Tea Time with Obama, Romney and Me

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TINA CHEN
Staff Writer

While third-party candidates are also in the running for presidency, the Republicans and Democrats are the two major political parties that dominate the upcoming 2012 presidential election. Though Democrat nominee President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Willard “Mitt” Romney both intend to lead the nation towards the right direction, their ideals on specific issues are not in sync with the average American’s lifestyle.

HEALTH CARE
As a supporter of Universal Health Care, I think that Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is perhaps the closest we’ll ever get to providing health benefits to all citizens. The basis of Obamacare is for all Americans to be able to live their days without fear of sickness or injuries. There are people who need life-saving treatments and Obamacare will not deny the people coverage. However, Romney’s plan of changing Medicare into voucher-based programs would hurt the average seniors, because they will not have the resources to purchase today’s level of coverage.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY
What is life when you cannot marry the ones you love? What is liberty when the law is telling people who they’re allowed to marry? And what is happiness when you cannot take vows with the one you want to be with for the rest of your life? I believe in “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” and, similar to Obama’s stance, marriage is between any two indivisuals. Everyone, including homosexuals, should have the right to marry; however, it should not be the state’s decision because this is a matter of equality throughout the nation.

IMMIGRATION
America started out as a nation of immigrants and we all came here for one reason: a chance for a better future. However, there is a line between documented and undocumented immigrants and due to the current economic constraints, the United States cannot provide amnesty for all immigrants. Studies have shown deportation to be a very expensive process, so instead, the United States should increase border security and implement new reforms, giving rights to certain undocumented aliens who meet certain requirements.

ABORTION
I am pro-choice and I believe all women have the rights to their own body. While Romney makes a logical argument opposing abortion with the exception of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother, politics should not interfere with the decisions that should be made by the one carrying the fetus. If anyone was ever placed in the situation without rights to make their own decision and is being mandated by the government, that is a violation of natural human rights.

ENVIRONMENT
For the past two centuries, we have experienced growth in our society that has impacted us both positively and negatively. Our nautral resources are dwindling so it is time for us to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels. so research on renewable energy is crucial. The use of coal as an energy sources only further worsens the looming global warming problem. We have renewable energy sources like wind and solar which will not harm the environment. Though the initial cost is higher, the free source of energy will be cheaper in the long run.

Both candidates offered their respective plans, but there are numbers of issues that many Americans do not agree with from either candidate. If I called myself a Democrat or a Republican or even a Libertarian, it does not necessarily mean I have to believe every aspect of that party’s ideology. They each have their own strong points in terms of what they want best for the nation, but it is time for them to actually step out of their comfort zone and take into consideration their opponent’s plan.