117700 http://uservoice.com/users/117700-josha http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/6e682721bb48c8999064df90f748f510 josha josha josha 45 5 65586 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65586-make-room-for-libertarians Libertarians love Freedom in all its forms. The message of Freedom brings us together and is all inclusive, whether it be: Freedom of religion, T... Libertarians love Freedom in all its forms. The message of Freedom brings us together and is all inclusive, whether it be: Freedom of religion, The separation of church and state, The right to bear arms, Free trade, Market competition, Capitalism, The right to Life, The liberty to choose, Equality of opportunity, Protection of property rights, Strong national defense, Checks and Balances, Constitutionalism, Judicial restraint ...and on and on... and allow all citizens and all nations those same Freedoms so long as it does not infringe upon my, your, or our collective Freedoms. 4095 344 5641 General general 116891 catchilupi catchilupi catchilupi 2008-11-07T21:49:10Z 2009-03-26T15:39:35Z general 65867 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65867-ensuring-for-citizens-safety-includes-allowing-ab For every person who thinks abortion should be allowed, another thinks it should be prohibited. Instead of taking a hard stance against it and ali... For every person who thinks abortion should be allowed, another thinks it should be prohibited. Instead of taking a hard stance against it and alienating the people voting solely on that issue, what if the RNC platform becomes: 1. The RNC accepts that some people will choose to have an abortion, and it's the government's obligation ensure for the safety of the citizen making that choice. It's better if the procedure is performed safely in a proper clinic than in a back alley. However, doctors should not be forced to perform an abortion if they choose not to. 2. Define late term abortion as the point where the unborn child can live outside the womb. Prohibit it unless the mother's life is in danger (and she chooses to have an abortion). However, offer an easy path to putting the child up for adoption. Clearly state that this is not a slippery slope to abortion becoming illegal. 3. Focus public school education on safe sex, not abstinence, with an emphasis that abortion is not a form of birth control, but everything from a condom to the morning after pill are. Face it, in many parts of the country, abstinence education is considered a joke. 4. Make it illegal for a pharmacist to refuse to sell FDA-approved birth control products when someone asks to purchase one. 1 1 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T04:24:50Z 2008-11-08T04:24:50Z general 65870 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65870-get-the-government-out-of-the-marriage-business "Marriage" is a religious idea. Support the separation of church and state by letting it be up to the churches (temples, mosques, etc.) to decide ... "Marriage" is a religious idea. Support the separation of church and state by letting it be up to the churches (temples, mosques, etc.) to decide if they will marry a gay or lesbian couple. However, the government should be a neutral entity. Especially since there is scientific evidence that being gay or lesbian is no more of a choice than being black or white is, the government should not discriminate and should instead get out of the marriage business. The RNC should support passing federal legislation to change existing references to "married" couples to refer to "joined" (or some other word) couples to remove the religious overtones from legislation and create a clear separation between "marriage" and "joined." A "joined couple" does not discriminate and simply refers to two people who are choosing to spend their lives together. As part of this, if a church chooses not to "marry" a gay or lesbian couple, the church should not be punished because marriage will be a different concept, a religious one defined by scriptures and not government. 2 5 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T04:35:36Z 2008-11-08T04:35:36Z general 65874 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65874-make-education-a-state-and-not-federal-responsibil Rather than having the federal government define the criteria for what students are expected to know, testing students to see if they've learned th... Rather than having the federal government define the criteria for what students are expected to know, testing students to see if they've learned the material, and then punishing the schools and teachers if the students fail, the federal government should instead allow the state to take responsibility for its students. Furthermore, rather than providing vouchers to send students to better schools, leaving the failing schools to fail even further, the federal government should work with the states to improve existing schools. One primary problem is funding. The federal government should start by allocating X dollars for education, dividing it by N students enrolled in public school, and providing the appropriate amount of money to each state. The state and individual schools can find additional funding through state taxes, fundraisers, and other means. What the federal government should do is to find a way to encourage people to become teachers and to reward good teachers (perhaps automatic tax breaks?) so that we encourage learning for the sake of learning rather than just learning to pass a test. It's far more beneficial for the future of our country if our students understand how to derive an equation instead of just memorizing an equation. 