by Will Blakely

      After attending a recent tea party, (no, not the one with white gloves and crumpets) I was glad to see that there are still Americans who care about this great country we live in and are just as angry as I am about the massive changes going on in Washington.  As I stood there and listened to the speakers I realized that tea parties are not about being a Republican and bashing  Democrats, but about saying enough is enough with the abuse of power on both sides; no matter which party you choose to follow, if any at all, they have failed us.

      Politicians have promised us time and time again that they are going to stop the corruption and abuse of power but as soon as they are elected they change their tune to campaigning for re-election.  As of now I consider myself a republican based on my conservative beliefs that I was raised upon, but now I am not sure that the politicians from my party actually represent me.  Here is a rough list of my beliefs that I hope 2010 Republican candidates will bring with them to the mid-term elections.

• ·         Abortion—I do not believe in abortion except for in the case of rape or incest.  The act of abortion is disgusting in my opinion and I feel like some people use it as a form of birth control, which it is not.  People need to start taking responsibility for their actions.

• ·         Barack Obama—I do not hate him, I actually think he is a smart guy who can inspire people.  What I do dislike about him is the fact that he thinks that more government control and out of control spending is what’s right for the country.
• ·         Church—People should be allowed to follow whatever religion they believe in as long that it doesn’t affect other people’s opinions or try to overrule the law of the land.
• ·         Death Penalty—If someone has committed an act, such as murder, where the death sentence is needed I agree with ending their life.  I can’t see how democrats are alright with killing an innocent life (an abortion) but feel the need to keep a murderer alive on the taxpayer’s dollar.
• ·         Economics—I believe in capitalism.  It has been the system that has made us the greatest country in the world.  I don’t believe in all these bailouts, we live in a society where you either sink or swim by your own means.  No one is too big to fail, look at GM.  The government has no right to be in the private sector.
• ·         Females—I agree for equal rights for them, but equal rights mean not using the gender card when it comes to benefiting them.  I’m sure that a lot of the women who started the movement would be ashamed of those who abuse equality laws.
• ·         Gun Control—Gun ownership is so important that it is the 2nd amendment!  If someone wants to own a gun and use it in a responsible manner, what is wrong with that?  Remember, it’s not guns who kill people but the people who choose to use them in that way.
• ·         Health Care—It is unfortunate that not everyone in this country has a form of healthcare, but don’t let the numbers fool you.  A lot of those people are either a) illegal, b) eligible for free or low cost care but just not signed up for it, or c) have just simply chosen not to be insured.  Universal healthcare is not the answer, where in the world does a single payer healthcare system work, anyone?
• ·         Illegal Immigration—please read the first word, Illegal, I don’t understand why people feel sorry for these people who are ILLEGALLY coming into our country, stealing work from citizens, and draining our system.  Enough with the amnesty, if they really want to be a citizen of this country go through the legal means like millions of other legal immigrants.  They took their time and effort to do it, why should illegals be granted amnesty for an illegal act?
• ·         Justice—what is wrong is wrong, enough with all the special treatments for politicians and celebrities- treat everyone the same.  Do the words “all men are created equal” mean anything anymore?
• ·         Kids—Yes they are our future so let’s stop bankrupting them with the out of control spending.  Not to mention we need to be positive influences in their lives, if we continue to tow the line with the garbage on television and magazines, what values will they teach their children?
• ·         Liberals—I’m not going to even get started, basically they represent everything I think is wrong.
• ·         Media—Can they please start to cover the actual news and not try to put a spin on everything?  Most people are too busy to go and research everything that they see or hear; if they would just cover the true story we wouldn’t have to question so many news reports.
• ·         Nanny State—who honestly believes it is best to have any form of government look over and control their life?  Whatever happened to being free?  If we stopped using the government as a crutch we could be more efficient as a society.
• ·         Oppression—we have made great strides to rid our country of discrimination against any minority group in this country whether it is African-Americans to women and all groups in between.  But the more that these groups feel that they are entitled to certain rights the longer it is going to take to completely rid the country of it.
• ·         Progressives—The Constitution is not a living organism, it is a document on which our country was founded on, it has made us what we are today.  Stop trying to change it.  I also find it funny how liberals like to be called progressives now, but what are they really progressing?
• ·         Queers—sorry for the slang but I used H for healthcare.  Personally I do not agree with the act of it or the marriage of them, but as long as you don’t hurt anyone in your lifestyle I couldn't care less.  Also, enough with the flamboyant acts, I am definitely not cool with those.
• ·         Social Security—again, social security was a government program that had great intentions when it was first brought into play, but now it seems as though it has become a piggy bank for funding government projects.  If something isn’t done to fix it, it’s going to run out.  Actually either way it’s doomed to fail.
• ·         Taxes—enough is enough, seriously.  We pay so many taxes- not only our income tax but all of the other ones that are conveniently hidden in our everyday bills and everything we do.  Just stop with them.  All that it is doing is funding government projects, isn’t it funny how it is easy to spend other people's money?
• ·         United Nations—this organization is a joke, mainly funded by our tax dollars all they are doing is wasting our money spreading a liberal agenda around the world.  I would not miss them in the least if we cut their funding, actually we would save billions from it.
• ·         Vouchers—if we actually took the time to properly fix our education system we wouldn’t need to handout vouchers to certain privileged students to attend better schools.  All children should have the right to a good education, not a selected few.
• ·         Welfare—Whatever happened to earning a living?  Too many people feel that the government owes them that they should make sure that they have housing, food, and other basic necessities.  You are entitled to three things in this country: Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness.  You want something go for it; no one should give it to you.
• ·         X—Sorry, I can’t think of anything here….
• ·         You—Yes I mean you.  Take care of yourself and your family.  Don’t go around saying what is best for others, no two people have the exact same situation and if we all worry about ourselves we wouldn’t have a million and a half organizations that have to represent groups of people.
• ·         Zealot Terrorist—whether you call it a war on terrorism, an overseas contingency act, or anything else, it is the same thing.  There are people in this world who want to do harm to us and we must protect our country no matter the cost.

I know that I didn’t cover every single issue or stance that I believe in, but it should be a good base of ideals that represent me on a political stance.  I am tired of politicians, whether they come from the left or the right, saying that they are for the American people but only care about their own agenda.  If you have values such as mine please stand up for them and actually fight for them and please represent me.