The truth shall set you free!

Cool... just cause I don't want to assume when people gat down to core beliefs liberals and conservatives have common ground. So here goes,

by innocent you are including the "unborn"?

Not sure I get the punishment for inmates... isn't jail enough or would you rather we add pain and suffering?

freedom of religion... that is a twist... always thought the real freedom of religion in this country is reserved for Christians.

But I'll put myslef of the line too

freedom of religion
women's rights (pay equity, roe v wade etc)
freedom of speech
death penalty in only the most reprehensible situations (one wrongly accused is too many)
strict gun control ( hey I'm from a major city)
ohh and more men being given the opportunity to raise their children
access to birth control (I include vasectomy on that list of options)

@ mmbob - isn't it amazing how many contradictions there are in his "platforms"

"rights for the innocent" but "stricter and shorter time frame for appeals on death row."
Im not giving my personal view on whether or not eye for an eye is the way to go.... but do you know HOW MANY people on death row are killed each year only to find out AFTER the fact that the were... in fact... innocent....

Unrestricted right to bear arms - horrible - so you are willing to give a gun to anyone. even criminals. you DID say unrestricted. and yet you want stricter laws for the accused. which is it. do you want to put a gun in the hand of someone who will kill or not? Just so you know... there was a gentleman... very nice one... who owned the gun range where my brother goes to shoot.... he was sellling guns to a guy who DID have a prior... but "had faith" that the guy was reformed. Do you know what that guy did? Held up a convenient store and killed someone. With a gun that this nice guy sold him. Thats what your Unrestricted gun laws will allow. MORE death. Im from a big city too. It's good to know that because YOU find hunting or shooting fun you are willing to allow other people to die for it.. because that is the reality. n You aren't willing to impost stricter gun laws... even wait longer... just go get your greedy hands on a weapon... if it means a safer world out there for the rest of us. And dont you think this is my feeling just because I don't like you. I feel the same way about my own brother (OH btw... also a republican... and I know plenty of them you pompous shmuck. I only gave one example because with THAT friend I have worked on countless republican fundraisers... I have aided the party when I have believed in the cause.... which isn't often but its happened... unlike YOU i AM open minded...)

Freedom of religion - that has to be the biggest joke on there. I know very few republicans that honestly believe in freedom of religion. Your core beliefs are based on Christian fundamentals. That isn't freedom of religion - that is forcing a religions fundamentals onto people who MAY NOT believe in them.... such as roe vs wade. such as prayer in school. such as the hundreds of thousands of people out there who will not vote for Obama MERELY because he is "muslim" (and while he is not... he is in fact christian.... I think Mr. Powell put it the best... in this country the correct answer to "but hes muslim" "so what if he is?" and if you, sir, have a problem with the idea that a muslim man can raise to such power... then you are just as close minded and bigoted as the rest of them... and can throw your freedom of religion crap out the door)

I agree wholeheartedly with Mmob.

First, a little clarification:

*Innocent*: includes the unborn, the being-born and the just-born.

Punishment for Inmates: Pain...No; Suffering...you bet. Ever seen Cool Hand Luke? Prison should be a place where people DON*T want to go. A lot of very violent felons are welcomed with open arms by their brothers (all races) when they get in. About the only priviledges they don*t get are driving & women.

Freedon of Religion: I don*t know a Christian that does not support the right of other bone fide religions (and even some bogus ones, like tree-bark worshipers) to freely practice their faith here in America. Thats the REAL fact.

I know that you get a load of propaganda here and other lefty outlets but their examples are fringe, at best.

Surprised by the common ground?
.....................................................................................

Allow me to comment on your list

Roe: Choosing murder is not good. We'll likely never agree...so be it.

Equal Pay: We agree. BUT I believe this is vastly overstated. Just not seeing it. It may well exist...it may be gender related, maybe not. I just don*t believe its big.

Womens Rights: I believe they should be the same as a mans.

Death Penalty: Again, some common ground. I think forensic advancements are narrowing the margin of error...a good thing. Wouldn*t want an innocent to die BUT the no-doubt murderers need to fry.

