Can we agree the last six of the Ten Commandments are not simply "commandments," but that they also are exceptionally practical? When it comes to human interaction, if we could all simply follow the guidelines given by God to His people, we would all benefit. Summed up, those six commandments are simply, "love your neighbor as yourself," or, in a different way, "do unto others as you would have others do unto you." These simple guidelines regarding our personal behavior recognize the inherent worth of every person and suggest that every person is worthy of respect and honor, that we are all of equal value before the Creator and deserve the equal treatment of the law.
Life
God's first gift to humans, His creation masterpiece, was LIFE. As such, human life is absolutely precious and of inestimable value. Our Founding Fathers understood this and enshrined it in the Declaration of Independence. Civil government is responsible, they said, to "secure" the unalienable Right to Life.
Liberty
God's 2nd precious gift to humanity was liberty, which is simply the absence of restraint. We were designed for freedom. The Declaration of Independence makes it clear that civil government MUST protect individual liberties. The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, are specific limitations on civil government and are meant to guarantee our individual rights. Pre-eminent over all the others is the 2nd Amendment, for without it, none of the other rights can be defended.
Pursuit of Happiness
Originally written as "Pursuit of Property" by Jefferson, the sense of the Founders was that Private Property afforded every man the opportunity to create wealth and therefore to ensure the provision of Happiness for himself and his relations. So, civil government MUST guarantee Property Rights and ensure all citizens have equal opportunity to create and preserve wealth.
Affordable Housing
Virginians living in public housing deserve better than they are getting. Public housing should be an interim stop between homelessness and home ownership, or at least the opportunity for a family to rent a home to their liking.
Education
Colonial Virginia produced an intellectual population that led the other colonies in the creation of the most remarkable Nation the world has ever seen. Today, the debate among Virginia's education elite centers on the lowering of standards, especially in Math, and the teaching of racism in public schools. We are a long way down a perilous path leading to mediocrity. Virginia's families deserve better.
Right to Work
No one should have to pay for the right or privilege to work. Virginia’s Right to Work laws ensure people have a choice to join a labor union, rather than being forced to join one and pay union dues to be hired. Our RTW laws must be defended.