Immigration

Liberal viewpoint: no wall, make it easier to obtain a US Visa.

Conservative viewpoint: put up a wall, tighter border control.

In the case of immigration, I go conservative. I believe we have too many problems with our own people getting jobs and making ends meet and that we should not allow more people to come in. However, I disagree with the wall because that will be costly and that money could be used to issueing and enforcing temporary work visas. This is not a big issue for me at this point in my life though.

School Prayer

Liberal view on school prayer: should NOT be allowed, seperation of church and state, and the belief that we live in a multicultural society and no one viewpoint should come before another.

Conservative view: should be allowed, our country was founded on Christian values and beliefs and should stay that way.

Personally, I go liberal on this issue. I believe there should be a seperation of church and state and that public schools should not have school prayer. I believe this because today there are so many different religions and those should be celebrated too. I also think that if one prayer to one God is happening at school, the one kid that is Jewish or Muslim might feel left out and even picked on because they practice a different religion. I believe a school without prayer creates a more open environment.

Gay Marriage

Liberal Viewpoint:

• Its okay.
• How does it affect a third party?
• Should allowed to legally wed.
• Seperation of church and state

Conservative Viewpoint:

• Wrong
• Goes against the Bible
• Should not allowed to be legally wed because it is a "scared cememony between a man and a woman"

Again, I am very liberal on gay marriage. I don't see why two men or women proclaiming their love is a problem for anyone else. Marriage is just a continuation of a relationship. I also believe the Catholic church should stay out of the government regulating this issue because in our Constitution it calls for a seperation of church and state. I understand that it may go against certain religions, but all religions feel differently on certain issues, so why is this one so prevelant? I also understand that gay marriage would go against the Bible, but times have changed and as a society we are more aware that people to feel this way and that we need to learn to adapt with it. Bottom line is that I don't see why if two men or women want to be together, who am I or who is the government to say that they can not proclaim that and take their relationship to the level of heterosexuals?

Abortion

The liberal view on abortion is pro-choice. This means that the woman has the choice on what she wants to do with her body and ultimately her pregancy. It is also believed that a baby is alive at birth. Under liberal views, abortions would be legal. The conservative view point is pro-life. Life starts at conception and would be considered murder to have an abortion. Under conservatives laws, abortions would be illegal.

I am pro-choice. I believe that no one should be able to tell a woman that she has to have a baby. If abortions are ourlawed, people are going to get the "on the streets" and would most likely put the mother and child at a greater risk. I also believe that a baby is alive at birth and that it is nobody's business other than the woman's and maybe her partners whether she keeps a child or not. However, I do believe that today abortions can be misused, and used a contraceptive method. I believe that it needs to be regulated somewhat, however not outlawed.

Liberals vs. Conservatives

In today’s American society, we have two main viewpoints: liberal and conservative. These two outlooks take action in different ways. Currently, there is much debate about the actions of both especially with the 2008 Presidential Election coming in November. Liberals believe in the governmental action to achieve equality for all. They believe that it is the duty of the State to protect human and individual rights and civil liberties. With the belief that all people are basically good, it is the governments responsibility that no one is need. Basically, they believe the government should solve problems.

Conservatives on the other hand, believe in the individual. They want a more limited government and more individual freedom. They hold more traditional American values and push for a strong national defense. The government should open opportunities and freedom for people to pursue their goals. Conservative governmental policies generally give power to the individuals to solve problems.

Is There Anything Authentic to my Generation?

I believe there is nothing my generation can call its own without it being connected to major corporations. Being known as the “ipod generation” is something that really doesn’t bother me. My world as I have ever known it has been surrounded and covered with advertisements and flooded with big business. Essentially I feel like we own these businesses because they spend so much time and energy looking into our culture and what we want and how to get us to buy what they are selling, that we are the life of their company. Although we cannot say we are the “Radio generation” or the “Television generation” the teenagers today have more power in the economy and market than ever before. We could compare the “ipod generation” with the others mentioned however ipod is automatically associated with Apple. Overall, I don’t really mind that we don’t have something so unique to our culture but that idea that we have to so much power and control is something to credit our generation with.

Knowing What We Want

"It's a shame that the people who are listening to you the most are only interested in you because they want you and your peers to buy their product."

I believe there is some truth to that statement. Industry today works so hard to get into our lives to see who we are, how we act, what we want, what we don't like so they can sell us a product. They are very good at their job. They have to really listen to us because we are their market and what we buy determinds how successful they will be.

I am not necessarily comfortable with this statement, but when you really think about it, it's true. But, they are the only ones that really have to listen to us because we are their market. What other jobs are there that go inside the teen culture and teen life? In order for that specific company to come out on top, that's what they have to do, and they chose to do it. Others don't necessarily chose to listen so closely.

Overall, I agree with the statement and believe that there is truth too it, but that's the kind of world we live in today.