It is, however, a result of serious thought and consideration over the past several months (maybe years). I've been a Republican all my life - my first vote as an 18 year old was for Ronald Reagan. Even when I thought the Republican candidate wasn't the strongest, I figured that the conservative values and ideals that the party stood for still made them a better candidate that the other guy. And for the most part I stand by those decisions. I can't imagine how a President Gore would've handled the attacks on 9/11. I can't see anything good coming from a Kerry presidency. But now we're looking down the barrel of an Obama-led country and the Republicans have put forth a strange little man that seems completely out of touch with America. Now, this strange little man has my utmost respect for his service to our great country and his subsequent imprisonment. But I don't necessarily think that makes him the best guy for the job. On the other hand, the rest of the herd running in the Republican primary weren't a whole lot better.
But I digress. My view of the party that I have supported for years (yes, a card carrying member even!) has changed considerably over the past 10-15 years. The party that was supposed to be for smaller government has out-spent and expanded the government more than even the most liberal of administrations while still cutting taxes and further indebting future generations. They have limited personal liberties in the name of security. They have allowed religion to become too much of an influence in the governance of the nation. They have allowed our nations borders to continue to be open passageways. They have, in effect, failed the conservative agenda which is supposed to include smaller government and more individual liberty.
Please don't misunderstand the above paragraph. I fully believe that the Democrats in control would work hard on the project of ever increasing government intrusion into our lives in the name of "fairness" or "leveling the playing field". Their values of redistribution of wealth and trying to hook the citizens on the teet of the government will lead us down the road to a socialist or Marxist society. It's started with Social Security and government run schools (don't we call those indoctrination centers when they are in other countries?) then moved to Welfare and next is Healthcare, Energy and Banking. With each of these "services" being provided by the government we give up more liberty and control of our lives. When government provides everything we need, they can just as easily take it away.
"With all [our] blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens--a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities." --Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801. ME 3:320
As a people, we already work for the first 5 months of the year in order to cover our tax burden. How ridiculous is that concept? And there is no option to not pay. We are forced to give up a significant portion of the compensation for our labors under threat of violence or imprisonment. And a significant portion of that goes to those that choose not to work. That choose not to make themselves ready or prepared for employment. That choose to live off the teet of government.
"To constrain the brute force of the people, [the European governments] deem it necessary to keep them down by hard labor, poverty and ignorance, and to take from them, as from bees, so much of their earnings, as that unremitting labor shall be necessary to obtain a sufficient surplus to sustain a scanty and miserable life." --Thomas Jefferson to William Johnson, 1823. ME 15:440
Liberals have become the thought police of Orwell's vision in the book 1984. PC language is becoming law and don't you dare have that thought that might not be consistent with the collective. Speak up and you're considered mean-spirited. Think about that word "mean-spirited". They are referring to someone as having an evil soul, unsaveable, and not to be tolerated. If you disagree with them, head straight to the exorcist to get yourself straightened out.
While I may have problems with the direction of the Republican party, I fear for this country if or when Democrats gain control of the Executive and Legislative branches of our federal government.
So - I don't identify with either major party, then what's a voter to do. That's a really good question. Personally (and here's the transformation part), I have read the platform for the Libertarian party and agree with it. I suggest you give it a look. It seems to be the only political party that is paying attention to the constitution and the dreams of such nut bags as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington and the rest. You know, those crazy bastards that took on the King of England and kicked his ass all in the name of ending a suffocating tyranny and injustice and for the pursuit of liberty. Yeah, those guys.
Give the platform an honest read and tell me we wouldn't be better off.
Now, I'm a realist. I know that there won't be giant tsunami of Libertarian-ness sweeping across the country all at once. I know that even if, by some quirk of electronic voting screwiness, we get a Libertarian president they will have to deal with a legislature that is deeply rooted in their partisan alliances. I know that a large part of the major party base constituents (bible thumpers for the right, socialists on the left) would never go along with some crazy idea like personal liberty.
However! Seeing a better platform. Seeing goals that empower an individual and not a government body. Seeing the value of personal responsibility. Seeing what can only be defined as freedom - we can each begin to make more informed decisions. We can make demands of our employees up on Capital Hill and in the White House. We can shape the debate. We can speak out against the extreme. We can say....
I'm not a party drone. I exist in between the extremes of politics that have had the podium for 20 years. I demand liberty. I demand an end to government that seeks only power over the individual. I demand that the government abide by the constitution and the intentions for freedom and liberty stated and advocated by our founding fathers. I demand a government that does not see the rewards of my labors as an opportunity to fill their coffers. I demand freedom and liberty for all individuals including the right for individuals to live with the consequences of their own decisions. I demand to be heard.
We are the silent majority. We are Americans. The time for silence is over.
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