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An Independent Opinion - Part 1

The new millennium brought a decline of ethics in both the Democratic and Republican Parties.  I have always been aware of both political sides of the aisle that when in balance made the most sense of a free and workable American government.  Let each side take on the problems presented to the Congress with the White House having an equal voice and our nation seemed to be able to take on any problem, from a depression to a war. 

There is another part of the equation that runs the entire nation and that is the American voter.  Here is the weak link in the system.

Why are Americans so afraid to air their opinions in their daily lives?  I’ve been a political junky since high school.  My family discussed all things political constantly even though we did not always agree with the conclusions.  What it did was open the minds of all of us to know the arguments of both sides.  This was our responsibility due to the fact that America is the nation of the people. 

During the Korean War when I had my first real job, a group of us met for lunch and openly hashed over political points of view across the board.  We read books for discussion of philosophy, psychology and politics.  There were 8 of us and we even met on weekends, either to hike, sale, gold hunting or barbequing at someone’s house; wives and husbands included.

The group leaned to the left but did not convince me to follow in that side of the debate.  The wonder of this group was that they listened to me at all.  I was the youngest member and was without a single degree from any university.  I went to business school to be writer and my title was “Technical Writer” for Hughes Aircraft, Culver City.

As soon as the war was over, we all went our various ways.  I married had babies stayed home and happily joined up with the Goldwater Campaign.  Always politically active I began to run into an ugly side of the GOP.  I did not like the GOP starting in Reagan’s second term and blew up at the horrors of President Bush 41. 

I went on line to learn more about my wayward Republican Party and saw it begin to die on the vine for a lack of enthusiasm and a serious agenda.  The GOP went actively sour during President Clinton’s terms and I left the party to join up with the Independent classification.  I tried the LP, Perot and gave up looking for an agreeable agenda. 

The shock of all was my move to Arizona where my new friends from the Recreation Center were horrified to discuss politics.  I wondered if they had some secret party or they simply had gone all through the years avoiding the subject.  They didn’t just walk away but complained to the management that I was a pest.  I was told not to talk about politics or religion. 

I had one very aggressive man stand up to me declaring that politics is not a part of retirement.  I told him I was sorry to be a pest but unless we talk about these things, we would always be at war.  Since the beginning of recorded history wars were started to kill members who followed one God or another.  Here in 2009, we still are fighting Islam assuming all Americans are Christians.  We are not!

Why not talk about it?  Why not clear the air?  Why not treat all Americans as being equal?  We took some rough treatment from the Middle East on 9/11 and we reacted.  I remember asking how this was part of the discussions and learned that few here knew where Afghanistan was on a map and what the Taliban had to do with the Twin Towers.  I soon learned that politics was not the only subject not discussed.  I felt like a captive on an island surrounded by very strange humans.

I soon learned that the subject of partisan politics had been watered down so severely that few understood the agenda of the GOP.  It was not what President Bush 43 represented.  I soon learned that the new Conservative agenda was based on “traditional family values.”  This meant “White Christian Straight Men” only.  There was a move to ban abortions, homosexuals, death with dignity and a ban on evolution taught in the schools. 

I stepped out of the Arizona groups and waited until a group of Independents could stir up a candidate for President.  We learned one strong lesson and that was the Republican Party melted down and it will be many years before the agenda of a limited government and fiscal responsibility can ever return as a political party without corruption.  The Religious Right destroyed much of the active base and yet not a single member of the GOP will discuss it. 

So, I will promote a third party who will discuss the weakness of trying to stay loyal to the New Testament over the U.S. Constitution.

Sandra Price

February 5,^. 2009