The Issues
The Declaration of Independence outlined three basic rights that the government is instituted in order to protect: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. At the highest level, those are the things that the State is supposed to protect and do nothing more.
Life:
Life is the first listed and as such should be considered the most important of the protections. The State has few roles, but the most important one is ensuring that the lives of its citizens are not taken from any source, foreign or domestic, without due process. I also believe that this protection extends to the lives of the unborn. I personally believe that life begins at conception and this belief is what leads me to the conclusion that unborn life should be protected. I also acknowledge the fact that not everyone believes as I do. I believe that the best course for everyone is a civil discourse between opposing sides. Personal and violent attacks do not further any cause and have no place in civil society.
Liberty:
The War for Independence was fought over the fact that the liberties of the colonies were being violated. The Declaration lists some of the various offenses committed by the Crown and Parliament, offenses against their basic rights as citizens of England. A violation of their liberties was so offensive that they were willing to risk their lives, fortunes and sacred honors in their defense. I will fight to maintain personal liberty. Our Founders set up our system of government as a “bottom up” method of governing. The highest level of government is granted only the powers that are absolutely required at that level. If anything can be done at a lower level of government, it should. The federal government should only do those few things that only the federal government should do. The same goes for the state, county and so on. I believe that the more local the better. My time on a county planning and zoning commission has shown me this. The more local a decision is made, the more the citizenry can be involved in those decisions. Right now, America seems to be suffering from a “top down” approach, and I will work to reverse that.
Pursuit of Happiness:
The pursuit of happiness is, as the drafters of the Declaration understood it, property. After a person’s physical life and political liberty are secure, the State is to protect the property of its citizens. In its simplest form, this is enforcing contract law. If one receives a good or service, one must pay for it. But property protection goes a bit further than this. I believe in the free enterprise system that has given America the economic benefits that we enjoy today. This means that the State should not put undue burdens upon people regarding their private property. One should be able to do what they wish with their own property, whether it is their own person, their home or their business. As long as they are not harming another person or another person’s property, they should not suffer excessive government intrusion. I also believe that the State should ensure the that the economic framework in place is supportive of people and their property.