Warning: Politics Ahead
Nov. 19th, 2003 12:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mik3capEver wonder why the Republican party has a religious right component to it?
This shift occured historically, as I understand it, around the time of LBJ's presidency when Texas Democrats realized they were actually Republicans and there was a massive shift from one party to the other. Because the Republicans in Texas were mainly being organized by Christian fundies (because they're good at organizing) they ended up becoming the leaders of the party and becoming powerhouses. This influence has since spread to encompass the rest of the party affiliates across the nation.
So what we're essentially looking at in American politics today is the culmination of several decades of power base building on the part of the fundies, ending in the de facto assumption of two of the branches of government. It's only now a matter of time before the third one follows, as judges die off and get replaced, unless something is done by the opposition party or by the people in the Republican party who don't agree with the fundie platform.
What really, really bothers me is that we are looking at control of one of the two major political parties by a minority group within it. Christian fundamentalism does not represent the will of the majority of the American people. I'll begrudge any tyranny, be it of the minority or majority. I do not want my laws written based on religious principle. We do not live in a theocracy, and my hope is that America never becomes one. Theocracy cannot be a basis for rational governance, and having a religious party in power, even if its core values represent a majority of the country, cannot be just and does not allow for the core American principle of religious freedom.
So what can be done about this? Well - I'm going to register as a Democrat and start voting Democrat as much as my conscience will let me. I don't really agree with the principles of the Democratic party as a whole, but I can't see any other way to reduce the power of the Republican party.
This shift occured historically, as I understand it, around the time of LBJ's presidency when Texas Democrats realized they were actually Republicans and there was a massive shift from one party to the other. Because the Republicans in Texas were mainly being organized by Christian fundies (because they're good at organizing) they ended up becoming the leaders of the party and becoming powerhouses. This influence has since spread to encompass the rest of the party affiliates across the nation.
So what we're essentially looking at in American politics today is the culmination of several decades of power base building on the part of the fundies, ending in the de facto assumption of two of the branches of government. It's only now a matter of time before the third one follows, as judges die off and get replaced, unless something is done by the opposition party or by the people in the Republican party who don't agree with the fundie platform.
What really, really bothers me is that we are looking at control of one of the two major political parties by a minority group within it. Christian fundamentalism does not represent the will of the majority of the American people. I'll begrudge any tyranny, be it of the minority or majority. I do not want my laws written based on religious principle. We do not live in a theocracy, and my hope is that America never becomes one. Theocracy cannot be a basis for rational governance, and having a religious party in power, even if its core values represent a majority of the country, cannot be just and does not allow for the core American principle of religious freedom.
So what can be done about this? Well - I'm going to register as a Democrat and start voting Democrat as much as my conscience will let me. I don't really agree with the principles of the Democratic party as a whole, but I can't see any other way to reduce the power of the Republican party.
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Right Wing Christianity
on 2003-11-26 10:59 am (UTC)First I am proud to say that I love the "ideals" of the Republican party. Unfortunately those ideals are now only espoused by Individualists. The Republican party has, on the whole, turned into something else. Here's my argument for this: Republicans are supposed to be small gov't, Lassie Faire, Separation of church and state folks. The Republican party has of late not been voting/passing bills that are in line with what the “ideal” party would even look at. Instead many Republicans in power are incorporating Christian values into laws and making the gov't bigger. For examples look at the Patriot act and the Medicare Bill, both sponsored and pushed by Republicans.
Idea two: I lived in Colorado Springs for a few years and now I live in Virginia, now these are both bastions of Republicanism but they are different as night and day. Colorado Springs was the headquarters for ‘Focus on the Family’ a national right wing Christian coalition. They dominated the political landscape of the area. Virginia is still "religiously conservative" but far far more open. There are Wiccan shops in Richmond, movies of… ‘dubious moral character’ at the video store etc. So It is apparent that not all republicans hold the same ideas. That’s great, not surprising though. The question is, why is the republican power house not republican? It is as Mikecap said, being hijacked by the Moral right.
This angers me, I don’t want to vote democratic because I don’t agree with a lot of their principles but I also cannot vote republican now for the same reason. I need a powerful Individualist party to vote for.