take even longer in Canada because he would have to wait longer (and he really needed the surgery). He chose to come home for that reason.


What it all boils down to is that I don't want the government to control every aspect of my life. That's what conservatism is all about: limited government. It's what our Founding Fathers fought for. I also want a goverment that supports morality and good values.

Thank you, that is all.

eight things..,

8 things I am passionate about:
1. The Church
2. My family
3. My friends
4. music
5. good grammar
6. literacy
7. the traditional family
8. the right to life

8 words or phrases I say often:
1. What?
2. What the heck!
3. Oh dear... (everyone I've lived with)
4. How was your day?
5. No!!!!
6. Woo-hoo!
7. Woot
8. Hey!

8 things I want to accomplish in the coming year:
1. Graduate from college
2. Start working on my book
3. Be a better cook
4. Speak better French
5. Perhaps...have a relationship?
6. Be a better person
7. Not be so anxious
8. Get in shape

8 places I would love to go or visit:
1. France
2. Quebec
3. Japan
4. New York
5. England
6. Ghana
7. Hawaii
8. The Polynesian Islands

8 things I need or want:
1. Well, I would like a boyfriend (a want, not a need)
2. more storage
3. to clean
4. sushi
5. to not have writer's block
6. to exercise
7. to get more sleep
8. fun fun!

all better!

I have made a full and complete recovery from food poisoning...yay! Where did I get it? I think I got it from a bridal shower I went to on Saturday. They had taco salad there...but no one else is sick as far as I can tell. But I've always had a slightly sensitive digestive tract, so there you go. It was a fun bridal shower! It was for Tia, one of my friends and my visiting teacher last winter. She's getting married the day before Thanksgiving in Salt Lake. I won a tiara in one of the games we played (I'll post pictures later). The game: you had to pass around a wrapped gift while music played (Michael Buble's "Everything"...lovely) and when the music stopped, whoever was holding it had to open a layer. Different little gifts came from various layers, and the last layer came to me...and it was a tiara. I asked if it meant that I'm next...ha ha.

After the bridal shower, I went home and got ready for my blind date. I was a little nervous. It was fun. It was a double date because Stephen was very nervous (can't say I blame him). First we went to the BYU Men's and Women's Chorus concert. After that, we went and got some gelato. I ended up doing most of the talking, but he did ask for my number at the end of the date, which is hopeful I suppose. We will see.

My roommates and I were going to have a fondue party on Sunday, but my sudden onset of food poisoning delayed it once again. Are we never going to have this fondue party? Seriously. Another week to figure out which guy I'm going to invite to this little affair. I really don't like inviting guys to things, I really don't. They should be inviting ME! But that was another post, several months ago.

blegh...

So, yesterday was pretty good. And my date was pretty good too. He was so nervous--I was the one doing most of the talking. But he asked for my number at the end, so I guess that's positive.

Why the title of my post? Well, I woke up at nearly six this morning feeling sick to my stomach. I decided to go to church anyway, since I had to give the lesson in Sunday School. I gave my part of the lesson in Sunday School and turned time over to my co-teacher to teach. At the beginning of his lesson, he talked about his soccer days in high school when they had post-summer conditioning and some players would throw up. Well, that started something. I ran to the ladies' room with my mouth covered and didn't quite make it to the toilet in time. Yep, I threw up. Two of my roommates came in, cleaned up, and offered to walk me home. Amy went back into the classroom and got my stuff and she walked me home. She even gave me some antiseptic to swish around in my mouth.

I think it was food poisoning. I'm feeling better now, but I don't have an appetite. I'm grateful for my roommates, who are taking good care of me. I'm also glad it's Sunday, that way I don't have to worry about school. And I'm grateful that we do co-teaching in my stake, that way my co-teacher could take over.

wow

McCain lost the election. I can't say I'm too surprised, since the media was so enamored with Obama. I wasn't happy with the results, nonetheless. In my facebook status, I even said that Texas should take advantage of its secession rights. But some good came from this election: Proposition 8 passed in California! When declaring my elation at this piece of news, a couple of "friends" called me a fascist on facebook. Needless to say, I deleted these friends. One guy got onto Chat and told me that I was intolerant and a terrible person; he also hoped that none of my future children would be gay because of their "intolerant" mother. I did not respond to him because I knew his motives were not to find out my point of view, just to trample my opinion and try to make me feel bad. The other guy responded to my status by saying: "Hooray for religious fascism!"

I wasn't particularly good friends with either of these guys, so deleting them wasn't hard. I'm not going to be friends with people who are going to compare me to the people who made the Holocaust happen.

I am not a bigot. I know people who are gay and I do not hate them. My brother's first cello teacher was gay. My hairdresser is gay. I have had friends who are gay. Someone asked: "What if you have a child who turns out gay?" My answer: I will not love them any less. I do not agree with homosexuality, but that does not mean I will hate my own child. I do, however, believe that homosexuality can be overcome, whether it is in this life or the next. The media likes to say that it can't be, but they do not focus on those who have overcome it but rather those who give in.

And Proposition 8 isn't as horrible as the media is making it out to be. Gay and lesbian couples will still be able to enjoy the same legal protections and rights they had before.

If anyone is going to write negative comments here, don't even bother. I have heard enough. I do not persecute you for believing the way you do, I think I have the right to not be persecuted for what I believe.

this week

Today is Election Day. I mailed in my absentee ballot on Saturday. I voted for McCain. I figure he's the lesser of two evils.

So, guess who's got a blind date this weekend? *raises hand* That's right, I do. It's kind of a funny story how it came about. A couple months ago, my roommate Jenny went to a single's ward activity with a guy she was dating at the time. She met this guy in his ward named Steven, and they both thought he'd be perfect for me because we both talk the same way (now there's a scary thought). They came back and told me that they wanted to set me up with him. I wasn't keen on the idea at the time because I was kind of dating someone else at the time, even though I didn't know where it was going. About a week later, Jenny broke up with the guy. And then two weeks after that, my "relationship" ended. I asked Jenny about Steven, and she told me that she was still friends with Andrew (the guy she had been dating) and promised to talk to him about it. Well, a few weeks later, I have a date. Steven has refused to call me because he's petrified about the whole thing. Apparently he hasn't been on many dates and he's fresh off his mission. Leave it to me to break a newly returned missionary into the dating scene...ha ha.

I don't know how I feel about it. Blind dates have never been my favorite. I do wish guys would actually ask me out. About a week before I stopped dating my ex, a guy from my complex kind of tried to ask me out (I think). He asked if we could go swimming sometime, but at the time I was kind of sick and I told him that. I was also on codeine for said illness, so I don't know if I sounded quite right when I told him. Now I regret turning him down...he's a really cool guy and I still do see him around on occasion and he's still very friendly to me whenever I see him. Eh, I read too much into things.

Yeah, that's been my week so far.