Warren
The aspects of my life that color my opinions: I am a scientist. I graduated with a Ph.D. in molecular biology and evolution from the University of Rochester in 1996, taught biology in San Francisco and then spent 4 years in research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg Germany. Facts, evidence and the scientific method ground my approach to things. I don’t always live up to that foundation, I can get quite emotional, but it is my ground. I am gay. I have known I was gay since I was an adolescent. I am now married (to a man of course) with two children (adopted). I have struggled for equal treatment since the 80′s. The experience of being treated unequally for who I am has strengthened my belief that individual rights and freedoms and equal treatment under the law are principles paramount to a strong democracy. I am a small business owner. I started a biotech concern with two business partners in June of 2003. The struggles with running such a business, taxes, employment, health care and more have given me a perspective I didn’t have as a researcher (and being a researcher in academia gave me a perspective I couldn’t have gotten as a businessman).
My basic political philosophy is that individual freedoms, autonomy and rights are highest goal of human government. That makes me a libertarian (small ‘l’). But given that we do not all start from the same foundation and opportunity because of history, reality and luck, sometimes government, though a voice of it’s people, must make adjustments and accommodations to help ensure the greatest individual freedom possible in total (shared defense is the simple example). That makes me a liberal. I also believe that tradition and society often needs to change to increase that personal freedom and autonomy, but it is best to do so incrementally and within the structures of society when possible. That makes me a conservative.
I’ll disclose this immediately: I am a registered Democrat. I have been since 1990. I voted for Reagan, twice and for GH Bush, once. Since then I’ve voted for the Democrat in the presidential elections, mostly Democrats in state elections with Republicans and independents occasionally. I have found myself voting for Republicans less and less. This is partly due to the fact, that as time went on my opinions (on abortion, gay rights, individual civil rights, war) changed, but it was also in large part because the Republican party changed as it has become less libertarian and more authoritarian. I am a registered Democrat, but the moment there is a sane alternative, I’d switch. So, I’m not necessarily a loyal Democrat.
