I recently became a member of the Platform Committee for my county Republican Committee – something they may well come to regret.
Of course talk at the beginning of an election season revolves around THE PLATFORM. I offered another vision.
I’d like your take on this approach, any ideas and comments will be welcome.
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A Foundation for the Republican Party of Benton County, Iowa
For generations the word “platform” has been used to describe the political position and the beliefs of political parties. This year – 2014 – is no different. With a midterm election and the election season upon us we are once again faced with writing, defining, editing and determining what our “platform” is for this year’s election. I would like to offer an alternate option, a new voice to this tradition.
Rather than a “platform” that changes from state to state, county to county, city to city and election season to election season I believe our party is in need of something more solid, something immovable, something that will provide strength to support and contain us, something that is easily understood, easily explained and something that can be universally agreed upon.
We need a FOUNDATION.
I believe a solid foundation can be constructed from five individual and defining principles for our nation:
1: Our nation is a Constitutional Republic.
We are a nation governed by people elected to public office that are sent to represent us, the citizen. Our Constitution provides limits to their power, explicitly details our fundamental rights and insures that only the enumerated powers contained within the Constitution are executed by the federal government. All other functions of government are left to the state and local governments.
2: We are a Sovereign Nation.
We are a Sovereign Nation with defined borders, governed by a set of laws determined by our representatives, guided by our Constitution and protected by a military strong enough to defend our borders and interests.
3: The Oath of Office of all civil servants - elected and employed – should guide their actions.
As citizens, we expect that our elected officials take their office and its duties and responsibilities to us, our country and our Constitution seriously and act in accordance with their individual Oaths of Office.
4: Fiscal Responsibility is a fundamental function of any local, state or federal entity.
All monies expended by all governments – local, state and federal – come from the labor of the citizens of the country. It is a fundamental expectation that these government entities should act in a financially responsible manner.
5: Personal Responsibility is the primary duty of all citizens.
We are a nation of individuals held together by a common vision. We are not servants of the government; we are not dependent on the largess of society for our survival. Our possibilities are limitless; they not should be limited by our local, state and federal government. We are individuals, we are citizens of our country and we – and we alone – are responsible for our successes and failures.
It is my firm belief that adherence to these five fundamental principles can act as a singular focal point to bring the Republican Party together going into the 2014 Mid-Term election and on into the future. Rather than our message getting lost in a barrage of one “plank” after another – many times resulting in the shredding of our focus – it will be supported by a solid Foundation.
I believe this is what our nation is searching for, and I believe it is the Republican Party that has the best opportunity to bring this to fruition.
Sincerely,
William Keller
Member – Platform Committee of Benton County, Iowa
I like the brevity. As a "lay person" who has better things to do than read a bunch of bloviators' self important treatise, (30+pages? Really?) this is direct and something I actually have the time to read. This will appeal to other people. I don't feel like anyone is trying to trick me. I would advise against using the word "immovable" in your introduction as it conjures pictures of "The Grand Old Party's'" mascot as stubborn or cumbersome. Maybe "resolute" or "unshakable" or "unfailing"?
ReplyDeleteWhen you say, "All other functions of government are left to..." do you need to define other functions? And if they are left to, while I know what you mean, that combination of words leads my mind to "left over" when it should be the states and local governments that share government equally with, if not more than, the federal governments.
Does the military "defend" our interests, or do they "protect" them? Not sure the placing of the word "interests" belongs there when you are talking about our sovereign national status. Our security is the military's role, and protecting our interests feels more like the word. Or is that too hawkish?
Any more definition on "financially responsible?" because some people believe that extending the debt limit was "financially responsible." Ha, ha.
"limitless; they not should be limited" Typo? Or maybe you should say "they will not be limited"?
The rest looks like something I could get behind. Go dad!
Short, to the point, and on the money... Well done Bill!
ReplyDeleteKudos to you sir for Standing Up, and Trying!!!
ReplyDeleteBravo. We need to pray that this works out
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