And here's what I think
Death Penalty?: You know, I think everyone has the right to live. I also think that there are acts one can commit that result in the forfeiture of that right. I think that there are people who have never developed a conscience, who will murder others without remorse and will not stop for any reason other than A) lack of life on their part or B) lack of victims. I think that prisons should be for rehabilitation (I know that's not how they're generally used, but I think they should be) and that those few people who cannot be rehabilitated and who have stolen the life from others deserve to die.
And, to be honest? In some cases, I think giving the prisoner the choice between life without possibility of parole and death is actually a kindness.
Prostitution?: I could probably make more money--er, sorry. Really, it's your life. Who you want to have sex with and why is up to you. If it were legal, it could be taxed, too.
Alcohol?: Consumed responsibly, I don't see why it's an issue.
Marijuana?: Good for medicinal purposes. I have this opinion that runs something like "if you need chemicals to make you have fun, maybe you should change your activity," but I don't attach any huge moral value to using drugs provided A) you don't pay for them with money or goods needed elsewhere, B) they don't prevent you from taking care of all your responsibilities, and C) they're not addictive. If all of those things aren't true, then you have no business touching the drug in the first place.
Other drugs?: See above.
Gay marriage?: Has been around for centuries. Some people just need to get over themselves.
Illegal immigrants?: Are only illegal because the law makes them so. Which is a totally circular argument, but really, if they were made legal and charged taxes, then most issues would cease to exist. I mean, they're already getting schooling, healthcare, etc. Why not just make them part of the rest of the system?
Smoking?: After sitting at the deathbed of two people who died of smoking-related diseases and watching them *literally* cough up their lungs, I have to say that I'm not a big fan.
Drunk driving?: No excuse.
Cloning?: Um. See, part of me thinks, "oh, cool!". But I suspect I don't have enough information to really form an opinion as of yet.
Racism?: Stupid.
Premarital sex?: I'm not for sex outside of a committed relationship. How you choose to commit is up to you.
Religion?: Christianity made me an atheist. Or at least an agnostic--I'm not convinced that there is no god/goddess/higher power of some sort. I am, however, convinced that God as conceived by the Christian church is an immoral being. I don't like Him. My hopes are that whatever higher power may exist proves to be a great deal more benevolent and less biased. I definitely don't think any religion should be forced on any person.
The war in Iraq?: Was a stupid idea from the start. We had no reason to invade Iraq, and Iraq is not historically equipped to handle a democracy. You can't *force* people to be "free"--that's not freedom at all.
Bush?: Dear god. I think he's a man who's very much out of touch with the country he leads. I think he's a bigot and an elitist. Also, his educational policies suck.
Downloading music?: Should be legal for a modest fee. Really, it's great advertising.
The legal drinking age?: I'm not sure I have an opinion on this. I don't think people should drink until they're able to handle alcohol responsibly--that is, not drink and drive, not drink enough to die of alcohol poisoning, not allow friends to do either of the above. But that age would vary from person to person.
Porn?: Boring. I prefer my sex to come with a plot and character development. Oh, um, if everyone's of legal age, consenting, and it's kept private, then I don't think it's worth the time to worry about it. I do think it's a fairly soulless activity, removing any loving relationship from the act of having sex, and that's how I explained my objection to my son looking at porn on the computer. That, and the pop-up ads at internet porn sites kill my computer.
Suicide?: I don't advocate it, and in general I think it's a rather selfish thing to do. On the other hand, I think it's probably the most personal choice anyone could make and shouldn't be legislated.
I moved abortion to the end because of all the issues, this is the one I'm most opinionated about.
Abortion?: I totally believe in a woman's right to choose what happens to her body. However, I also feel like any right that is claimed by a person comes with a resulting responsibility. Barring special circumstances, the ejaculation of sperm into a woman's vagina introduces the possibility of pregnancy. If a woman is not willing to get pregnant, then she needs to deal with that issue prior to/during intercourse by using birth control and making her partner use a condom. Alternatively, she needs to make sure the ejaculation into the vagina doesn't occur. Killing an unborn baby--because that's what abortion is--because one doesn't want to be bothered is immoral and selfish. And yes, accidents happen, and I'm sure there are cases of women who've been religiously taking birth control and only having sex with partners who use condoms who still get pregnant. I'm betting the vast majority of elective abortions don't come out of circumstances like these, however, and there are certainly enough people wanting to adopt children to provide a viable alternative to raising a child that one is not capable of raising.
I also get that pregnancies come about through rape, and that sometimes the abortion is intended to save the mother's life. Those are entirely different circumstances, however. What I oppose is abortion as retroactive birth control. I think that any woman who can't understand the cause and effect relationship between sperm-in and baby-out shouldn't be having sex anyway, and all women who can understand and don't choose to become pregnant need to deal with the issue *before* the sperm comes into contact with the egg.
And, as long as we're on the topic? I have a real problem with the pro-choice people acting like the only options are A) abortion and B) no choice at all. I'm very pro-*choice*. I just think the choices need to be responsible ones.