Civil Liberties
Our civil liberties are what make America great. If we throw away our civil liberties, then all of those who have died to defend this country have done so in vain. Without civil liberties America as an ideal no longer exists. It is with this profound respect for civil liberties, and the sacrifices that have been made to obtain them, that I form my positions on this issue.
I am a staunch proponent of the Bill of Rights. Taken together they form a protective shield against tyranny. To sacrifice one is to sacrifice them all. This is why I am adamant in my defense of the second amendment. It is the last line of defense against a violent threat.
I am personally against abortion on moral grounds, but as a policy matter, it is an issue to be addressed by the states. A first step in that direction would be ending federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
In this time of fear, many foolish laws have been passed which betray the spirit of America. Benjamin Franklin warned us about fearing so much for our safety that we abandon our liberty. That is exactly what we have done with the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, H.R. 1955: The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 and the REAL ID Act. I will work tirelessly to repeal all of these.
I also strongly oppose the granting of immunity to telecommunications companies who helped the government violate the Constitution with warrantless spying, wiretapping and data mining.