Issue Position: Civil Rights

Issue Position

Our nation's Declaration of Independence spoke directly to the issue of our civil rights--equality among individuals and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, while these are self-evident truths and unalienable rights, they are promises that can be either kept or broken. We must work to keep those promises.

I believe that the concepts of rights, freedom, liberty, choice and privacy are interconnected. We must protect the right to direct our daily lives, free from government intrusion, so long as our activities cause no harm to others. These rights include the freedom to worship as one chooses, the freedom to dissent, and the freedom to make medical choices, among many others.

Barriers to fulfilling one's potential must be removed. Discrimination has been an insidious barrier to many. I believe that government plays a central role in guaranteeing equal opportunity to all citizens.

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