Guns: Major city here, too. Simple...outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns. Cliche but true. No matter what you try, you cannot keep them off the streets. Why don*t I get a shot at defending myself?

Men raising their kids: Sure. I do it every day. I'd like to see both parents with more time to raise their kids but most households are dual-income due to high taxes. Ever think about it? You tax me at 50% and guess what. It takes two incomes to meet the nut. Tax me less and somebody gets more time to raise the kids.

Access to BC: Sure. Didn't know it was a problem. Don't tell me you want the Feds to supply fifty cent rubbers to everybody! Vasectomys are a luxury...sorry. Too many cheaper alternatives, like fifty cent rubbers.

A lot of common ground here. Surprised?

Very hard to follow your rant but I will try:

Rights for the Innocent:
You say "...do you know HOW MANY people on death row are killed each year only to find out AFTER the fact that the were... in fact... innocent...."

In 2007, there were 42 executions in America. There were 3 pre-execution exhonerations. Looks like the system is working.

Why don't you tell us how many were found innocent AFTER they were executed in 2007.

We may, or may not be able to catch an erroneous death penalty BUT we can certainly prevent the execution of millions of innocent babies every year.

Why not do what we can?

Guns:
Does anyone assert that the overwhelming number of guns used in crimes in America were acquired illegally? Your story is a sad one but likey represents a tiny fraction of gun deaths in America.

Like I said, a bit of compromise on this issue. Gun sales to criminals & mental cases? Not a good idea.

Freedom of Religion:
Of course Christinaity is the core of my beliefs. Judeo-Christian beliefs are the foundation of many/most of our social constructs and laws in America. To deny that is to be ill-informed.

Last time I checked, pre-Roe abortion was under the purview of each State, seperately. Roe was actually YOU forcing YOUR *values* onto the rest of society. I*m curious, which mainstream religion supports abortion?

Prayer in school was around for a loooong time before eliminated a few decades back. Funny, I don*t recall the downfall of western civilization resulting from a bunch of kids praying. How can that be?!?

Prayer in school is not a deal-breaker for me or most Christians...just an unfortunate side-effect of living in *the world*. We*ll just tell our kids to say their own prayer...whenever they want...wherever they want. They, and any other kid, has that right.

You may find some poorly informed voters out there somewhere who a) believe Obama is a practicing Muslim OR b) won't vote for him as a result.

Everyone I know will not be voting for him because of his poitical views. He*s a RADICAL LEFT WING nut job.

Will I vote for a Christian over a Muslim? Likely. It*s called CHOICE. I thought you liked choice?

Will I campaign against someone SOLELY because they*re a Muslim? Possibly.

People are free to practice their faith and I am free to not support them should they wish to rise to power.

FREEDOM. That*s a pesky little concept for you lefties.

So true!

But there is hope, now that ACORN has been found out and the FBI is investigating them.

The corrupt insider Sec of State in Ohio attemting to help ACORN rig the system has also been exposed, so there is a good chance that the dems won*t steal that State.

We have good reason to believe that we*ve stopped the theif dem party from rigging this one!

How quickly you neocons forget that it was the REPUBLICANS that rigged the last elections, not the democrats

My friends, first let me say that I am no neocon. I am your fathers* Conservative and have been so for decades.

*Neocon* will be your label after you mature a bit, start having kids and realize that your sillly little lefty concepts just don*t float in the sea of real life. That is, unless you land some cushy little college job like Ayers.

Secondly, the entire legal system gave the 2000 election a colonoscopy and found not one thing! Even the NY Times did a re-count in FL and W still won.

Finally, The Cleveland Plain Dealer (democrat rag) found, after their extensive witch-hunt in OH 2004, that there had been no hint of republican election fraud. They specifically investigated each & every lefty assertion and found them to be without merit.

Linked for you seeking knowledge:
http://www.cleveland.com/pdgraphics/voting/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1651472/posts

They didn't investigate any charges that we brough against the dems, though.

I cannot believe that you lefties still cling to the stolen election mythology. Pathetic!

Again, I am NOT your friend.

