After a lifetime voting for and working for Democratic candidates and
independents, I'm finally going to make the switch and become a
Republican.
The reasons are many, not the least of which is age. I turned 55
recently and, having lived more than half my life, I can't afford to
worry anymore about the other guy. It's time for me.
As a Republican, I can now proudly -- indeed, defiantly -- pledge to
never again vote for anyone who raises taxes for any reason. To hell
with roads, bridges, schools, police and fire protection, Medicare,
Social Security and regulation of the airwaves.
President Bush has promised to give me more tax cuts even though our
federal government owes trillions of dollars to its creditors. But
that's someone else's problem, not mine. Republicans are about the here
and now, and I'm here now.
As a Republican, I can favor exploiting the environment for everything
she's got. No need to worry about quaint notions like posterity and
natural legacy. There are plenty of resources left for everyone, and if
we don't use them, someone else will.
I want a party that doesn't worry about things before we have to.
Republicans refuse to get hog-tied by theories such as global warming,
ozone depletion, fished-out oceans and disappearing wetlands. The real
problems -- if there are any -- aren't forecast to take hold for at
least 50 years. So what do I care? I'll be dead.
As a Republican, I can swagger and clamor for war -- in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Colombia, wherever -- even though I've never fought in one
or even been in the military. I can claim that we're fighting for
Democracy, ignoring re****ts of torture at Abu Ghraib, Bagram Air Base
and Guantanamo Bay, and a spreading gulag of secret detention centers
around the world.
Freedom, as every American should know after spending $300 billion for
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, isn't free.
As a Republican, I can insist on strict moral values when it comes to
*** and ignore the growing moral chasms in business, politics, s****ts,
journalism and the leader****p of the Roman Catholic Church.
A society that loses control of its ***ual urges faces unwanted
pregnancies, socially transmitted disease, broken families. Those
overzealous about wealth, however, produce only a higher GDP, lifelong
security for their family and more minimum wage jobs for the lower
cl*****. What's wrong with that?
As a Republican, I can favor strict punishment of criminals, except for
those who happen to be my friends or neighbors. Isn't that the very
definition of community -- looking out for friends and family?
I will be pro-death penalty and anti-abortion, pro-child but anti-child
care, for education but against funding of public schools. As a
Republican, I'll have a better chance of getting to spout my opinions
in the media, which for some reason seems convinced that since Bush was
re-elected with the smallest electoral margin of any sitting president
in history, liberals are passe.
As a Republican, I'll say goodbye to "old Jesus" and hello to "new
Jesus. " Sure Christ started out as a liberal Jew, and look where that
got him. Compassion, love and diatribes against the rich only encourage
the weak and punish the most successful among us. The Jesus that
Republicans wor****p is a muscular, decisive, pro-war crusader hard at
work cleansing the world of evildoers, not, God forbid, turning the
other cheek.
My decision to become a Republican didn't come easily. For years I
clung to the idea that the foundation of a democratic society was our
implied social contract, each of us committing some level of personal
sacrifice to the common good of all.
I regarded taxes as dues we pay for better roads and schools, safe
inspection of meat and dairy products, maintenance of parks and
protection of wilderness areas. I see now that looking out for the
common good resulted in shortchanging the most im****tant element in
this formula -- me.
Let Democrats continue promising the "greatest good for the greatest
number." Republicans clearly have my number -- No. 1.
I'm sure a lot of my friends reading this will ask me, "How can you
sleep?" My answer will be, "Who's got time? I'm busy earning money."
While they're bellyaching about rising deficits, the outsourcing of
jobs and casualties in Iraq, I'll be marveling at the march of freedom
in the Middle East, upticks in the GDP and the president's plan to link
Social Security to the magic of the marketplace.
As a Republican, I simply won't listen to bad news anymore. Bad news
doesn't get me or my family anywhere. If you don't have anything good
to say about somebody, don't say anything at all -- unless it happens
to be about a Democrat, of course. - Jeff Gillenkirk
- - -
This has been another "just say no to 2 cars & a garage" moment, with:
Turin
I have such sites to show you...
------------------------
http://members.fortunecity.com/turinturambar/
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Men_First/
------------------------
"He who changeth, altereth, misconstrueth, argueth with, deleteth, or
maketh a lie about these words or causeth them to not be known shall
burn in hell forever and ever...."
-----
|
