Thursday, May 24, 2012

SOCIAL ISSUES - Your Moral Compass & "American Exceptionalism?"



SOCIAL ISSUES....

So what's YOUR position on:

Abortion
Homosexuality
Gay Marraige
Pornography
Drug use
Alcohol
Tobacco use
Tattos
Body jewelry
Family values
Religion
   on and on.......

Is it like mine???
 Should it be??  (and why??) 
  Is it that YOU are right and I am wrong???
    Does it matter ???

Let's first look quickly at "American Exceptionalism"-
American exceptionalism (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)-
is the theory that the United States is different from other countries in that it has a specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy. In this view, America's exceptionalism stems from its emergence from a revolution, becoming "the first new nation,"[1] and developing a uniquely American ideology, based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire........
Proponents of American exceptionalism argue that the United States is exceptional in that it was founded on a set of republican ideals, rather than on a common heritage, ethnicity, or ruling elite. In the formulation of President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address, America is a nation "conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." In this view, America is inextricably connected with liberty and equality. This interpretation of American exceptionalism has been championed by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In a 2011 film, A City Upon a Hill[36] and book, A Nation Like No Other, Gingrich argues the claim to "exceptionalism" is "built on the unique belief that our rights do not come from the government, but from God, giving honor and responsibility to the individual – not the state."[37]

However, The United States has the largest population of immigrants in the world—over 38.5 million people living in the United States are first-generation immigrants.  As such we have "mutated"!!   We are no longer a few select groups of Pilgrims, Puritans, and assorted aristocrats from England; but a hugely diverse maze or "melting pot" of many cultures and nationalities.  Coming with that, is its associated variety of beliefs, values & religions....all of which have been welcomed here under the American roof with no discrimination or favoritism.......or has it ???

The United States' policies have been characterized since their inception by a system of federalism and checks and balances, which were designed to prevent any person, faction, region, or government organ from becoming too powerful.

But as we have seen with our recent electoral processes....it has become infested with "special interest groups" and powerful elites with financial controls over, not only the media, but over the "electoral process itself". 
It has gotten to where these policies are now expected to tell us what is "right or wrong"......or to set our "MORAL COMPASS" regarding SOCIAL ISSUES. 
 This used to be an area reserved for "individual responsibility" originated & developed by our parents, family and faith (religion)......to be maintained by each of us, individually, throughout our life.

"A person’s sense of right or wrong may change depending on what role they are playing at the time, according to a new study that also found that people may not even be aware of their shifting moral integrity": see more - Moral Compass Shifts as Roles Change

In modern times....
"Instead of a moral compass, people have been given enormous freedom to construct their own lives and make their own moral decisions. Although this outcome has had many positive elements, it also has resulted in large numbers of people, at least in America, who are fundamentally unsure when it comes to their philosophy of life.  In Schwartz's words, "They don't seem to know where they belong. They don't seem to know that they are doing the right things with their lives. They don't seem to know what the right things are": see more - Finding our Moral Compass

Since when do we expect our elected representatives and a political party to involve themselves in the myriad of social issues and the various viewpoints that come with them!!??
If you don't like someone's position on abortion....or gay marraige; then don't vote for them !!!  It's really that simple !!!For any party to attempt to find positions that are acceptable with such a wide cross-section of society will necessitate continual bickering and dis-content among its members.....never finding the "magical" combination or formula to satisfy enough of a majority to accomplish anything.

POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD REFRAIN FROM TAKING POSITIONS ON SOCIAL ISSUES.....This is solely a responsibility of the INDIVIDUAL derived from one's parents, family and religious beliefs !

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