Vancouver resident Julia Dawn Seaver discusses the current focus of members of the Republican Party
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
Republicans are having an identity crisis. How else are we to explain Republicans voting for gun control laws that will have no effect on crime, or an expensive boondoggle of an infrastructure bill? The go-along to get-along party leaders in Congress barely stand up for anything. At times, it’s hard to know exactly what they stand for.
We’re told Republicans need to move to the center and act more like Democrats to attract Independents. Build a bigger tent, you know. And now another faction, the Populists, have sprung up again with their big government proposals. Advocating for big tax credits/deductions, having the government regulating businesses to pick-and-choose winners, seizing land from U.S. citizens, promoting division, shutting down all immigration, even legal immigration — the Republican party has never been about these things.
Early Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson, knew people were capable of governing themselves and argued for a limited federal government, giving more power to the states. Because of them, we have the Bill of Rights.
It was the Republican party that ended slavery; the party whose 1896 platform called for women to have “…equal opportunities, equal pay for equal work, and protection to the home;” and led the way on, civil rights.
It’s the Republican party that believes in limited government, state’s rights, tax cuts, and deregulation; are staunch defenders of the constitution, free speech and the 2nd Amendment; are pro-business, pro-family, and believe parents, not government, should decide how their children are raised. Republicans are the party of life and of liberty.
Government’s role is to create an atmosphere that allows individuals and families to thrive. Or as Ronald Reagan said, “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t achieve a 20-point win in Florida by trying to make nice with opposing viewpoints or controlling the lives of his citizens. He did it by defending their rights, by standing strong on Republican principles, and becoming “the place where woke goes to die.”
As local parties reorganize and elect new officers for the next two-year term, it’s time for Republicans to make like Simba in The Lion King and remember who they are. Stop the hand wringing, the appeasing, the bickering and blaming. It’s time to come home and stand strong on our roots and core principles.
Julia Dawn Seaver
Vancouver
Also read:
- Letter: ‘HSD needs to give a detailed line-item accounting of where the last levy went, and of how they plan to use this one’
Randall Schultz-Rathbun urges Hockinson School District to provide detailed, transparent accounting of past and proposed levy spending before asking voters for additional funds. - Letter: Interstate Bridge Replacement’s Park & Ride insanity
Bob Ortblad criticizes the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s proposed Park & Ride garages, arguing the costs are excessive and unlikely to receive federal funding. - Opinion: Vancouver councilors responsible for stoking irrational fears in the community
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance sharply criticizes a Vancouver City Council declaration on immigration enforcement, arguing it fuels fear, undermines law enforcement, and lacks supporting evidence. - Opinion: Washington should stop shielding domestic abusers and sexual offenders from deportation
Vancouver attorney Angus Lee argues Washington law improperly shields convicted domestic abusers, sexual offenders, and drunk drivers from deportation and urges lawmakers to change it. - Opinion: Who is leaving Washington and why the politicians need to care
Mark Harmsworth argues Washington is losing higher-income taxpayers and business owners, warning that rising taxes and regulation threaten long-term economic stability.
wpDiscuz
