This Soccer Mom's View on Being Republican

The religious right (and perhaps a little nepotism) really screwed up my party.

They have sidetracked and twisted our intent for years. To me, being a Republican means:

• Strong international policy promoting democracy and protecting countries and people that need our help; it is an imperative mandate that we help those unable to help themselves.
• Being fiscally conservative
• Strict constructionists on the Supreme Court and NOT legislating from the bench.
• The death penalty
• Lower taxes and equal taxation
• Less social entitlement programs
• Tighter bankruptcy laws
• No tax dollars paying for abortions and making parental consent for underage abortion a requirement (Note: I didn't say pro-life)
• Going medieval on sex offenders
• The right to bear arms
• Patriotism
• Accountability in our public school systems
  
  As a former military member who has friends that have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, up to two times already, I still believe that, we, as a country had a right to defend ourselves after 9-11. I think the world will be a better place now that the dictatorships/theocracies in Afghanistan and Iraq have been shaken up.
  
  I believe the U.S. as a country, has a very shaky resolve and it takes strong leaders to stay the course against political pressure and popular sentiment of wanting something done in a matter of weeks or months. My god, think of the bureaucracy of building a school! It takes 4-5 years to plan and years more to build and yet we want to fight a war and rebuild a country in less than that!?
  
  The United States needs a lesson in patience. We are so used to our fast food NOW, talking to a friend on her cell phone NOW, and watching television programs on our TIVO NOW. We are a nation full of credit-card debt because, as the eBay commercial goes, we want "it" now. We don't realize how long it took to get these countries in these conditions of brutality, terror, and Machiavellian leadership, in the first place. We Americans are so short-sighted and in the moment. And we have lost so many veterans of World War I & II who could say why it is important to fight the fight against genocide, terror, and totalitarianism.
  
  Foremost in this war, if we follow through as a country, I believe Afghani women will be better off. I believe the next generation of both countries will have more opportunities of education and living in conditions fit for human beings. I believe in the purple thumb of democracy. And I am certain, that if we stay the course, no matter how costly, we will come to a resolution in this war that will benefit the world.
  
  My regrets for my party are allowing some nepotism to play into the filling of positions of crucial importance. I think Rumsfield is a fool. I wish Colin Powell was still there. I think Condeleeza Rice should be our next president. I think allowing corrupt, swindling contractors that are rebuilding while bilking our tax dollars was a huge blunder and these execs should receive no mercy and the swift justice of prison bars, just like Enron execs. I think pushing the John Bolton UN appointment is nuts!
  
  I have to admit I was glad my party lost power. Now, there is a clear mandate for the Democrats to take some responsibility. They too supported the war at first, but, my, did they become whores of electoral polling!
  
  Now, with the Democrats having the majority, they need to put up or shut up. They ran against how the war was going, but had few solutions other than a definite pull out time line. Well, don't you think the extremists and terrorists read these policies and watch debates too? These fanatics will hold out until your well-communicated, premature but popular withdrawal, and then all those American lives gone, all those Afghani boys killed, all the terrible damage... ALL those young lives gone in a terrible blink of the eye and everything so voraciously fought for will be for naught.
  
  Let's make those lives worth something. Let's think beyond our toddler attention-spans and let's stretch beyond the patience of teenager getting laid for the first time. Let’s fight the hard fight.
  
  For now, I eagerly await the solutions of the new Democrat power base. It's been pretty quiet since the election. Bring it on!

'lisciously scribed by Scout's Honor @ 10:04 AM