David P. Carson II

A woman's right to bodily autonomy is of utmost importance, yet that's not to ignore the life of an unborn child; hence, abortion should be allowed up to 22 weeks (LMP - last menstrual period). This is widely agreed to be the viability point of a fetus outside of the reproductive system. Furthermore, with the current abortion laws changing in the US, no matter what the state's determination on abortion legality, there should always be exceptions for incest, rape, and the overall health of the pregnant woman.

Strongly Disagree

They should receive funds from these sources, as this is a legitimate medical expense.

Strongly Agree

Should an individual's illness be considered terminal by a physician, that individual, if determined to be of sound mind, should be allowed to make the decision to terminate his/her life. This allows that individual to approach and embrace death with some degree of dignity and grace.

Did not answer

Primarily, I would reevaluate the money spent incentivizing large industries to bring their business to the area.

Strongly Agree

The only way to remain competitive is to ensure that our future generations have the tools and resources necessary to compete with those outside of our area. To do this, we must determine that higher education is not just a right, but a necessity. Providing a higher education for our citizens is propelling our entire country forward.

Strongly Agree

I understand both sides of this argument; however, I also understand the slippery slope that is religious exemption. If a religious exemption can be offered, a religion will spring up to provide said exemption. This opens too many doors for people to discriminate against others, and discrimination should never be accepted.

Government should be allowed to close churches when their practices and beliefs endanger persons. They should be allowed to close churches when they pose a danger to the general social/communal well-being. Those are two examples. The problem with this question is that it uses the generalization "church" instead of "facility of religious worship." This also goes back to what I've previously said about how easy it is for religions to simply spring up. A "church" is more of an idea anymore than it is a facility with strictly defined parameters. A religious organization that practices harmless tenets, human freedom, and inclusivity should never fear being closed.

Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. As a society, we are obligated to care for each other. The healthcare of our children and our elderly should absolutely be government-funded, as they should be safely outside of the realm of those who should be required to work. Lastly, the days of an illness or sickness causing financial ruin should be far behind us. While contracting/suffering from certain diseases may be left to chance, our ability to alleviate that hardship is certain.

Employers should be allowed to mandate vaccinations if they feel it is in the best interest of their employees and/or customers. Schools should be allowed to mandate vaccinations if they feel it is in the best interest of the students and/or staff. The government should be allowed to require vaccinations if they feel that it is of paramount importance to the overall safety and well-being of the masses. In all cases, said vaccination must be tested, approved, and recommended by the US CDC or the WHO.

The US should concern itself with terrorism without needing to restrict its focus. Islamic terrorists are no more or less threatening than other religious extremists, anarchists, or white supremacists. With more robust funding of our nation's Joint Terrorism Task Force, primed with an enhanced communication network embracing local law enforcement, international and domestic terrorism could be reasonably curtailed.

Choose not to answer

Neutral

Continued maintenance of physical enhancements, continued manning of border patrol agencies, continued electronic surveillance, and enhanced inter-agency communication is enough to continue to secure our southern border. While illegal immigration is a serious issue, our country's move toward a nationalist agenda is unhealthy, dangerous, and will not allow us to prosper in the future.

Anyone should be able to immigrate to the US if they can demonstrate that their residence will be contributory to the community and will not create a negative financial impact. Exceptions to that would be anyone who demonstrates a justifiable and verifiable need for asylum.

Disagree

Public tax dollars should not contribute to the further dilution of the public school system. The public money that is currently spent to contribute to private schools, home schooling, and charter schools is money that could be spent to create a public school environment where teachers earn a reasonable wage, classrooms do not struggle for supplies, and programs are not cancelled for lack of funding.

Strongly Disagree

Our system of limited government would work with any framework that understands that people should be kind and understanding toward one another. People should pursue happiness without infringing on anyone else's right to also pursue happiness.

Choose not to answer

Strongly Disagree

Marriage, as it pertains to persons relationships, is the legally recognized union of people as partners in a relationship. In the US, the number of partners is limited to two; those partners must be required to be human; and those partners must be entering into the relationship as consenting adults with no immediate blood relation. Other than that, there is no reason to further restrict the definition of marriage.

