Government should not focus on social issues

Anybody who knows me is aware that I’m a strongly opinionated Republican. I’m a Republican because of their platforms on the economy. I believe that there should be lower taxes and huge budget cuts. I believe job development comes from small businesses and by reducing taxes, it will allow businesses to focus on producing and selling, rather than focusing on paying their taxes, which would ultimately result in an economic surplus and job development. These issues, in my opinion, should be what government is centered around.

Lately, a great deal of government has been focused on social issues, which is not doing anything other than creating unnecessary conflict. Being a Republican, people would assume that I am against gay marriage and that I’m pro-life; this is wrong. My views on certain social issues align with Democrats.

With all of those matters aside though, Democratic or Republican, why is our government, state or federal, dictating these things in the first place? It is simply unconstitutional to rule choices out of anybody’s life. Why is the government interfering with such personal decisions?

Government should be focusing on securing the border, supplying jobs, our atrocious economic status and finding or improving alternative energy systems that could come remotely close to supplying our energy demands when all else fails. The United States is currently $7 trillion in debt with the unemployment rate at 8.2 percent. Something is clearly not working.

I’m taking a very Libertarian standpoint on this, but I feel like it’s what will help our country progress. It is simple: freedom. There should be little government controlling the lives of American citizens. I want everyone to be able to live in any manner they choose, as long as it doesn’t harm or interfere with the equal rights of other people.

Of course there will always be differences in opinions and nobody will agree on everything, but why are the main things you hear about social issues?

Just because you don’t feel someone’s decisions are right or they interfere with your moral beliefs, doesn’t mean that that is not what they believe is right. If the person next to you makes choices for their own well-being, it will not hinder your life or happiness. You may not like it, but that is why we live in a “free” country, so people can proceed with a life they want to live.

I believe everyone does things in their own mind because they truly believe it is right. Obviously, they have some argument to their choices. With every new law being made I feel like my liberty is being chipped away… one piece at a time.

No authoritarian power should hamper me following my dreams, my beliefs, my rights or my freedom. I want to be free and have the responsibility of dealing with the consequences of the personal decisions I make.

Because I’m a Republican and I feel the economic status is far more important than the social issues, my views, that are typically Democratic, on certain social issues are not expressed. One thing I can’t stand is when people tell me all I care about is money when that is the farthest thing from the truth.

These are the biggest flaws in the two-party system because people feel like they have to agree 100 percent with their selected party. Since it is unreasonable to plan for a future where government isn’t as involved, I have come to realize you must distinguish what is more important to you: economic or social issues.

If America would just leave the social issues to citizens, where the government was not involved, I would truly feel free and we could focus on bettering our country, for once.

– By Ally DeJong