Please read all the previous posts to help in understanding where this party is coming from and, below, a few example issues and where we stand on them.
Thank you!
Issues
1. Education:
I find the best way to tell America how the SOP feels about Education is to use Aaron Sorkin's words, as spoken by Sam Seaborn in an episode of the West Wing (don't laugh *g*):
"Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense...."
To further quote Sam: "That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet."
Figuring out how to do it would be part of our Party plan while also ensuring that Education is NEVER a disposable budget item nor will we support any plan to privatize Education (see #2 below).
2. The Role of Government In Our Lives:
The job of the Federal Government is to uphold the Constitution and protect those items/programs; those inalienable rights that are absolutely necessary to the People and thus should never be done for profit. Here are just three of those items to serve as examples:
Education (naturally, people should always have the right to attend private schools, but if we truly give the education of our children our full attention, the need for private schools would, for the most part, evaporate)
Healthcare (including Medicare, Social Security Disability, Social Security and Medicaid, etc.)
Defense
3. Homosexuality:
The SOP sees no difference between gays or straights and therefore would work hard to ensure that gays are afforded ALL the same rights and benefits of 'straights', including the right to marry.
4. Family Values:
The SOP recognizes that the definition of 'family' as a fluid thing, thus we can not - will not - permit 'family' to be pigeon-holed into a cookie cutter "one man, one woman" formula. The SOP will never support any legislation that attempts to define "a family" in such a limiting manner, let alone create laws around such a definition. By the same token, SOP understands that the family, however it may be represented, is the cornerstone for our future. SOP would support legislation that helps keep families together and aids in providing for them during trying times (disaster relief, extension of unemployment benefits during hard economic times, etc) - and no, this promise does NOT exclude single Americans, who, according to our definition, constitute a 'family' as well.
5. Gun Control:
The SOP will support (and write) legislation that creates a more responsible method of purchasing firearms. We believe in the 'right to bear arms' but also understand that our Founding Fathers could never have imagined a world where those arms would be automatic to the degree that one lone gunman could fire off a multitude of bullets in seconds - or literally spray bullets into an innocent group of people. They probably would have found no reason to own a semi-automatic unless in the military or law enforcement and would have been appalled at the easy manner in which assault weapons can be purchased and altered to be even more powerful.
The SOP supports changing the 'gun show' laws which, currently, allow the purchase of any weapon without a background check or even adequate ID. The rules for purchasing a weapon at a gun show should be the same as at a shop that sells guns.
We have the right to protect ourselves, of that, there is no doubt. But at some point, the SOP has to say STOP THE MADNESS.
6. Abortion:
Simply put, the SOP supports the right of women to choose. That said, we do have concerns regarding late term abortions unless the life of the woman is in danger. To be honest, this is an area of deep concern for many reasons, thus the SOP does not take it lightly. Even as we understand the complexity of this issue, we must, at this time, state that we will never support any legislation that prohibits doctors from performing abortions or women from having them. We will strongly support heavier penalties for those who would threaten, harass, stalk, or harm in any way, medical personnel or employees of clinics that perform abortions, or the women who use the clinics. We will also attempt to overturn current laws that refuse Federal funds to hospitals/clinics that perform abortions.
NOTE: The SOP uses the Mayo Clinic's article on the stages of pregnancy.
7. Campaign Reform:
One of the primary goals of the SOP will be to enact radical Campaign Reforms. We believe that money should NOT be the primary factor nor an issue in deciding who is elected. Therefore we will be supporting some rather radical changes. For instance, we do not believe corporations should have been granted 'person' status for the purpose of campaign contributions and will work to repeal that law.
8. Health Care Reform:
The SOP feels that the US is far behind other countries in providing the one thing every American should have access to: OUTSTANDING medical care no matter their economic status and whether it be pre-natal or in our senior years. Today, we're at the mercy of Health Care Providers and the Pharmaceutical companies whose only goal is profit.
