Many of my friends label themselves as conservatives. They often call me liberal, which is fairly correct even though I label myself as a moderate. I use these terms only as labels - a way to quickly describe someone's general political view. However, many people including my friends have used these terms to define their political views by having the group make the decision of where to stand on an issue for them.
Gun Control
Here is a quick example for you: Gun Control - are you for it or against it? If you answered one way or the other, you may want to think about it again. The question should not be for or against, but merely where to draw the line.
I believe that gun control should not be about pistol grips or bayonets. I think there should be no limit on the number of guns you can own and that your guns should not be in any database, government or private. I also believe that buyers should have to submit to a criminal background check by the FBI, even when buying guns at gun shows or from private citizens. I believe that, except for special circumstances, people should not be able to own automatic weapons, missiles, or high explosives. I also believe that the police should be better armed than the general population.
One of my friends thinks that he should be able to own a rocket launcher if he wants since the military has tanks. His thinking is that if the people are well armed, they will not be subject to takeover by a government, foreign or domestic. I agree that the people should be armed, but I also believe that I should be safe in my own home. If my neighbor had a rocket launcher, it could accidentally go off and blow up my house. While there is a chance that I could be killed by a stray bullet from his gun, odds are I would be reasonably safe.
Neoconservatives and the Constitution
I have heard many conservatives say that they support a Constitutional ban on abortion or gay marriage. I would not mind if the Government were to pass a Federal law (which supersedes State law) to ban abortion or gay marriage, but I absolutely oppose any amendment to the Constitution that bans a citizen from anything. The Constitution gives rights to the citizens (bear arms, free speech, trial by jury) and the only bans that it contains are on the U.S. Government itself (cannot quarter soldiers in private homes, no search and seizure without probable cause).
Crime and the Governments Role
The term Liberal has sometimes been used to describe "soft on crime". Conservatives tend to believe that criminals need punishment where as Liberals tend to believe that criminals need treatment. I believe that the courts should take care to address each crime individually. If a criminal was stealing food because he did not have a job, I believe the courts should look to see if jobs were available to him. If they were not, then it was the Government's job to provide work to that individual so that he could survive. If there were jobs available to him, or if the he was stealing things that were not necessary for his survival, then I believe that the punishment should be severe.
In Conclusion
I think that people should make up their own mind on issues only after they have thought about both sides. I find that often times each side spends more time demonizing the other that trying to understand their point of view. In almost every issue I can think of, each side is right to a degree. To completely ignore certain aspects of important issues for the sole sake of labeling yourself as a liberal or a conservative is irresponsible. In order to be a good citizen, you must be well informed.