I don’t want to be happy because I ignore all the sad things around me.
I want to figure out what is important to me from a social-political standpoint. So, what are some major divisive topics? I want to take this post as an opportunity to hold my feet to the flame and take a stance on issues that divide the world today.
For all the issues below, I will say what I would do if I made the laws today. I am always willing to have someone tell me why they disagree, and my opinion may change.
Abortion
I’m pro-choice. The woman can do what she thinks is best for her. I would put some restrictions on abortions after ~30 weeks for extreme edge cases where health was not a concern.
LGBTQ+ Rights
People’s sexual orientation, gender, or identity should not preclude them from having equal treatment. Everyone should be able to get married, adopt, and not be discriminated against.
I would require children to go through puberty before gender reassignment surgery.
Guns
I’m a pacifist. I prefer to live in a gun-free society. However, I also understand that economic sanctions are not preventing Russia from continuing to attack Ukraine.
Guns need to be in the hands of military forces for protection. I believe having guns for protection against other people is the government’s failure. I do not see the need for guns for hunting or entertainment, but I could be ok with a limit of a single manual weapon per person.
Drugs
I’m pro-drugs. I didn’t drink until I was in college and didn’t try marijuana until I was in my thirties. So, the anti-drug campaigns of the 80s and 90s worked on me.
Alcohol and tobacco are drugs. Caffeine is a drug. People need to know what medications they consume and what they may expect to experience using them. But criminalizing them is not the solution.
Healthcare
I support universal health care.
People should not have to pay significant insurance premiums for fear of going into debt over illnesses outside their control. Also, we should treat mental health equally with physical health.
Education
I support free education through a bachelor’s degree and a payoff program for post-bachelor education.
Alternative Energy
We should promote renewable energy sources with the infrastructure to support them.
Random Website Quizzes
Because I didn’t have better resources, I decided to take random website quizzes to see how I compared to the rest of society.
- Pew Research Center Quiz: “Outsider Left“
- Political Personalities: “Utopian Virtuoso“
- IDR Labs: “Solidly Left Wing”
- Political Compass: Economic Left/Right: -7.13 & Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.69
Everyone should be treated equally and allowed to pursue their passions as long as they don’t harm others. I understand that the world isn’t perfect, but I do believe that is what we should strive for as a society.
What’s Next?
I’ll start going through all the countries that ranked higher than the United States of America in terms of happiness and see how my family and I might fit in.
First up at #15. Our neighbors to the North. Canada.
