Polyamory
Government's place is in the protection of the citizens' rights. And in being a central point of reference as a ruling body and for the function of public works (e.g. roads, public transit, etc.)
Government has no true place deciding moral issues like the validity of homosexuality, polyamoury, race relations, abortion, marriage, divorce, and other items that are not clearly violations against another person.
I think that the government should make laws against murder, rape, fraud, and the basic moral set that is about one person directly injuring or taking advantage of another person. But, I believe that there are choices that we should be able to make whether they harm ourselves or not. For example, I believe that I should be allowed to decide whether or not I want to wear a seat belt. I should be allowed to decide if I want to smoke, drink or do drugs. But, if these things cause me to neglect my child, then I should be held fully liable for this neglect since it is directly injuring another person. Whether or not I am gay or straight does not effect this. Whether or not I am black or white does not effect this. What my religion is does not effect this.
Gay Marriage -- how can a government make blatantly gender-discriminated laws? Who gets to decide whether or not gay marriage is moral? Should this be a governmental role? I thought that religious belief (which is generally the biggest opponent of Gay Marriage) was not something that we could legislate. I thought that is was also illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender. And yet, here is a government contract that discriminates on this basis. (This same argument applies to women in combat as well, although I believe that the same physical fitness tests should apply to both sexes.)
I have a gray area on abortion issues, since it is almost impossible to determine the moment at which a fetus becomes a life. But, I believe that this is the choice of the mother, otherwise, we end up going down a road where women could be forced to breed against their will because they can not choose to abort. I believe in the right to choose. Do we really want to have a child born to a mother who does not want it and have that child forced to live in poverty and neglect and very possibly be abused or died? How many pro-lifers are out there adopting the older children who were unwanted pregnancies and have now ended up in foster care? How many pro-lifers are out there adopting at all? If you eliminate the choice, then you must take responsibility for what your actions have caused. The death of young girls who get back-ally abortions would be on your head as well as the abuse and neglect of many children.
I believe in social programs. I believe in having a welfare program to help the indigent and to try to ensure that we as Americans are not allowing children to starve or live on the street. We do not afford children the true rights of citizenship and in doing so we take on the responsibility of their care. Every child who dies in America is the responsibility of every citizen as we allow our government to not give our children the rights to choose.
To be completely re-written later!!!!!!