Choose not to answer

My values are simple: everyone should have the right to the pursuit of happiness as long as that pursuit of happiness does not infringe upon someone else's right to the pursuit of happiness. Global, national, and community laws and rules should be inclusive, as we all have to find a way to coexist on one small planet that is grossly overpopulated and on a downward spiral. We should provide for the future of our children, care for those in need, and respect those who have come before us. Everyone should have the right and the ability to live and die with dignity. And we should all be working together toward a world of one people who are happy, healthy, caring, and prosperous.

Strongly Disagree

In a world where stolen identities are a common occurrence, nobody should be able to vote without photo identification. Although voter fraud is extremely rare, it is still essential to ensure the integrity of our democratic system. Having said that, photo identification should also be easily attainable through government channels. We cannot create a system that is restrictive or limiting.

The only thing I would change about present voting practices is that I would most certainly address the targeted gerrymandering of districts in an effort to preferentially affect the outcome of fair elections.

Racism is a threat to domestic security. It is the foundation of hate that far too many people rally behind in an attempt to sway political action in their favor. Those that choose to hate based on color of skin (as well as other trivial differences) have demonstrated that they are willing to go to violent extremes to attempt to suppress the rights and freedoms of those who are different.

Disagree

There is no erasing the mistakes of the past. As horrible as our past has been, our goal should be the improvement of the future. Reparations are not the answer, but we can ensure that the oppressive actions of our past are not repeated or promoted in the future.

Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. Environmental awareness is necessary to ensure that our children have a future. No matter the cost, our future generations are worth the sacrifice. Jobs and the economy can coincide with a greener future. We can start creating jobs that focus on cleaning up our planet.

Strongly Disagree

This is unnecessary, environmentally sloppy, and dangerous to those that reside anywhere near it. It contaminates air, water, and soil. Money invested in greener solutions can make this a thing of the past, and it can help to improve our environment and overall health.

The government is a resource put in place by the people to oversee the communal well-being of the country and those who reside in it. It is to ensure that all people have equal opportunities to pursue happiness and prosperity without infringing on the rights and freedoms of others.

Liberal

While I have a number of conservative thoughts on the overall socio-econonmic wellness of our nation, I tend to be more liberal in most areas. I believe that our society is a dynamic organism that benefits from constant change and evolution. I support the rights and freedoms of the individual, but all individuals. I believe in taking care of all people in an attempt to secure happiness for the greatest number.

Did not answer

I have not.

My priorities for the district are Housing, Infrastructure, Healthcare, and Education. These are things that we can directly positively affect and improve within the borders of the state of Tennessee without concern of the Federal government passing laws that nullify the time and money spent enacting change. Housing should be affordable for everyone. The infrastructure should be better monitored and maintained. Healthcare should be available to everyone, and it should never create a lifelong debt. And the education system needs to be improved, providing better pay to educators, improving the public school curricula, and expanding the availability of higher education.

Agree

Law enforcement officers should not fear legal repercussion when acting reasonably within the parameters of departmental policy. However, these actions must be reasonable, and the policy must be effectively worded to deter confusion or misrepresentation of the verbiage. While they should not fear legal action for adhering to departmental policy, they also should not feel that they have complete carte blanche to do whatever they see fit to enact their personal ideas of justice.

Strongly Agree

Many domestic situations could be more effectively resolved with a dispatch of a smaller police presence accompanied by a contingent of mental health professionals. This would allow the majority of law enforcement officers to focus on criminal activity, while mental health professionals could focus on de-escalation, conflict resolution, and other minor domestic disturbances.

Firearms should be dealt with in a similar manner to vehicles, as they have similar potential to do great harm. Persons wishing to own a particular firearm should be required to attend training for that specific class of firearm and pass a test (written and hands-on) to demonstrate understanding of the safe handling and use of said weapon. Sales of firearms should be tracked by transference of titles, similar to vehicles; however, purchasers must be licensed for that specific class of firearm before the purchase is complete. And background checks must be performed to ensure certain criteria are met.

Strongly Disagree

If firearms dealers and manufacturers act within the broad purview of the law, there is no reason for them to fear legal repercussions. They are doing nothing more than providing a legal product to a customer base. While the potential for this product to do irreparable harm is there, the dealers and manufacturers are not at fault by simply developing and distributing the product for ownership within the parameters mandated by the Federal government.