An Open Letter to the Republican Party

How we can change the world and save our grand ol’ party.

We are all reeling from the losses on Tuesday, and that is understandable. Many of us are wondering how our republican party could have lost the presidency as well as several house and senate seats when the economy is where it is today, not to mention the violence being perpetrated against our citizens abroad. I think I have an idea, and it’s time for us to roll back our sleeves and get to work to save our party. Otherwise, we are destined to go the way of the Whigs.

Did you know that the 2012 Republican Platform is 62 pages long? Do you think many common voters – in particular the independent looking for something to believe in – have actually read the entire thing? I had a hard time getting past the Preamble (a word and concept better left to the U.S. Constitution), let alone the subsequent scores of pages. If you read it, you will see that it is bogged down in the special interests that we claim to loathe instead of being what it should be: a short and sweet treatise succinctly and precisely outlining our basic tenets as a party. We are for small government and less bureaucracy but we have a 62 page long platform?!

The Republican Platform of 1860 had, wait for it… ONE PAGE. One page with 17 points. That’s it. I highly recommend you read this platform as it is beautifully written and many of the points are still as applicable today as they were then. Case in point – the very first declaration of that document:

That the history of the nation during the last four years has fully established the propriety and necessity of the organization and perpetuation of the republican party, and that the causes which called it into existence are permanent in their nature, and now more than ever before demand its peaceful and constitutional triumph.

It’s just as true now as it was 152 years ago! So let us prepare to make some tough decisions and get to work, shall we?

I propose that our basic tenets should be the following:

I.     Personal Freedom
II.    A Streamlined and Efficient Federal Government
III.   Living Within Our Means – Federally and Locally.
IV.   A Strong Defense of America’s Territories
V.    Peace Through Strength

Do we need more than that? I say we do not. And now we are faced with tough decisions as we go forward. In the platform of 1860 not one social issue is mentioned. We can debate the reasons for that but what I submit is that the framers of this platform believed – and so the basic belief of the party – was that a national platform should include things that affect every citizen of the United States. Things such as equality and basic rights of the states and their citizens.

It was in 1976, three years after Roe v. Wade, that abortion language entered the republican platform. We can endlessly argue about the constitutionality of that landmark Supreme Court overreach decision, but the fact remains that it is law. And it is a one that has withstood countless attempts to repeal it. So let us now keep our deeply held beliefs in the sanctity of life and let us do everything we can to end the more than one million abortions per year – but let us do that through working in our churches and other houses of faith – or just in our own houses and communities – not through our political party. A respected evangelist in my church once said “Justice is not blocking the doors to an abortion clinic. Justice is not marching for civil rights. Justice is that every man and woman would know God.” Exactly. And we change people’s hearts and minds with the messages of our faith and by our own example, NOT by making it a plank in our political party’s platform!  (That said, we should absolutely stand by our belief that federal moneys should never go to fund abortions and that late term (partial-birth) abortion is inhumane and barbaric. Let those be the political hills upon which we are willing to die.)

Along the same lines is the concept of gay marriage. If your faith or your conscience does not allow you to embrace gay marriage – then make sure you go to a church that agrees with you and will not marry gay people. Just do not try to make EVERY church or organization agree with you because I promise you, that will never happen.

If we are a party that believes in personal freedom, our platform must absolutely reflect that. There will be many things that, as people of faith and/or conservative values, we will disagree with — that does not mean, however, that we should try to legislate it. My state of Colorado just legalized recreational marijuana. Personally, I find the drug to be abhorrent and it will not be allowed on my property. But the people of Colorado have voted and that is now the law. So I will respect the law of Colorado while enforcing the law in my household. Indeed, this same concept can relate to every social issue.

The 2000 Republican Platform said this: “We are the party of the open door, determined to strengthen the social, cultural, and political ties that bind us together and make our country the greatest force for good in the world. Steadfast in our commitment to our ideals, we recognize that members of our party can have deeply held and sometimes differing views. This diversity is a source of strength, not a sign of weakness, and so we welcome into our ranks all who may hold different positions. We commit to resolve our differences with civility, trust, and mutual respect.”

Have we done this or is it just a laudable sentiment that would be nice, but not really realistic? I submit that we absolutely CAN do this. We absolutely MUST do this, for the good of our party, but much more importantly, the good of our country.

So let us stop wondering how we lost and instead begin the hard work to become a party that can include and represent many more Americans. The number of hard-working Americans who want personal freedom, small government, a balanced budget, a strong border and a strong, yet peaceful nation is legion. And it is THESE concepts that will unite us. It is time for the common, everyday Republican to stand up and shout to the powers-that-be – we will NOT go gently into that good night. We will fight to keep the best of who we are and we will NOT let you or any special interest group hijack our party. We are conservative Americans who love our country beyond measure and will fight to keep it great. Now get out of our way and let us get it done.

Respectfully,
A Concerned and Newly Motivated Conservative