What Happened to the Republicans?
My journey to being independent.
I wrote a post titled What Happened to the Democrats. I thought it time for the other side.
First a little background. Back in the 1980’s I was a precinct officer for the Whatcom County Republican Party. Actually, I was a little more than that. I was secretary and newsletter editor. There was a new technology back then using Apple computers for word processing. I created a newsletter, and we sent out 12,000 newsletters quarterly using advertisers to fund it.
In 1988, Pat Robertson ran for president. His organization packed the caucuses, and the leadership was voted out of office. In my opinion, that was the beginning of the religious take-over of the Republican Party.
I became independent. I thought I was a Republican because I was for freedom, individual rights, limited government, and opposition to racism. I learned that both parties want to take away our freedoms. They just differed on which ones they wanted to take away.
The first amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Certainly, the first amendment allows churches to participate in elections. Certainly, people of faith have the right to free speech and to advocate for their causes. It is a violation of the first amendment to establish a religion.
Prayer in public schools should not be allowed. The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in any government buildings.
We need people who can think. I am in favor of faith. I advocate for my own ideas of Christianity. I would never seek to have my ideas taught as truth in public schools.
I saw a post on social media that was against birth control. The argument was that impeding a sperm on its journey to an egg was homicide. The author cited the Bible with the claim that “Thou shalt not kill.” That is an example of the kind of silliness that we must not allow to sway our political decisions.
The Republican Party should evaluate its positions. Individual freedom for all should be a goal. Both Republicans and Democrats should also recognize that disparities have happened in the past and continue to happen today.
Individuals should have equal opportunity. We also must recognize that equal opportunity does not mean equal outcomes. Some of us have more abilities than others. Government should be so constructed that each individual has the opportunity to develop to the best of thon’s abilities.
In my opinion, the Republican Party has become too eager to push Christianity into law. That is unconstitutional. That is wrong. That is what happened to the Republicans.