Political Party Preference Paper

                        Political Party Preference Paper

Going into the 2016 presidential debate, I was intrigued to learn about the beliefs of both the Democrats and the Republicans. Being a potential voter, this paper has allowed me to do research on both political parties, Republicans and Democrats. After diving into both parties and completing all the research, I have been able to determine where I stand in reference to my political viewpoints on Abortion, Gun Control, Immigration, Civil Rights, and War and Peace.

Abortion:

One of the most controversial topics in our society is abortion. Abortion involves terminating a pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo from the uterus. A great deal of Republicans oppose abortion, stating it’s inhuman. They firmly believe that an unborn child, like any of individual, has a right to life that should not be violated. Republicans oppose any of the health care options that include the coverage of abortion. They would prefer an alternative to abortion, such as adoption. The party strictly believes the rights guaranteed to all Americans applies to an unborn child as well.

Democrats on the other hand believe that the choice to have an abortion or not is completely up to the mother. The Democratic views on abortion strongly support Roe v. Wade, a case released in January 1973 that remains one of the most intensely debated Supreme Court decision to this day. “The Court ruled 7-2 that a right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment extended woman’s decision to have an abortion…” (Wikipedia, 2015)

Although I can see why Republicans have a problem with this current issue, I agree with the Democrats that the decision to have an abortion should be up to the woman. There are many faults that come with an abortion but there are also many positive things such as a situation where a woman could be doing drugs, at a young age, while have unprotected sex. That woman may end up pregnant and if she does, and she wants an abortion, there is a very clear reason why she should. That child would have birth defects, possible miscarriage as well, not to mention the fact that this is a child creating another child. This girl would most likely leave the baby with her parents or someone else who is willing to take care of him/her, and go do drugs and other dangerous activities. But I also think that even if a woman is in her twenties, with her life on track, or heading that way, got pregnant and she didn’t want this baby, she shouldn’t be forced to go through with it. I see how adoption could be an option, that’s still a lot of pain to go through. It will even effect the child in the long run if they learn they were adopted. If both women were to have an abortion they could very likely be saving that child from having a horrible life.

Immigration:

        Growing concerns for immigration continue to rise, but “Republicans and Democrats alike see a current need for immigration reform. 50% of Republicans say they see a need for immigration reform this year, with 53% of Democrats saying the same.” (republicanview.org, 2015) The difference between Democrats and Republicans is their idea of the policy for illegal immigrants. Republican fully believe that immigrants should have a path to legalization. They also think illegal immigrants could become citizens, after a long waiting period, paying back taxes, passing a criminal background check, and learning English although they would not get the same benefits as the immigrants who go through a long process to become citizens.

        Democrats believe in the DREAM Act, which is legislation ensuring that young people who want to contribute fully to our society and serve our country are able to become legal residents and ultimately citizens in the United States. Hispanics are also 60%-75% of Democratic votes. (ontheissues.org, 2015)

        I would have to agree with the Republicans for the most part because I think it’s unfair that the United States houses illegal immigrants, giving them benefits, even when a good portion are those that smuggle drugs or commit crimes within the U.S. borders. It is also unfair to the immigrants trying to get here legally, spending thousands of dollars         just to be in this country. I believe there should be some sort of wall as the borders, not just a wire fence. There needs to be more security and a better E-Verify system. I also agree that there should be a tracking system to log when legal immigrants come and leave the country. I think it would be smart to keep tabs on all legal immigrants for at least the first six months of citizenship. Additionally, I believe that those immigrants that are penniless, that are trying to become legal citizens in the US, should be able to not have to pay any money and be put through some type of working situation to earn citizenship. They should clearly be checked out before allowing that to happen, but not everyone has the money for a lawyer and other expenses that need to be made to become a citizen.

Gun Control:

        A major discussion in the world today is whether to ban guns or put restrictions on them. The Democratic views on gun control are centered on the belief that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. The Democratic Party wants there to be stricter regulation of firearms, especially assault weapons. They especially wish to strengthen our background check system, and work together to enact commonsense improvements such as reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole. “We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms.” (ontheissues.org, 2015)

...