[Sistermadly]

I consider myself a conservative Democrat. I can't support many of the social policies embraced by the Republican Party/Religious Right, but I deeply believe in personal responsibility, a strong military (even though I have issues with the number of poor brown folks who end up there) and a free market system that doesn't exploit workers. I personally think that many African Americans have relied on "others" to look out for our interests for way to long, and that we need to get back to the (Booker T. ) Washingtonian ideal of self-reliance. I don't advocate social isolation from "others", but I really think we need to get back to doing for ourselves, looking after our own interests, and start addressing issues that continue to plague our communities. I also support the death penalty, even though I know sentences aren't handed out fairly.

At the same time, I'm socially liberal, in support of Gay marriage (and not some wishy-washy 'union'), vehemently pro-choice, and pro-immigration. I believe that this country needs to get back into the business of taking care of each other, and that means overhauling Social Security, a national healthcare plan based on income/ability to pay, and taking care of the mentally ill so that they're not dumped out on the streets.