I am a conservative

And no, it's not because I'm racist.  I don't dislike Obama because of the color of his skin, or even the fact that he is a closet smoker.  I dislike most policies of the democratic party.

I'm conservative because I believe in smaller government.  I do not believe government needs to be in every aspect of our lives.  I do not believe we need "common sense" laws.  I do not believe the government needs to tell us what we *should* do in regards to our children. 

Does the government really have the right to impose vaccinations on our children?  Force them into car seat laws that may or may not benefit them?  Why not instead just work on educating parents?

I strongly believe in the second amendment.  I believe in my right to own a firearm, regardless of the brand name, the caliber of the ammunition it fires and my right to make decisions for my family regarding how we protect our home without someone who has never met us dictating whether or not we are responsible enough to own a weapon with a large capacity magazine.  What if I'm hunting zombies one day??  (I kid, I don't think there will be a zombie apocalypse.  And if there is, I'm hiding out, those things are creepy!)

I believe in fewer taxes and fewer services.  I believe in donating to charities that are near and dear to me and my heart and not being forced to pay taxes and having my money go to organizations I don't agree with.  I believe that welfare, food stamps and unemployment should be temporary stepping stones for those truly in need.

Despite being a conservative, I do not believe the government has any right inside of our bedrooms or our uteruses.  If you decide to have a homosexual relationship or marriage, I see no reason why the government should interfere.  If you decide that an abortion is the right decision for you, regardless of whether I would chose the same, I have no right to tell you what to do with your body.

I completely and totally understand that there are plenty of intelligent people, that I love, who believe the exact opposite of how I do on these issues.  I'll tell you, I have so much respect for those that can express their opinions in ways that shows respect to other beliefs and ideas.  I have absolutely no tolerance for those that belittle or make assumptions regarding those who are not voting the same as them this election year.

I personally would have loved Rick Santorum to run for president, but it wasn't in the cards.  I also personally hate that we have such a strong two party system, I do believe that will be the downfall of our country if we do not figure out a better way to take care of things.  But, this November, I will likely vote for Romney.  While I may not agree with all of his ideologies, I believe in more of them than I do in Obama's campaign. 

At the end of the day, I think we all want the same thing: A strong country, job security, economic growth and a safe place to raise our children.