cont.. The policy of fiscal conservatism and small government does not belong solely to the religious right and the most of the points that you make explain that. There is a large segment of the population that is socially moderate (live and let live WITH consent) that is turned off by the religious zealotry that seems to come through some of the hard right. The republican party needs to clarify what it stands for and crystalize its message to something that is simple and easy to understand. We are still looking for that kind of a leader.

cont. Legal immigration is awesome. Illegal immigration has to stop. We need to enforce our own laws and borders. The stress on our public services is contributing to the bankruptcy of states across the Union. Maintenance of English as the national language is of paramount importance to enable integration into OUR country . It is the one thing that is cohesive about our culture and keeps us unified as a nation.

Legalizing pot may bring in some money and certainly free up a lot of court and law enforcement time, but like alcohol, it has long-term damaging health effects that should not be ignore. Unlike alcohol, a person can get high being in the same room as pot smoke so the spaces where it is allowed should be closely regulated. I doubt that the goverment would be able to collect a whole lot of tax revenue from it, but it would free up tax dollars used in the law enforcement and court sectors.

cont.
Abortion is an incredibly sensitive political subject. It SHOULD be rare. It SHOULD be available to victims of sex crimes, and it SHOULD be done to save the mother's life. It is unfortunate that women's rights groups do not stand up for the thousands of their sisters that are lost every year due to irresponsible behavior because a woman can't keep her legs closed without using some form of birth control (and yes, as a woman, I said WOMAN because the potential and choice to conceive and carry a child is solely in our hands, men have no rights in this matter). It is ironic that the Liberals who are so offended at the thought of waterboarding terrorists to save American lives, think nothing of the the reprehensible act of partial-birth abortion and the suffering it causes of such a tiny life that is very capable of feeling, or the emotional damage to women wrought by the act of an abortion. Regardless, it should stay legal and safe, and regulated by the states.

cont. Hate crimes should NOT be any more punisheable than regular crimes. The physical harm afflicted the same between someone who was beaten over a purse as for the belief that they should be with someone of the same sex. Bodily damage is still bodily damage. All crimes have a basis in hate...hate for self, hate for society, hate for women, hate for religion, I could go on, but I am sure that you get the point.

John, I have to agree with almost all of what you said. We need to teach our children the love of our Great Country, Patriotism, and that inspite of all of the good that we do, as with any human-created entity, we have made and will make mistakes. Ours should not be a government that tramples on the freedoms of others, at home or abroad. Our Government needs to be as small and self-supporting as possible within the edicts layed out by the constitution, and with more power granted back to the states. This country is founded on religious freedom, which means that no one can dictate religion how a Christian (or insert any religious ideology here) should practice or, likewise, how an atheist should believe. It is God's place to judge what happens in the afterlife, not people. It is not the Government's place to dictate what happens in the bedroom between two consenting adults, that is NOT the job of goverment and a waste of Taxes to even debate the issue. Civil unions for "governmental" purposes are a good place to start, leave marriage with the church.