What Party?

Since I have been able to vote I have been registered as a Republican. The Republican party at one time represented an image that was fairly close to my views. In recent times the Republican party has been heading toward a party of more moderate or progressive views. Republican leaders such as David Frum, Colin Powell and even Michael Medved have been espousing the need for conservatives to relinquish their hold to ideals such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, small government and welcome candidates that espouse views antithetical to theirs.

My faith and my conscience are troubling me more and more. I am unable to vote for Republicans just because they may be slightly closer to my views or they just vocalize my views and govern another way. To vote Democrat is just not an option for me because they are so far gone, but I can no longer just go along with the Republicans either.

It is not just a national issue either. The state Republican party appears more as an insider clique. They strong arm their candidates on the locals (see Rick Renzi and Sydney Hay). The locals are then left to explain felony arrests and unethical actions (Rick Renzi) and the views of lobbyists they don't know (Sydney Hay). We must hold our representation responsible for their actions. I used to believe, or hope, that the Republicans had ethics, but that hope is dimming.

The way the Republican bigwigs treated Sarah Palin was abonimable. Because she did not come from their establishment but instead came from a small population state, they saw is as acceptable to attack her. The Republican party has made itself no longer worth defending.

Remember the Bible says to respect your government's leaders, just don't let them be where you put your faith. Your faith is for God alone. I know not voting is actually another vote for a Democrat so I must analyze each vote seperately. Can I hold my nose and vote Republican or will I abstain?

Cogs in the Machine

In these difficult economic times I am hearing of more and more people taking early retirement. This seems like another negative impact that will be coming to the country. Many of us have determined that we no longer need to be a productive member of this society but instead are due an easy life. People that have truly become unable to work should retire, but able bodied people need to be convinced in their own mind of the need to be an active, productive member of our community.

As people age but are able to work they should feel it an honor to be active in the labor force. Perhaps more frequent or longer vacations would sate the need for rest and relaxation.

As the economy is now, with rising unemployment, with fewer people paying taxes, the country does not need more people withdrawing from production to go on social security but rather it needs more people to deny themselves.

It is important for people, men particularly, to be invested in the country. To be active, productive members of society.

This also ties in that it is a bad idea to have half of the people not paying income tax. Even if the bottom half of the earners of the population only pay a smaller percentage it would be a start. It would make them invested in the decisions of the country and focus their attention. My preference, in theory of course, would be that every person would pay the same percentage. We would all be invested in the decisions made by our politicians and more acutely aware of their impact. Why should I pay less of a percentage of my income than a physician that sacrificed for their education and continues to sacrifice in their practice?