OUR HERITAGE

What does it mean to be truly republican? History reminds us it was our party that demanded equality and liberty for Democrats’ slaves. One dictionary says republican as an adjective, is “having the supreme power lying in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them…” To be republican is to believe in the rule of law – in our case, respect for the Constitution.

Following the Civil War, African-Americans voted straight Republican ticket in 1866 and 1868 for two simple reasons: (1) they understood they were emancipated by Republicans and (2) Democrats would not allow them to vote Democrat.

Leading cinematic performers like Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne and Charlton Heston were proud Republicans. Ronald Reagan’s conversion from Democrat to Republican in the 1950’s is noteworthy. I became a Republican in 1980, moved to become a Reagan conservative by the follies of the Carter presidency.

Along the way, scandal has visited Republican and Democrat office holders alike. I believe the weakness of democracy is we easily elect scoundrels; its strength is its ability to rid us of them.

Since Reagan left office, distinctions between the two major parties blurred by broken promises and pork-barrel spending on both sides of the aisle.

HISTORICAL REVISIONISM

Somewhere along the way, Democrat successfully and fraudulently came to be party of choice for racial minorities.

Joseph Phillips, writing for Townhall.com, says, “It was of course the Democrat Party that was late recognizing the wrongs of slavery; it was Democrats that wrote the Jim Crow laws and enforced them with fire hoses and attack dogs; it was the progressive hero Woodrow Wilson who segregated the federal government and locked Blacks out of jobs; it was the democrat party that filibustered passage of the civil rights acts of 1964 and ’65 and in fact has opposed every piece of civil rights legislation written since the end of the civil war.”

TEMPEST IN A T.E.A. PARTY

On the heels of the 2008 elections, conservatives like me, alarmed by the election of President Barak Obama and all he represents, coalesced into Taxed Enough Already (T.E.A.) parties held nationwide on April 15^th and July 4^th.

Locally, here in Rockwall County, Texas, our parties were events, a genuine grassroots movement with no treasury, no elected leaders, just patriotic Americans who love their country coming together to oppose fascism and socialism.

Elsewhere conservatives have gone beyond T.E.A. party events to actually forming a third party. Driven by fear and anger at a Democrat-controlled government that threatens to deprive us of our liberties and bankrupt our nation, this new party is fielding candidates and building organization.

Who are the T.E.A. Party patriots? We are Republicans and Independents who traditionally vote for Republican candidates, but we have become deeply dissatisfied with RINO (Republican In Name Only) candidates at every level of government: municipal, county, school district, state and federal.

If T.E.A. Party and Republican candidates compete separately, what can we expect? “Over my shoulder a backward glance”, as Paul Harvey would say, we know third parties split tickets. The 1992 presidential campaign is an excellent model for the “perfect storm” – a weak Republican candidate, George H. W.
Bush, and a fired-up United We Stand Party led by Ross Perot led to a minority president: Bill Clinton. Ross Perot satisfied his blood lust by keeping Mr. Bush from winning while fed-up conservatives “taught the Republicans a lesson”. I hope my fellow conservatives learn from history and choose not to repeat it.

GOP: Natural Home for Conservatives

While it is our natural home, we have unwanted squatters within: tax-and-spend liberals, RINO’s and narcissists who somehow think themselves equal to God. Regarding the latter, I know the Living God, the one mentioned in our Declaration of Independence and emblazoned on our currency – the narcissists and liberals are no substitute.

My fellow T.E.A. party patriots: are you fed up with runaway government, destruction of our economy and loss of liberty? Does history favor a third party? If you answer yes to the first, no to the second, what are you willing to do? I invite you to join me in revitalizing the Republican Party.

A dear friend recently wrote to me, asking me to talk with GOP leadership about the upcoming NPR gubernatorial debates. He wants Debra Medina to participate – I do not disagree. I asked him what he is willing to do. Is he going to contact GOP headquarters? Is he going to participate in local Republican leadership functions?

Influence cannot be delegated. If you wish to influence the party, you must participate in the party.

Locally, three Republican meetings are open to you.

Rockwall County Republican Men’s Club – meets every 2^nd Saturday, Harry Myers, 8 AM.

Rockwall County Republican Women’s Club – next meeting January 21, 2010, click here for details

Rockwall County Republican Party headquarters is conveniently located at 105 S. San Jacinto, Rockwall, 75087

Rockwall County Young Republicans encourages young adults to become involved in community leadership.

OUR FINEST HOUR

Some of us older folk see the 2010 elections as “now or never”, a possible “point of no return”.  What is your plan? Will you passively forfeit your liberties? Are you going to join a third party to “teach the Republicans a lesson”?

I suggest you teach yourself a lesson from history – make time for grassroots involvement and create your own future.

The following video of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 acceptance speech 0.