So, a lot of folks have been spouting their opinions about various politicians. I wonder if people really look at the true beliefs of those politicians. So now it's time for me to step up on my soapbox. You don't have to agree or like what I have to say, I just feel it needs to be said.

Topic 1: Abortion

Ah yes, one of the most controversial of all topics. You know what's funny is that people focus so much on this topic and vote for a politician based on their view on this topic.... and IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ECONOMIC STABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES.
My view, well, I'm pro-choice. That doesn't make me a bad person. I'm not pro-choice because I'm pro-abortion. Hilary Clinton once said ""I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion." I believe that it is the individual choice of a person, and we the people should not make these decisions for those persons. Why is it that people scream about freedom but clam up about the freedom to choose? What gives us the right to control what a woman does with her body? I find it disgusting when people think it's acceptable to force a woman who has been raped or a victim of incest to carry that fetus to term. Who are we to judge??? It's one of our business. You don't have to think it's morally correct but it's NOT YOUR BODY, therefore it shouldn't be your CHOICE.

Topic 2: Healthcare
Pres. Obama failed on this. In his defense, he tried. The government needs to crack down on the healthcare industry but taking over it isn't the answer. I don't have a great explanation of what should happen here, but at least Pres. Obama tried. Healthcare does need a huge overhaul. I pay $500.00 a month for low tier healthcare. That's disgusting, if you ask me, since I still pay a lot out of pocket for anything. But this still isn't the most important topic at hand....

Topic 3: Economy
Hey everyone!!! Remember this magical topic? This is one of the big ones that you should evaluate prior to voting. Pres. Obama didn't create this monster that we are in right now, nor did Bush, Clinton, or Bush Sr. This was created by the greediness of the American people, constantly wanting more more more more more... well you get the idea. And we wanted more for less!!! Hence, nothing being made here, because Americans want to get paid too much to make something somebody in a foreign country could make for far less. So quit blaming the presidents- they didn't make this monster alone. I'm not going to digress on how to fix it because I'm a biologist, not an economist, but I can tell you right now that it's going to take more than a couple of years to try to fix.

Topic 4: National Defense
No more cuts. Take care of our vets- give them psychiatric and physical care. Bring our troops home. No more foreign wars for oil. That's all I have to say about that. End of story. They protect us, we should protect them. I want our military to be the biggest and baddest of them all... don't you?

Topic 5: Right to Bear Arms
Read the constitution. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Being someone who's lived in an area where the local school used to announce during hunting season to "leave your guns in your car" I really don't think that tightening gun laws will do anything except punish those who should be able to bear arms and give more help to those who shouldn't have guns. But... that being said, the screening process to buy a gun should be thorough and the same in all states.

Topic 6: Education
The entire educational system needs a makeover. We cannot put all blame on teachers. When they are getting paid less than $30,000.00 a year to work in some of the worst schools in the country, I can't imagine why they aren't always motivating their students to excel (note the sarcasm). I hate to say this as an educator, but I really think that the tenure system needs to either be thrown away or re-vamped. There are too many teachers and professors at state schools who milk their tenure for all its worth. You know, the teachers that come in 10 minutes before school starts, leave 5 minutes after it ends, take 2 weeks to grade an assignment, or barely grade them at all, teach the bare minimum, etc. Or the professor who won't even step foot on campus in the summer, not even for a meeting that is desperately needed to evaluate their program, doesn't respond to student e-mails, does the minimum for research, and yet gets paid more than most of the other folks in their department.... Now, this isn't to say there aren't dedicated and hardworking faculty because there are a lot (I like to think as myself as one of them- however we do not have a tenure system) but we shouldn't see people abusing tenure like they do.
I don't have an exact answer of what needs to be done, but let me put it this way- if there isn't an overhaul of the system done soon, my future children will be home-schooled (seriously- I have a M.S. in Biology, there isn't anything I couldn't teach them that a high school teacher could, except maybe some writing skills- which there are tutors for hire to teach at the home setting) and they will only attend a private (not state) university, no matter the expense.
Speaking of expenses- higher education needs to be re-vamped too. It's disgusting how much money we have to spend in this country for a higher education! How do you think they're paying that lazy tenured professor?

That's all for now, I can't type anymore :)