|
I am an American and a lifelong Republican.
In that order, and to this very day, very much both.
I am an American, and a proud one, not just because I can trace my lineage to the Mayflower and one of the very signers of the Declaration of Independence, Not just because my family, for generations, has fought in every major war for the preservation of this country and our way of life, including the very first War for America, but because I believe in the Dream America once represented.
It was the dream that ordinary, hopeful and hard working people could live, learn prosper, and be happy without being beholden to the Powerful and Elite. It was the dream that any person, from any background, could learn to contribute to a great society for that society’s betterment. The dream of America was one in which ordinary people could shape the law, the land, and their lives to suit their needs and pursuits.
And it was working… for a while.
I am a Republican, and I have reasons to be proud of that. I am proud that we live in a Republic, where each state has a level of sovereignty and self-determination, thereby promoting a nation of diversity. I am proud of the values that real Republicans have represented for generations. I am proud of Republican leaders who have lived the values they promoted. I can be proud that Republicans were the standard bearers of civil liberties. I am proud that those who upheld Republican ideals regarding the self-determination of the individual, personal responsibility, devotion to community, and diligence against tyranny. Those are values that Republicans have held dear for generations, but Republicans have taken the guardianship of those values for granted. Republicans have been so self-assured of the righteousness inherent in their core values, they have so dwelt upon the laurels heaped up by the likes of Lincoln, Eisenhower, and so many past Republican leaders that they have forgotten something vital;
Those aren’t just Republican values.
Democrats, Liberals, Libertarians, and many affiliated with other parties have also widely stood for the same things Republicans have been lauded over for so long. Worse than failing to realize that; Republicans seem believe that fighting for those values is no longer necessary. They believe that since Republicans once established themselves as the party for accountability, personal responsibility, equal rights, military superiority, and intellectual finesse, that they no longer need to pursue and maintain those values. Because they believe their party stands for those things, the maintenance is somehow automatic.
Well, just like you can’t perfect a garden one year and expect it to be forever fruitful, you can’t assume that a once great party will always uphold the values once instilled in it.
Now take a look, and realize that so many of the values you’ve been so sure your party owns are now being upheld by Democrats and Liberals.
Democrats are now fighting for accountability in Government while your tax dollars are being poured into a black hole in Iraq. Bundles of cash are literally disappearing to the tune of billions of dollars, while contractors are doing shoddy work in helping to rebuild Iraq. Democrats are fighting for oversight, fighting to hold those contractors to a higher standard for taxpayer dollars. Republicans in Congress are stopping them.
Why?
Libertarians are fighting to maintain the legal rights of Americans to a speedy trial, to keep and bear firearms, and to exercise free speech without fear of reprisal from the government. Yet today many Republicans advocate for limitations to be placed on those rights.
Liberals are now fighting for equal rights for all Americans. As a Republican I can respect this. Republicans are now using the same fear mongering speech that Segregationists used to prevent interracial marriage because it would “threaten the very institution of marriage”.
Conservatives are pushing for fiscal restraint in the Federal Government, but Republicans are blocking those efforts.
All of them, Conservatives, Libertarians, Democrats, Liberals, and others are fighting for these self-evident rights and prudent practices. They are all fighting for another important thing; The right of every American to have their vote counted.
They have been trying to pass legislation that allows you, the American voter, to verify that the vote you have cast is awarded to the candidate or cause of your choosing. Right now that is simply not the case, and many Republicans are fighting transparency. This fact is a shameful scar on a once noble party. Brave Americans** have had the tenacity and courage to stand up, weather criticism, derision, and even threats, in order to preserve your right to have your vote counted.
Think about this; even if they are over reacting, even if they need not stand up for your right to vote because you are satisfied all is well… they deserve your respect for delving into matters others haven’t the passion or fortitude to take on.
So for all that your media tells you that everyone but Republicans are un-patriotic, that the efforts of Democrats to institute a plan in Iraq is somehow ‘cowardly’, and that all who question the federal government are ‘traitors’, remember this…
It was defiance that founded this country and kept it strong, and today’s Democrats have a lot in common with the founders of our country. And I should know, as a Son of the American Revolution, I’ve never been allowed to forget just what it takes to preserve Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, and the dream that America can be.
So when you vote today, if you believe that your tax dollars need to be accounted for, if you believe you need the rights of freedom of speech or Habeas Corpus, if you want equal rights for all law-abiding Americans, then put a Democrat in a seat. Because in six years, Republicans have thrown your values to the winds while you’ve believe they were upholding them.
We’re Americans first and we need to fix some things that aren’t getting fixed now.
**Andy, we need you today…
|