by Thomas Craig

As the GOP continues to debate over the best way to reassemble a Party which has lost its way, there seems to be a growing divide within our members.  There is a faction of Republicans who believe that the way forward should include returning the Party back to ultra-conservative values where religion dictates the direction of our platforms.  Of course, there are others who want to see the Party move closer to the middle, compromising some widely held religious beliefs for the sake of political gain.  Personally, I think they are both right.  I believe that instead of narrowing the Party down to stances based on religious beliefs or trying to separate our Party from the ultra-conservative factions, we can become a Party that includes us all.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to put flowers in my rifle and start singing John Lennon songs, however I do think that the Republican Party has room for many people who share the basic principles of what a Republican is.  To begin with, a Republican is somebody who believes in limited Government, individual liberty, and both personal and fiscal responsibility.  We believe that we, the People, should be the masters of our Government and not the other way around.  We are law-abiding citizens, however, we acknowledge that there are certain unalienable rights to which we are all entitled to.  While Democrats use the Constitution as their justification for growing power for the Government, Republicans use the one single document that is above the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, to maintain the principles to which our Nation was founded on.  It doesn't matter which hat you wear, just as long as at the end of the day, that hat says GOP on it.  One thing that I think has acted as an impediment to our Party is contradictory actions, which have been a staple of all Members of the Party.  For example, the fact that the Government grew significantly during the last eight years is a complete contradiction to the principles of Republican governing.  We spent ridiculous amounts of money, which was bad enough, however the fact that the money was borrowed from Countries with hostile intentions to the US makes it that much worse.  Gay Marriage is another example.  I know this will get me a lot of jeers from many Republicans but the simple fact is that it is difficult to argue for limited Government, and then advocate for the Government dictating who can and cannot get married.  I'm not saying that People have to morally accept it or be happy with it, but actively opposing it in the form of trying to pass laws to deny it is contrary to the core beliefs of the Republican Party.  Perhaps you, as a loyal Republican, disagree with me.  That's fine if you do because what is important is that at the end of the day, you and I are still Republicans.

Leave a Reply