20 Political Points
10 August 2004
I found out about this survey here, so thought I’d take a stab at it.
1. I have never voted for a Democrat in my life.
False. Then again, I’ve voted Republican, Libertarian, Green Party, Independent, etc.
2. I think my taxes are too high.
True.
3. I supported Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
True, but not for the same reasons as other people. I’ve seen the damage that sexual harassment, even the kind that’s apparently voluntary, can do. I support the AAUP standards of no involvement between people in the same chain of command. And, sorry, a President is always in the chain of command.
4. I voted for President Bush in 2000.
False. I did, however, vote.
5. I am a gun owner.
Not at present, though I am a lifetime NRA member.
6. I support school voucher programs.
I waffle on this one.
7. I oppose condom distribution in public schools.
False. Public health concerns are important. We have a bunch of kids who have fatal or life-long diseases (yes, genital herpes counts there, because it’s dormant for life) because they were not told about proper precautions.
8. I oppose bilingual education.
I don’t believe people whose native language isn’t English should be mainstreamed out of English-speaking classrooms. I do support people learning a second language, which is the other possible (but not commonly used) meaning of the term.
9. I oppose gay marriage.
False. I strongly support gay marriage.
10. I want Social Security privatized.
True, though not the way some people mean it. I’d rather the money was paid into one’s fund and that family members could share funds. Upon death, any remaining funds would be released to heirs. This is how Singapore managed their medical system.
11. I believe racial profiling at airports is common sense.
False. Not all people allied with terrorists are Arab. And, more to the point, very few Arabs (or, while we’re at it Muslims, who are mostly not Arab) are terrorists. Same issues with drug smuggling, etc.
12. I shop at Wal-Mart.
False. I’m one of those people who prefers to shop at non-chains.
13. I enjoy talk radio.
I go through phases, but I haven’t been in a talk radio phase for several years. I hate to say it, but when I’m feeling really down, I sometimes enjoy Doctor Laura. She makes me realize that I’m not nearly as much of an idiot as many of her callers.
14. I am annoyed when news editors substitute the phrase “undocumented person” for “illegal alien.”
True. It makes them sound like they’re not carrying papers around rather than the fact that a) they’re in the country illegally and b) they are in fact alien.
15. I do not believe the phrase “a chink in the armor” is offensive.
This term has been in the English language since before the English knew the Chinese existed. Taking offense at the word is like taking offense at the word denigrate because it might refer to someone who is black (which isn’t necessarily someone who is African-American).
16. I eat meat.
In fact, I prefer it.
17. I believe O.J. Simpson was guilty.
At the time, I wasn’t certain, but when I read all the books with the forensic detail I’d not watched during the trial, I felt certain that he was guilty, especially given some of the stuff that came out during the civil trial.
18. I cheered when I learned that Saddam Hussein had been captured.
I was happy that he was captured, but I don’t think it justifies the actions before or since. We simply didn’t prepare for the post-war problems. At all.
19. I cry when I hear “Proud to be an American” (God Bless the USA) by Lee Greenwood.
Ghods, no.
20. I don’t believe the New York Times.
I’m allergic to newsprint as well as to papers that require registration to read articles. Thus, I simply don’t read it.