Second, there seem to be more Liberals than Conservatives now a days, at least according to the polls. My grandparents (who are still with us today thanks to a healthy diet, exercise and the fact that they love and don't hate) are liberal, my parents are liberal, their friends are liberal, my friends are liberal.

Third, Looks like you are a bit jealous of said "cushy professor job" and I am sorry to hear you look down on the education of the future generations.

Or are you just jealous that your own collegic education is not up to par?

pathetic.

OH and I can assure you, the older I become, the more liberal I become.

Have you ever even seen a Conservative? Man, you need to expand your experiences some if you want us to believe that you are truely educated. Come out of your comfort zone, my friend.

I am no more jealous of the average college prof than I am of anyone else who barely works for a living. You could say that I hold them in pretty much the same esteem that you hold the uber riche.

College? Ran out of money after 1.5 years and I've actually been a contributing member of society ever since. Big time taxpayer.

In all seriousness, though. Don*t you feel that your lack of exposure to conservative thinkers (I mean real people, not talk show hosts) leaves you a bit lacking in your ability to understand us? It sounds like your life paradigm is solely left-wing.

Open your mind to at least attempt to understand where other folks are coming from. You*ll be a better lefty for it. (at least you*ll have some credibility)

HAHAHAHA lack of exposer? My best friend happens to be a political analyst and fundraise FOR THE republican party. I have even attended events with her and because I did believe in the local candidate she helped when we were both still going through school (myself an undergrad and her in her masters program), I have even supported a republican.

I WILL NEVER support some conservative schmuck with blinders on and takes the bible for word. NOR will I support someone who is supporting the kind of hatred that YOU SIR are supporting by supporting Palin and McCain.

Please refrain from referring to me as MY FRIEND. I REPEAT I am NOT your friend. I find the comment EXTREMELY condescending. I have asked multiple times that you cease using that term of endearment when replying to me and you have yet to do so.

So, you have a republican friend. How nice for you.
In other words, you were misrepresenting yourself when you stated that your friends were liberal...I see.

Well, one token rebublican friend does not make jack a well rounded person, now does it. Is you one Republican friend a Conservative? That IS the essence of my point.

Hatred? Palin is one of the sweetest ladies you*d ever want to listen to. McCain, maybe a little rough around the edges but fundamentally a well-meaning bloke.

Hatred? Barry, Michelle, Ayers, Wright! Haters all.

Can*t we all just get along?

DS53, Okay so please tell us what do you believe in as a conservative?

If McCain/Palin are your examples of conservative politics then I worry and I wonder why you are not worried.

Is it "conservative"for a politician to spend so much on a wardrobe? Or how about using public funds to have her children travel with her? I would think that a conservative individual would have decided to leave the children at home and focus on work... or pay for thier travel with personal funds... to me this sounds like more abuses of power.. What do you think DS53?

And you guys acuse ME of dragging on about trivial issues (Obamas criminal & racists affilliations, for example) rather than focusing on real issues like, say, the economy?!?!?

Now we*re discussing wardrobes and family travel?

Get a grip!

You begrudge the GOP to spend THEIR funds to properly wardrobe their candidate? Who do you think clothed Hillary way back in 92 before Bill became Pres and THEN got rich?

Abuse of power to take your kids along?!? Warped!!

You've got Barny Frank sleeping with an exec from Fannie Mae while he's accepting huge campaign funds from them AND diffusing efforts to properly regulate them and you want to talk about abuse of power?!?!?

Dems literally get away with murder (at least manslaughter - don't go swimming with Teddy) and you want to plaster Palin for her wardrobe?!?!

Too funny!

glad to humor you and have you seem so angry at the same time.. But again, you went through great lengths in your post earlier about who has a conservative friend, blah blah blah... so just wondering if you consider yourself a conservative what do you stand for?

For instance as a liberal, women's rights are important to me... ohh and I think that guilt by association will condemn us all so those arguements I find silly or how about this one... I find the current campaign strategy to be devisive, and full of racist undertones that are more subtle yes but not so different from Rev Wright.

So again, not trying to be arguementative but what do you stand for as a conservative?

HOORAY FOR YOU in a time when it is almost a crime to speak for God,and the Bible at least there is some that will hold .