Medicine is NOT a business, should not BE a business, because when the dollar enters the equation, the best interests of the patient exit.
I find the best way to tell America how the SOP feels about Education is to use Aaron Sorkin's words, as spoken by Sam Seaborn in an episode of the West Wing (don't laugh *g*):
"Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense...."
To further quote Sam: "That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet."
Figuring out how to do it would be part of our Party plan while also ensuring that Education is NEVER a disposable budget item nor will we support any plan to privatize Education (see #2 below).
2. The Role of Government In Our Lives:
The job of the Federal Government is to uphold the Constitution and protect those items/programs; those inalienable rights that are absolutely necessary to the People and thus should never be done for profit. Here are just three of those items to serve as examples:
Education (naturally, people should always have the right to attend private schools, but if we truly give the education of our children our full attention, the need for private schools would, for the most part, evaporate)
Healthcare (including Medicare, Social Security Disability, Social Security and Medicaid, etc.)
Defense
3. Homosexuality:
The SOP sees no difference between gays or straights and therefore would work hard to ensure that gays are afforded ALL the same rights and benefits of 'straights', including the right to marry.
4. Family Values:
The SOP recognizes that the definition of 'family' as a fluid thing, thus we can not - will not - permit 'family' to be pigeon-holed into a cookie cutter "one man, one woman" formula. The SOP will never support any legislation that attempts to define "a family" in such a limiting manner, let alone create laws around such a definition. By the same token, SOP understands that the family, however it may be represented, is the cornerstone for our future. SOP would support legislation that helps keep families together and aids in providing for them during trying times (disaster relief, extension of unemployment benefits during hard economic times, etc) - and no, this promise does NOT exclude single Americans, who, according to our definition, constitute a 'family' as well.
5. Gun Control:
The SOP will support (and write) legislation that creates a more responsible method of purchasing firearms. We believe in the 'right to bear arms' but also understand that our Founding Fathers could never have imagined a world where those arms would be automatic to the degree that one lone gunman could fire off a multitude of bullets in seconds - or literally spray bullets into an innocent group of people. They probably would have found no reason to own a semi-automatic unless in the military or law enforcement and would have been appalled at the easy manner in which assault weapons can be purchased and altered to be even more powerful.
The SOP supports changing the 'gun show' laws which, currently, allow the purchase of any weapon without a background check or even adequate ID. The rules for purchasing a weapon at a gun show should be the same as at a shop that sells guns.
We have the right to protect ourselves, of that, there is no doubt. But at some point, the SOP has to say STOP THE MADNESS.
6. Abortion:
Simply put, the SOP supports the right of women to choose. That said, we do have concerns regarding late term abortions unless the life of the woman is in danger. To be honest, this is an area of deep concern for many reasons, thus the SOP does not take it lightly. Even as we understand the complexity of this issue, we must, at this time, state that we will never support any legislation that prohibits doctors from performing abortions or women from having them. We will strongly support heavier penalties for those who would threaten, harass, stalk, or harm in any way, medical personnel or employees of clinics that perform abortions, or the women who use the clinics. We will also attempt to overturn current laws that refuse Federal funds to hospitals/clinics that perform abortions.
NOTE: The SOP uses the Mayo Clinic's article on the stages of pregnancy.
7. Campaign Reform:
One of the primary goals of the SOP will be to enact radical Campaign Reforms. We believe that money should NOT be the primary factor nor an issue in deciding who is elected. Therefore we will be supporting some rather radical changes. For instance, we do not believe corporations should have been granted 'person' status for the purpose of campaign contributions and will work to repeal that law.
8. Health Care Reform:
The SOP feels that the US is far behind other countries in providing the one thing every American should have access to: OUTSTANDING medical care no matter their economic status and whether it be pre-natal or in our senior years. Today, we're at the mercy of Health Care Providers and the Pharmaceutical companies whose only goal is profit.
Medicine is NOT a business, should not BE a business, because when the dollar enters the equation, the best interests of the patient exit.
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