My beliefs are based on freedom of choice.

One of the largest issues we combat as citizens is the fight for rights. Many believe the first amendment covers such rights, however, freedoms get chipped away every day.

While many other countries dream of a democracy, we take it for granted by allowing certain liberties to be taken away.

Many politicians are laced with religion and pass their religious beliefs via political policy stating it is what is best for the whole.

Many political decisions are based on their religion, belief systems or what mommy and daddy did.

Elected politicians should represent what is best for their whole community, not just what is best for their religious community.

Whether they flip-flop or just stick to their guns, politicians know how to use the system to push their personal beliefs.

While politicians push public policy based on personal beliefs, a pregnant woman loses the opportunity for a second chance because public policy said she has no choice.

If religious and scientific arguments justify abortion as the taking away of life, how does this differ from the death penalty?

Abortion and the death penalty are the same bare bones topic, but one of them provides a second chance.

Through an abortion, a fertilized egg — not capable of surviving outside the womb — is aborted prior to full term.

Freedom of choice provides the woman and man to make a decision that will directly affect their life, not the life of the politician or the conservative followers that rally against it.

While the government shut women and African-Americans up by tossing them the equality bone, now they have another one to combat, gay rights.

It is not like it was ever constitutional or ethical to deny the rights of an American citizen, but politicians “got er’done.”

Because politicians pushed public policy based on personal beliefs, marriage — which was once solely a religious ceremony — is now a legal contract binding the two love birds.

Gay couples who want to get married do not have this same right.

They can get a civil union in some states, but this does not include unpaid leave to care for an ill spouse, spousal benefits, and the right not to testify against one’s spouse, among others.

While politicians push public policy based on personal beliefs, a business owner who pays taxes and rent on their property, are told they can no longer have a smoking area because their non-smoking customers might be in harm’s way. I did not know we had the right to eat a cheeseburger or drink a beer at a private establishment. I thought it was the customer’s choice to go there based on food, atmosphere and other amenities.

In Louisville, there’s a ban on smoking in private establishments.

It should be the business owner’s choice whether they want to ban smoking in their private establishment. I have many allergies — some allergens I am deathly allergic to.

Therefore I will not go to a horse park without ingesting multiple antihistamines, or, when visiting the zoo, I stay away from certain areas that trigger the sniffles.

I couldn’t imagine if all the allergy-ridden folks out there rallied together to have zookeepers shave all the animal’s hair to cater to their health needs.

We don’t have to eat a cheeseburger or visit the zoo, it’s just something to do for fun, and how the owner wants to run their establishment is up to them. If customers don’t like it, then they’ll go somewhere else.

Politicians and religiously-conservative individuals tend to pass the most judgment, because others are not living up to their biblical expectations.

So many people are protecting a book that some very lucky authors wrote a long time ago and are willing to pass judgment on all those who have not purchased it and define their life by it.

Yes, the Bible did not drop down from heaven. With every purchase, the funds get deposited into the bank accounts of very rich CEO’s on the boards of billion-dollar publishing companies.

The Bible is No. 1 on the all-time best seller list.

I think it is important to have an outline to help create societal organization, like the constitution provides, but taking the Bible literally has caused so much more hurt than good.

The Bible runs so deep with so many people that it is the very core of their decision-making process.

Religious conservatives rely on their religious beliefs, so much more than the cognitive because it is what they were taught was right, and, therefore, think it is right for all.

Local Election Day is Nov. 8. Voters should do their homework,and think if that person has the ability to divide what they believe in from what is best for the community.

By LEAH TATE

Sports Editor

lmtate@umail.iu.edu