My Political Party Crisis

When I was a teenager I was a staunch Democrat. Some of my political views have changed and I feel like I’m caught in limbo between the two parties and don’t know what I am anymore. I used to be all about welfare, helping the poor, etc. But now things have changed. My previous job was as a Family Advocate doing in-home work. I taught people parenting skills, budgeting, connected them with community resources, etc. Most of those people do not work (and for 99% of them, it is not because they are unable to do so) and have nicer things than I did. They pay nothing for healthcare without working, whereas I have worked since I was 16 and I pay for insurance and have a co-pay at the doctor’s office. They have nicer apartments than I had at the time, and only paid $100 a month in rent because of Section 8. I do think we should have welfare and the like, but so many people abuse it and there’s no way of policing it. They are able to get Social Security if they were diagnosed with something as children (I knew a 20-year-old who was fully able to work but didn’t have to because she received SSI for being diagnosed with ADHD as a child); they can get it for their children if they were diagnosed. Theoretically, a mother who was diagnosed as a child with ADHD who has two children with the illness can receive about $1500 a month in Social Security.

I am willing to pay more taxes if they go to healthcare and education, and I’m for protecting the worker. I am also pro-choice and completely against mixing religion and government. I’m against this war and don’t like George Bush; in fact, I voted against him twice.

But on the other hand, I am for the privatization of Social Security, and I’m not too concerned with protecting the environment (not that I’m pro-pollution, I just think we have better things to worry about). I’m into personal responsibility, especially when it comes to money. I don’t think the government should be all up in our biz.

I’m confused though, because W is a Republican, the party that supposedly wants the government to play a smaller role in people’s lives, yet the government has turned into Big Brother, having us turn in people for suspicious activities. And the whole Terri Schiavo thing. Why was Bush even involved?? Not that W is a shining example of a good president, but I’m really confused about the contradictions.

I’ve labeled myself a liberal Republican in my profile, I’m registered as a Democrat, but I just don’t know anymore.