Hi. I'm Joe Harris, and I can almost guarantee that you're going to disagree with me.

I've decided to start a separate blog for my political ruminations, so I may post publicly and keep my political opinions apart from my business blogging.

I'm 28 years old, married, and the father of two young children, a 3.5 year old girl and a 2 year old son. I was born and lived in the Central Ohio area my entire life. I was raised in a Conservative, Roman Catholic family. My parents are baby-boomers, but chose to be part of the establishment during the 60's rather than rebelling. I'm a photographer, a creative person. I am still consider myself a Catholic, not just a Culture Catholic, though due to a lack of willpower I rarely manage to get my family to Mass.

I read an article once that said that being a Conservative is a hereditary, psychological disorder. At this point in my life, that doesn't seem far from the truth. Some of my earliest political memories are of my father, during the 1988 election, bitching about the neighbor girl's parents being Socialists (I was 7 or 8 and had NO idea what this meant). My folks claim that they don't just vote for anyone with an (R) next to their name on the ballot, but I'm not sure. I think my father bases this claim on the fact that he voted for Perot. At the very least, I'm pretty sure that even if he's not voting (R), he's voting AGAINST whoever has a (D) next to their name.

When I was a teenager, I learned about Libertarianism. It made more sense to me than the Republican Party. I never understood the need for the Government to protect informed citizens (and their souls) from themselves with anti-drug and prostitution laws, seat-belt laws, helmet laws, censorship. I considered myself "fiscally Conservative, but Socially Liberal." This lasted for probably 10 years, until I was not only financially independent, but responsible for others. Even during the 2000 election, I thought George W. Bush sounded like he would be a good President. Boy, was I disappointed!

After W was elected, I got married (2002), got laid off from Worldcom (2003), started college and discovered my calling in Photography (2004) and had two kids (2005 & 2007). Sometime between 2000 and 2004, I realized that I'm not a Conservative at all. I am constantly clashing with my family AND friends, there's always something to disagree about. To me, it all makes perfect sense and isn't contradictory at all. This blog is going to be my attempt to organize my thoughts. It's an inventory of what I believe.

First of all, there are a few Conservative values that I maintain. My positions are by no means a rejection of my upbringing.

I am Pro-Life. It seems to me that for most of the folks that call themselves "Pro-Life", all they really mean is Anti-Abortion. I'm not just Anti-Abortion, but I believe that Capital Punishment is immoral, left over from the Dark Ages and that America is being left behind in the world by still practicing it. I question the morality of most of the wars in the last 100 years. We were tricked into joining WWI by the British. We forced the Japanese to attack us in WWII, then dropped the atomic bombs on them after rejecting terms for surrender they'd offered to us. Korea and Vietnam were not our battles, and we lost them anyway. The first Gulf War is the only conflict I believe might have had any moral justification. I believe that Euthanasia is wrong, and that doctors deciding when their patients should die is murder and a violation of the Hypocratic Oath. BUT, I believe that using contraception is not itself a sin.

I am Pro-Gun. I believe that if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The guns that the criminals in this country have, they probably procured illegaly anyway. In countries where guns are more strictly controlled, they have knife-crime and higher rates of (non-homicide) violent crime.

I believe that the "Seperation of Church and State" is an invention and was never the intention of our Founding Fathers. It's been taken to the extreme point of being used to supress religion, which, I believe, is counter to it's original purpose.

As far as I'm aware, this is the extent of my Conservative ideals. So here are a few more, that don't mesh so well with the GOP's platform generally.

I believe that the Government has a responsibility to make sure that every child gets a good education, for free. That elevating the least of our population, elevates our society as a whole.

I believe that no American should have to NOT seek medical treatment that they believe might be necessary, because they're worried about how they're going to pay for it. This means Universal Heathcare.

I believe that teaching Abstinence Only sex-ed programs does not work. I would much rather give students access to contraception than have them getting pregnant, and then murdering their babies.

I believe that the sexual habits of consenting adults is not my business, nor the concern of the gocernment. Whether homosexuality is a sin or not, I don't know. But frankly, it doesn't matter to me because I'm not doing it. I think that 'Marriage' should be left exclusively to churches and the State should have jurisdiction over 'Civil Unions' for anyone who wants them. (I'll expand on this at a later date.)

I believe that our immigration system is flawed, and like our laws prohibiting drugs and prostituion, the laws cause more problems than the problems they are supposed to fix.

I believe that history has already shown us that trying to legislate morality can only backfire.

I believe that the race problems in America really have an economic basis, and that affirmative action programs (if we have them at all) should be based on economic status of a person's Family of Origin.

So I'm confused about where I fit in politically. Like I said, this blog is going to hopefully help me find that place. At this point, the only thing I'm reasonably sure about is that I'm not a Republican. The 2007 election was the first time I voted, and 2008 was my first Presidential election. I voted for the Big O, because what the Republican Party has become makes me ill, and I generally agree with what Obama has to say. With the notable exception of the subject of Abortion. I've come to believe that the Republicans are, generally, hypocrites. The Democrats may be passing laws that let people murder unborn children, but at least they're honest about it.

Chances are, you've already disagreed with me about something that I've written here. If you agree with me 100% so far, let me know because it will be a pleasant surprise for me.