Political Ethos

This past year I was able to vote in the Election of 2008. For many years I have always supported whoever my parents decided was the best candidate for our country. Growing up my mother has always voiced a very conservative opinion and is not afraid to impose her views upon yours. She is a strong Republican who has always voted a straight party ticket. My mother has had a major influence upon my political ethos because I have basically grown up with the Republican Party. Although I have been raised in a very conservative environment, I feel that I am more moderately conservative than strictly conservative or liberal. In this past election I chose to identify with the Republican Party. I made this choice because conservative views benefit my family in the most positive way. Because of my mother's financial standing, the Republican Party's views on taxation would allow for my mother to keep a majority of the money she has worked for. Financial issues have had the largest effect on my political ethos so far because I am still developing my own political standing. My beliefs do not stick with a specific party which is why i feel that i am moderately conservative. Growing up Catholic, I have been taught that a marriage is a religious union of a man and a woman primarily held in a church. Due to my religious views, I feel that the Gay Community should be granted a civil union that is recognized by the courts, but not a marriage. Yet my beliefs about abortion conflict with my religious and conservative background. I feel that an abortion should be legal, but only throughout the first few months of pregnancy.

While in my senior year of high school I took an AP Government and Politics course where I was introduced to many different point of views, especially those of liberals. We watched the movies "Bowling For Columbine" and "Sicko". I feel that "Bowling For Columbine" had a major effect on my views of gun control, and I now believe that laws should be stricter upon bearing arms. As for Universal Health Care, my views are still conflicting. Due to my financial standing in society the most favorable option for myself would to have private health care. But, 46 million U.S. citizens are denied or living without health insurance today and I believe that some action needs to be taken so that less people are denied per year.



When I began college I completely moved myself out of the liberal North, and into the conservative South. This change of environment has helped to increase my awareness about equality in race, sexual preference, and gender. This new atmosphere in a college and a southern city has opened my eyes to the diversity of the world and the lack of equality today. This has yet to have a major effect on my political ethos, but I hope it will help to shape it in the coming years. Therefore, my family and religious upbringing has had a major effect on developing my political ethos, yet new experiences throughout life and school have helped me to discover my own beliefs and views that are still developing today.

Clip from "Bowling For Columbine":

What a Wonderful World