1 1 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T04:49:26Z 2008-11-08T04:49:26Z general 65877 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65877-make-natural-gas-the-short-term-automotive-energy- Hybrid cars still rely on foreign oil from the mideast and pollute a lot. Hydrogen cars and the supporting infrastructure are still a long ways aw... Hybrid cars still rely on foreign oil from the mideast and pollute a lot. Hydrogen cars and the supporting infrastructure are still a long ways away. Our focus should be on switching our automotive infrastructure to use natural gas until the next-generation electric cars are practical. This could come online far sooner than any oil from offshore drilling. * We have the technology for natural gas engines, and natural gas cars are in production. * Natural gas burns significantly cleaner than gasoline. * We have large reserves of natural gas in the US. * Nearly every gas station in the US already has a natural gas pipeline for heating. With a simple upgrade--connecting the line to a filling tank--our stations could be upgraded to provide natural gas * Consumers could also have home natural gas filling stations since they have lines for heating at home already 2 0 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T04:53:46Z 2008-11-08T04:53:46Z general 65879 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65879-support-overhauling-our-intelligence-agencies We know now that our intelligence about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction was wrong. The RNC should support significantly overhauling and up... We know now that our intelligence about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction was wrong. The RNC should support significantly overhauling and updating our different federal intelligence agencies so that we never make a mistake like that again. The Department of Homeland Security comes across as just another agency and more mess, instead of an attempt to fix the problem. 1 0 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T04:55:57Z 2008-11-08T04:55:57Z general 65881 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65881-adopt-the-message-reach-for-the-stars- President-elect Obama has made it clear in his policies that he sees the government as our babysitter, and he intends to limit how far some of us c... President-elect Obama has made it clear in his policies that he sees the government as our babysitter, and he intends to limit how far some of us can go, believing it patriotic for us to spread our success around. The RNC should adopt a message of individual responsibility. It's up to you whether you succeed or not, and we think you should reach for the stars. As part of that, the platform should emphasize ideas that let people succeed--low taxes, quality education, and family values (even something as simple as asking people to have dinner with their family at least once a week). 2 2 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T05:03:34Z 2008-11-08T05:03:34Z general 65892 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65892-take-an-honest-pragmatic-approach-to-empower-peop In the past election, someone asked Obama what we can do today to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He replied that we can check our tire pres... In the past election, someone asked Obama what we can do today to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He replied that we can check our tire pressure, which improves your car's fuel efficiency, and Republicans laughed at his reply. However, this simple, pragmatic answer was wonderful because it's something that every one of us can easily do, and it will make a small difference if we all do it. Rather than laughing, perhaps we should have taken a step back and said, "Well, even Senator Obama has a good idea once in a while!" Republican candidates need to empower people and explain how you and I can help make our world better with simple, practical ideas. For instance, we should encourage parents and grandparents to be involved in their kids lives as a key idea in the war on drugs and gangs. 1 0 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T05:30:52Z 2008-11-08T05:30:52Z general 65906 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/65906-support-religion-and-the-separation-of-church-and- Religion provides many benefits to many people, from moral guidance to comfort when someone dies. Yet in the US, as stated by Thomas Jefferson whe... Religion provides many benefits to many people, from moral guidance to comfort when someone dies. Yet in the US, as stated by Thomas Jefferson when discussing the first amendment, there exists a separation between church and state. People are free to worship as they choose, and that means the government will not try to impose one religion's moral values and beliefs onto another. The RNC should emphasize this motto. Its policies should not be based upon what someone thinks G-d wants to do but rather on conservative principles in the best interest of our nation. Yet the RNC platform should recognize the benefits religion provides to so many people and support religious groups, such as faith-based charities. 2 0 5641 General general 117700 josha josha josha 2008-11-08T06:05:25Z 2008-11-08T06:05:25Z general 67147 http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/forums/5641-general/suggestions/67147-renew-our-core-priciples The Republican Oath I'm a Republican because... * I believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that ... The Republican Oath I'm a Republican because... * I believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well by individuals, and that the most effective government is closest to the people. * I believe that good government is based on the individual and that each person's ability, dignity, freedom and responsibility must be honored and recognized. * I believe that free enterprise and the encouragement of individual initiative and incentive have given this nation an economic system second to none. * I believe that sound money policy should be our goal. * I believe in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, age, sex, or national origin. I believe that persons with disabilities should be afforded equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity as well. * I believe we must retain those principles worth retaining, yet always be receptive to new ideals with an outlook broad enough to accommodate thoughtful change and varying points of view. * I believe that Americans value and should preserve their feelings of national strength and pride, and at the same time share with people everywhere a desire for peace and freedom and the extension of human rights throughout the world. *I believe that the Constitution and Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence are designed to restrict the Federal government from enacting any instrument against Individual Liberty This oath is in harmony with our founding documents as well as being supportive of the outcomes our grand experiment of a federal republic was to provide. 1 0 5641 General general 120006 re~constitution usa re~constitution usa re~constitution usa 2008-11-10T04:53:47Z 2008-11-10T04:53:47Z general 2008-11-08T04:06:51Z 2008-11-27T04:20:28Z 52