Andreas Nothaft 1/29/2014 Government Period 1 Mr. Hawkins Am I a Li era! or "onservative# Po!

iti$s are a hot to%i$ to sa& the !east. Mere!& within m& immediate fami!& I have heard thin's !ike (sin' the word )!i era!) as an ins(!t* and to a'ree with !i era! views is essentia!!& $onsidered to e an admittan$e of st(%idit& as far as m& fami!& is $on$erned. However* +(st !ike a !ot of %eo%!e* I am ver& m($h a moderate. ,es%ite the fa$t that man& of m& so$ia! and ethi$a! va!(es a!i'n with that of !i era!s and m& views on %ersona! res%onsi i!it& $oin$ide with $onservatives* I e!ieve the $ate'ori-ation of %ers%e$tive as mere!& one of two .%arties. is a harmf(! e!ief to o(r so$iet&. M& aforementioned a!i'nment with !i era! e!iefs on most so$ia! and ethi$a! iss(es stems from m& 'enera! e!ief in the !a$k of a defined 'ood or ad on most of these iss(es* so I +(st side with havin' more o%tions. /n 'a& marria'e* I am in f(!! s(%%ort e$a(se how $an I sa& it.s wron' to 'ive a $ertain !e'a! do$(ment to a $o(%!e d(e to their se0(a! orientation# 1hat is not m& %!a$e* that is their de$ision whether or not the& wo(!d !ike to enter that $ontra$t. Mari+(ana !e'a!i-ation is the same wa&* it is not %!a$e to de$ide for others what s( stan$es the& wo(!d !ike to %(t in their odies. I e!ieve ethi$s are $om%!ete!& d&nami$ & their nat(re and ever& individ(a! sho(!d have a $han$e to de$ide fro themse!ves what is oka& and what is not* and e a !e to a$t on that* not e restri$ted & the e!iefs of others. 1his* of $o(rse* is restri$ted to iss(es that do not affe$t other $iti-ens. 2et* when it $omes to takin' res%onsi i!it& for one.s $hoi$es the& make with their ethi$a! freedom* m& o%inion is ver& m($h a $onservative one.

I e!ieve that !ife is ver& m($h what ea$h individ(a! makes it* whi$h is what f(e!s m& 'enera! a'reement with $onservative %o!i$ies re'ardin' %ersona! res%onsi i!it&. ,o not mis(nderstand* I e!ieve that some %eo%!e rea$h a ro('h %at$h or have a s%ree of ad !($k* however* an&one $an t(rn that aro(nd with the drive and am ition to do so. I e!ieve in we!fare in theor&* for those who $an not work* (t in toda&.s da& and a'e is e0%!oited e&ond an& kind of reasona !e meas(re and needs to e re (i!t or destro&ed. I s(%%ort harsh %(nishment.s for $rimes* e$a(se ever& individ(a! is a!wa&s res%onsi !e for what the& do. I have heard )I did not mean too* I was +(st so (%set I hit him) or )I rea!!& did not intend this* I was dr(nk*) man& times* and I fee! these res%onses are ridi$(!o(s. 3ein' (%set does not mean someone is (n$ons$io(s for that moment* and a hea!th& %erson sho(!d show se!f $ontro!. If one does not have se!f $ontro!* then the& $an either !earn or e %(nished* that is fair. If an individ(a! de$ides to drink in a sit(ation where the& $a(se tro( !e* the& sho(!d have had etter +(d'ment than to drink in the 'iven sit(ation or than to drink so m($h. An& ne'ative sit(ation $an e $on4(ered thro('h hard work and am ition* and a!tho('h this is somethin' that wi!! rare!& e ref!e$ted in so$iet& (nti! we e'in tea$hin' it in so$iet&* I sti!! o serve it to e tr(e. However* there is one i' %ro !em I have with (sin' these %o!!s I have taken to $ate'ori-e m& e!iefs5 the $ate'ori-ation %art. 1he %o!!s I am (sin' to de$ide whether or not m& views are $onservative or !i era! im%!& that I a!wa&s have to e one or the other* and I fee! this is an idea to avoid. I think that $reatin' these $ate'ori$a! s&stems mere!& serves to divide o(r nation as a %eo%!e. 6omeone who re'(!ar!& e!ieves $onservative va!(es and s(dden!& disa'rees on one iss(e $o(!d have some %rett& i' ramifi$ations with %eo%!e he dis$(sses these to%i$s with if the& are set in the idea one side is ri'ht and the other is wron'. 1his %art& s&stem a!so serves to $reate a ver& )(s vers(s them) sit(ation that dis$o(ra'es %eo%!e from havin' e!iefs that ran'e thro('h the s%e$tr(m of ri'ht to

!eft. /(r $o(ntr& wo(!d e a!! the etter if we $o(!d a!! sim%!& sa& that we want the est for o(r $o(ntr& and have var&in' e!iefs on an& 'iven iss(e witho(t havin' to a!i'n o(r e!ief to one %art& or the other. In $on$!(sion* it is ver& diffi$(!t to $ate'ori-e e!iefs. In fa$t* $ate'ori-ation takes awa& from an individ(a!.s %ers%e$tive and reasonin'. ,es%ite this* If I had to $ate'ori-e it* I am mora!!& and so$ia!!& !i era! and $onservative re'ardin' an& %art of %ersona! res%onsi i!it&. A!tho('h we* as a nation* sho(!d rea!!& +(st thro('h o(t the idea of )%arties.)