I am staunchly and unapologetically committed to defending the most defenseless among us, the unborn child. I believe both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution clearly give the federal government the authority and duty to protect the rights of the unborn child.
"On every question of construction, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." — Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823, The Complete Jefferson, p. 322.
Liberals today tell us that the Constitution must be interpreted as a "living" document. They do this in order to grow the federal government outside its limited Constitutional function. This philosophy of interpretation leaves the meaning of the Constitution up to the whims of an unelected federal judiciary and is fraught with dangers to the Republic.With the resurgence of terrorism and the growing threat from states such as Iran, it is more important than ever that we maintain our support of Israel.
I am a very strong supporter of the nation of Israel.
Israel is a strategic and diplomatic ally in the region. In the United Nations, Israel votes with the United States more than any other country in the world, including our close friends Canada and England.
History and the science of archaeology confirm a continuous Jewish presence in Israel for the past 3,000 years. This is their historic homeland, and the land they returned to in 1948 after the Diaspora that followed the Roman actions in AD 70 and 135. After centuries of persecution and attempted extermination, they have earned the right to be restored to their traditional homeland.
Some try to paint Israel as an apartheid state, but that accusation does not withstand critical examination. Non-Jewish Arabs make up approximately 20% of the population of Israel. They enjoy and exercise equal voting rights, and also serve in the Knesset, Supreme Court, and Cabinet positions within the government. A Harvard study showed that 77% of Arab Israelis would rather live in Israel than any other country, and many prefer to live in Israel as it is, rather than under Palestinian rule.
In an increasingly hostile world, America needs all the friends we can gather. In the Mideast, Israel is a friend and ally, and I will continue support for Israel’s sovereignty and survival.
I believe that marriage is designed by God and intended to be for one man and one woman.
For thousands of years marriage has been defined as a union between people of opposite sex. In most societies the tradition is monogamy, while in a few polygamy can still be found, but the universal standard has been that marriage is a state between men and women.
This standard is basic to society, with the family being the foundational unit. This is because the family is where children are produced, nurtured, and prepared to be the progenitors of the next generation after they grow up. Thus societies sustain themselves.
The most stable and healthy environment for a child to grow up in has both a mother and a father. Statistically,
• Traditional marriages last longer than same-sex unions
• Traditional marriages are less violent than same-sex unions
• Traditional marriages give children the balanced effect of both male and female influences
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC, 2001), approximately 58% of traditional marriages last more than 20 years. In contrast, only about 5% of same-sex unions last that long (2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census). In Norway and Sweden, which have had same-sex marriage for a number of years, male homosexual couples are 50% more likely to divorce than heterosexual couples, and lesbian couples are twice as likely to divorce. This is not the recipe for a stable society.
I believe that the definition of marriage consisting of a covenant between a man and a woman must be upheld. Redefining marriage outside of those terms would cause it to be something else and weaken the institution.