Stephanie hallHawkins | SS236-01 Unit 7 Assignment | Political Typology | | Liberal | 4/15/2012 |
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I was not at all surprised by the political typology to which I belong. I have debated politics with friends and family for years and even though I grew up in a rural area around mostly Republicans I have always been on the opposite side of the debate. The year I was to turn 18 was a presidential election year and I wanted to vote for the candidate that I most agreed with. I watched debates and listened to several of the speeches that all three candidates took part in and I found that I most agreed with the views and opinions of Bill Clinton. I also have always been one for supporting government as a whole and the need for regulations in business. As I read through the description of the things that a liberal is most likely to believe I agreed with every one of them.
I am a strong advocate for gun control and I feel strongly that too many deaths are the direct result of weak laws that failed to keep guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals. I just recently lost my 17 year-old niece to a gunshot to the head. The young man that put that gun to her head would never have been able to do that had he not had such easy access to one in the first place. I feel that too often anymore people let their anger get the best of them and shooting someone strikes them as the best way to solve their issues with them.
“Founded more than 200 years ago, the Democratic Party was born in response to the idea that government should represent the people and that wealth and status should not be an entitlement to rule.”(democrats.org) I believe that Liberals are always going to show signs of success in politics. The Democratic Party is made up of Liberals and is just as strong as the Republic Party politically. I in fact believe that it is likely the Liberals will continue to grow in numbers. History shows us that the Democratic Party has been very successful in improving our lives. President Franklin Roosevelt was key in ending the Great Depression and he established the Social Security Administration. It was Democratic President Lyndon Johnson who signed into law the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Again in 1992 Americans elected another Democratic President, Bill Clinton. He managed to balance the budget and added over 23 million new jobs to the economy. Then in 2008 once again Americans turned to the Democrats “and elected President Obama to reverse our country’s slide into the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression and undo eight years of policies that favored the few over the many.” (democrats.org) As I pointed out previously the Democratic Party is made up of Liberals and they share a majority of the same beliefs. Liberals feel that the government should regulate business and protect the consumer; they also support welfare and Medicaid, support abortion, and stricter gun laws. The fact that people have differing opinions on hot topic issues is part of what makes this country great. I love the idea that both the Republicans and the Democrats can lead this country in differing ways and still show signs of success. However since I am a Liberal I would prefer to see the Democrats win the 2012 elections and regain control of the House. I really want to see what life would be like in a country where the millionaires pay more taxes than I do and where health care is actually affordable for me. I have to end with a quote from one of my favorite Democratic presidents, “But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." --John F. Kennedy
