#centirsm

The Centrist Doctrine

 We believe that balance in all things is important.

We believe that there is always a compromise for every issue somewhere between far left and far right which will be the best solution for the nation as a whole.

We believe that it is sometimes necessary to either put aside temporarily or change permanently our personal political dogmas for the betterment of the nation as a whole.

We believe in the liberty and human rights of all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or personally held beliefs and practices (assuming these beliefs and practices do not violate the liberty and rights of others), and this belief can never change for it represents the underlying values of our nation as put forward in our founding documents.

While the above statements will always be our foundation as a group, when it comes to specific issues, we are willing to look at and change our stances when new research or changes in our national identity require it.

 On specific issues (listed alphabetically, not in order of importance):

Abortion: We believe in the rights and liberties of both mothers and their children.  We as a nation must decide when unborn children should be allowed legal rights under the Constitution separate from their mothers.  As Centrists, we believe that this point most likely lies somewhere between the extremes of conception and birth.  A good starting place could be when a child’s mind begins developing or when the child can feel pain, but this is open for civilized debate.  We believe in erring on the side of caution when human life is involved.  The safety and wellbeing of the mother should also be a major consideration in each case.

Allies verses Hostile Nations: We should ally ourselves with nations that have similar beliefs and practices and similar global objectives to our own, especially when it comes to human rights.  Nations that trample over the human rights of their citizens should be considered hostile nations and treated as such.

Business: We believe that as much as possible, the government should stay out of business and economics.  However, we cannot let any business have undue power when it comes to our government.  For this reason, we need to look closely at our system of lobbying as well as our systems of patents and copyrights and corporate/business law.  We need to make sure that businesses do not have unbalanced power over consumers, and that big businesses do not have unbalanced power over smaller businesses.

Civil Rights: The rights of all citizens should never be in question.  We believe in the rights of all groups and identities.  Therefore, we will never favor any one group or identity over any others.  When considering policy, we should make sure as much as possible that our policies and actions do not help one specific group or identity while hurting another. This equality is essential to our national well-being.

Environment: We believe that it is the government’s duty to take measures to protect our environment and our world.  We also believe in the liberties and rights of businesses.  We need to come up with solid environmental practices that can be put in place while doing as little harm as possible to businesses and the economy.  As with all of our policies, human life and human rights must be put front and center.

Freedom of Religion: Each person should be free to practice religion as he or she sees fit, as long as these practices do not harm other individuals or threaten their rights or liberties.  No religion should be favored over any others by the government. Also, people should not be forced to take actions that would go against their religious beliefs.  Conversely, people should not be allowed to take actions that attack the rights or liberties of others in the name of religion.

Freedom of Speech: We should be free to speak or voice our opinions in any matter, even if, perhaps especially if, we are criticizing actions of the government or specific political figures.  This freedom should not cover speech that threatens the rights or liberties of any individual or group, however.  More specifically, it should not cover hate speech, speech that incites violence, speech that supports terrorism, speech by public employees, defamation, speech that steals intellectual property, or threats to physical wellbeing.

Gay Marriage/Gay Rights: As with all groups, we believe that members of the LGBT community should have the same rights and protections under the law as all others in the nation.  When it comes to marriage, however, a church or private organization should not be forced to participate in a ceremony that goes against their beliefs as long as the same benefits can be provided elsewhere. Public servants are obligated to perform such ceremonies, however, regardless of their beliefs.

Gun Control: We believe in the second amendment and are staunchly for defending gun ownership rights.  However, gun control laws may need to be changed or put into place regarding certain types of weapons depending on current events and situations.  The safety of the nation’s citizens should always be a top priority.  Any laws need to take into account their effect on the freedoms and liberties of our citizens, however.

Immigration: We need secure borders and public safety is paramount.  That being said, an influx of immigrants is necessary for a nation to grow and maintain a healthy population.  Immigrants are what has made the USA the great nation it is today.  There should never be any merit requirements or other requirements put on immigrants other than those that preserve our public safety and attempt to keep out criminals and those who would do us harm.  We should secure our borders in such a way that is as small a burden to the taxpayers as possible.  Still, we want to be a welcoming environment for refugees and immigrants from other nations.  We want to remain a great nation that people are proud to migrate to.

Localized verses Central Government: In almost all cases, local government knows what’s best for its local citizens.  Local government should be first and foremost in making decisions for its citizens, followed by state, and finally the federal government.  Whenever possible, the federal government should not step on the toes of local decision makers.  It must intervene in certain cases of national security, immigration, national economics, civil rights, and public safety, but that intervention should be kept as minimal as possible.

Military: A strong military is a necessity for a nation to preserve its autonomy.  That military should be used mostly as a non-interventionist defense entity, but it can also be used to defend our allies from attack or invasion.  During any military operation, civilian casualties must be avoided at all costs.

Police Brutality: Police are mostly hard workers and brave men and women who are there to keep us safe, but like anyone else, they can make mistakes from time to time.  There can also be some bad apples in the police force who may need to be weeded out, and some institutional changes may be needed from time to time to deal with ongoing issues.  We will not tolerate police brutality against any individuals.  This is a public safety issue.  If such actions tend to target specific groups, we need to take added measures to make sure such targeting ceases to happen.  Public safety and the preservation of the rights and liberties of all people is the purpose of the police force, and if members of the force are threatening these rights and liberties unjustly, that situation must be remedied.

Press: A free, independent press is an absolute necessity in a functioning democracy.  The government and its officials should never place restrictions on the press through their words or actions, except in cases involving classified information and/or national security.  The free press is a necessary proponent for the people, keeping them informed of the actions of the government.

Separation of powers: No government institution should ever attain unbalanced powers.  Separation of powers and checks and balances are necessary in a functioning democracy to keep the power out of the hands of a concentrated group or individual.

Spending and size of government: We believe in keeping government spending as low as possible and the size of the government as small as possible.  The government should be a streamlined, efficient entity.  We can’t gut necessary functions, however.  The government should always be able to defend the nation and its citizens, and see that the freedoms and liberties of all citizens are preserved.  The government must also look out for the public safety and welfare of its citizens.

Welfare: Welfare is a necessity if the personal security and wellbeing of our citizens are to be preserved.  We must take steps to make sure that such welfare accomplishes the goals it sets out to accomplish, however.  Systems must be put in place that prevent people from taking advantage of the system.  However, a nation that doesn’t look out for the wellbeing of its most vulnerable citizens, including the sick, the handicapped, the elderly, and children, is not doing its job and is failing to live up to its promises.

Some Final Thoughts: