Ideally, we can take steps to foster a culture in which women did not feel elective abortion was necessary at all. We can improve the adoption process and bolster community resources to help women and couples experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Acknowledging that this is a difficult moral issue, I support the ability of rape or incest victims to choose whether to terminate their pregnancies.

Strongly Agree

Emphasizing that I have strong moral objections to abortion other than therapeutic abortions (i.e., when the mother's life is threatened), to the extent that abortion is permitted, chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards.

Disagree

Strongly Agree

Government should never close churches. There is, under Employment Division v. Smith, a general rule by which government "can" close churches or interfere with religious behaviors. I've written law review articles and legal briefs about how Smith was wrongly decided and far too permissive of government interference with religion. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution acknowledges the danger of governmental interference in religious affairs.

Strongly Disagree

In my opinion, Masterpiece Cakeshop, 303 Creative, and similar litigation is a shameful abuse of the court system. As an attorney, I have defended the conscience rights of healthcare workers to not perform procedures they object to (abortion, assisted suicide, etc.) and the right of adoption agencies to define marriage according to their faith tradition.

Yes

Strongly Agree

Yes. Our relationship with Israel is both symbolic and strategic. Both nations share a deep commitment to democracy and the rule of law, but we also receive significant economic, military, and technological benefits as a result of our collaboration. Israel is our most important ally in the middle east.

C) most closely matches my view.

Only when the vaccine is proven effective and safe, and only if appropriate exemptions are granted (e.g., religious, health, etc.).

Strongly Agree

Not only are free enterprise and the right to private property essential elements of a productive economic system, protecting them is a core function of government. As James Madison wrote in 1792: the protection of property "being the end of government, that alone is a just government, which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own." That includes protection of the rights of conscience. "Conscience is the most sacred of all property."

Increases in the minimum wage reduce job opportunities for the people who need those opportunities the most—people lacking skills and experience. There are better ways to raise the wage floor than to artificially inflate the price of labor.

No

Agree

I agree with this. The only reservation I have is that the legislation must be carefully tailored. We have to be cognizant of potential unintended consequences.

Strongly Disagree

Our police departments are generally underfunded, and it would court disaster to take funds from those on the front lines of ensuring public safety. If we want to invest money in community programs geared toward crime prevention, there are surely other places to take that money from.

Gun ownership is a core right, codified in the Second Amendment. People do not sacrifice the right to defend themselves just because they give the government power to defend them as well. That being said, I generally favor restrictions on felons owning/possessing firearms. However, I also believe that felons who have served their sentence should have their right to own a firearm restored.

The first and highest purpose of government is to secure the property rights of the individual, as argued by James Madison, Frederic Bastiat, and many others. That property includes one's life and conscience. Ensuring public safety and safeguarding free speech, the right to worship, and the right to own property are fundamental objects of government.

No.

No.

Conservative

Strongly Disagree

Agree

I agree that parents should have the final say in their child's healthcare in almost all situations. However, the phrase "unless an emergency situation arises risking immediate death" is probably not a broad enough exception. In any event, barring a true emergency, healthcare providers should not provide treatment to children without parental consent.

Strongly Agree

Agree

I agree that government should not dictate to religious organizations how they should define marriage. The First Amendment prohibits such actions. I filed a brief in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia in support of Catholic Social Services' right to define marriage according to its faith tradition.

I'm a Christian. I believe in the redeeming power of the Gospel—that Christ's sacrifice has set us free, and in that freedom, we find hope.

Strongly Agree

With the understanding that #4 in the question covers those men and women serving in our military, I strongly agree. Voting by mail is necessary for some people to participate in elections, but it's also a system that is ripe for abuse. Voting by mail should be restricted to those who need to avail themselves of the option, and it should be accompanied by substantial security measures to guard abuse.

Genuine acts of discrimination based on any immutable characteristics, like skin color, is a threat to domestic security. The problem is that progressives have redefined "racism" from overt discrimination based on race to something far more vague. This hazy version of racism is constantly shifting to include everything that progressives don't like. I will not condemn something that cannot be defined.

Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree

A) & C) are closest to my view. I consider myself a conservative environmentalist. My desire to protect the environment is rooted in public safety and the stewardship that we have been granted over the earth. We must act responsibly. However, we cannot cripple industry for the sake of achieving some marginal environmental benefit. The fearmongering over climate change has poisoned an important public debate.