I'm called the extremist

Each day I'm told over and over by the media how people who think like me are extremists. I was recently de-friended by someone on a social site because of my extreme views. Extremism is often relative to the other person's beliefs. I want to go over a few things that led this person to view me as an extremist.

The United States is approaching the so-called fiscal cliff and my belief is, in the end, the country might be better off if we take the dive. For a decade we have listened to government talk about cutting spending and then pat themselves on the back when they propose a spending bill that cuts projected spending by a few billion dollars. What they don't tell us is that once again, spending increases dramatically. We are running a trillion dollar deficit and neither party seems to care. The Democrats want to raise tax rates on the top 2% earners, which would raise only about $80 billion. Neither party is willing to rein in the IRS and look at all the deductions. They love deductions because that's how they repay those that contribute to their campaigns. Because I point out that taxing the top 2% is simply misdirection, and say we get only double speak from both parties, I'm called an extremist.

The recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary has brought on the gun control debate. Every city that has strict gun laws have some of the highest rates of death by gun. The most stringent laws in the world wouldn't have prevented what happened at that school, simply because the boy gained possession of the weapons illegally. Laws are only for the people who wish to abide by them.

In South Carolina, we have Resource Officers in every school. These officers are armed and the weapons are visible. One of the main purposes of this program is to have the children learn to trust the police. They also do counseling on drugs and other topics. Their job is much more than an armed guard. Because I believe that the only way to protect our children and our persons from people who have no regard for the law, is by owning a gun, I'm called an extremest.

I have called for dismantling the Department of Education in Washington, DC. Each state sends millions or billions of dollars to the federal government so they can dole that money back out to states for the purposes of education. With those dollars come strings. They tell us how to run our schools. They believe a small school in rural South Carolina can operate exactly the same as one in Los Angeles. The American education is starting to become a joke around the world. It's clear central planning isn't working. For believing that local communities are better suited to run their schools, I'm called an extremist.

Gay marriage is something on which the left and right will never agree. I've written often that government has no business determining who and whom can't be married. In fact, those who choose not to be married are often discriminated against. In the end, this turns out to be more than a gay rights issue – it has become an American issue. Laws and regulations should be no different for married and unmarried. People shouldn't be rewarded through tax deductions to have children. People shouldn't need a government license to have a recognized union of any sort. Contract law, which can even be required to meet a minimum set of government standards, would work more efficiently. Because I believe government shouldn't be in control of marriage, I'm called an extremist by both the left and right.

Healthcare is another topic that often raises the the extremist label. The left often touts the Canadian healthcare system. In that country they essentially have both, socialist and private. What most people fail to notice is that the system is setup up so that each province can maintain its own healthcare system under a set of minimum federal guidelines. You will find British Columbia has what is maybe the most free market system, while in Quebec, you have a more socialist system.

In the USA, you have an attempt by the federal government to take total control of the healthcare system while placing the financial burdens on the state. The federal government has proven that it cannot even manage its own fiscal responsibilities, which leads us to believe it can never properly manage the healthcare system. Washington is too corrupt to manage anything as important as a nation’s healthcare system. By saying healthcare is best left to individual states, I am labeled an extremist.

For believing that our forefathers left tyrannical Europe to be free to express themselves, both religiously and economically, I'm called and extremist. For believing we have the individual right to fail or succeed, I'm called an extremist. For believing I can make better choices for myself than the government, I'm called an extremist.