Why we have laws - a personal revelation

Every now and then, I surprise myself.

Sometimes it's because I'll be having a conversation with myself in my head, and ask myself a question (that I think I don't know) and then provide myself with the answer. That doesn't happen often but when it does I get all weirded out.

Lately, in the past few years, I surprise myself when I realize that I've changed in some way. Mainly this has to do with my belief system (general beliefs, not necessarily religious beliefs).

A few years ago I realized that I had become a firm supporter of the separation of Church and State. I have nothing against someone expressing their religious belief... it's not that. What I am against is the smaller things like celebrating christmas and easter (christian holidays) and saying "one nation under god" in the pledge of allegiance. I am against a public school system doing things that alienates children of different beliefs (or no beliefs). Strangely enough, what really made me realize that I felt this way was an episode of the West Wing. One of the jewish characters had a short monologue about being the "odd kid out" when he was growing up because he didn't share the same beliefs. And that just isn't right.

But that's not what I'm talking about today.

A little while ago I realized that I was Pro-Choice when it came to the abortion issue. I feel that there should be no federal law telling a woman that she can't have an abortion EXCEPT if they one day prove that it is the equivalent of murder.

Now, this has nothing to do with my personal beliefs about abortion. I believe that sex has consequences and you have to live with them. But that's my own personal belief and I don't think that anyone else should have to follow it.

Laws should be made to stop people from hurting other people (or property). Laws should be made to keep people from doing bad things. We shouldn't make unnecessary laws that could help prevent other laws from being broken.

For instance, when I was in college they passed a new law preventing bars on campus from having drink specials after 9PM. They did this because they felt there was too much "drinking and driving" going on (and general binge drinking by students) and they wanted to suppress it. They penalized the majority instead of focusing on the minority. It really infuriated me. Why couldn't they just increase penalties for those that drive drunk? Or put out a few more check points?

Anyway, that's a total side point.

So ending with a question...

I know very little about the difference between republicans and democrats. With these beliefs, which way do I lean? And feel free to reference libertarians in the answer (because I like the sound of them).