Why do people choose a political party? Some people pick based on their parents’ opinions, either to please them or as some type of rebellion. Well, since I don’t even know exactly where my parents stand on the political spectrum, that can’t be it. Some people choose based on popularity. The GOP is definitely not very popular right now, so that can’t be it either. So why do I choose to align myself with the right wing? It’s because I generally agree with most of the values that the party stands for. And here’s the list:

1. The war in Iraq, our military, and freedom. These are three things that the Republican party continues to stand up for. Whether or not you agree with the decision Congress (not President Bush, by the way) made to go into Iraq, it is undeniable that the removal of Saddam Hussein, his sons and several of his officers was a very good and helpful thing for the people of Iraq and its surrounding countries. I believe that the war, while tragic as any war is, was the right thing to do. From everything I’ve heard from the people I know that have been there, we are helping much more than the media tells us. I also believe that the Republican party has always been the first and best to support our service men and women, and uphold the values of freedom and justice that this country was founded on.
2. Abortion. Plain and simple, I believe murdering innocent unborn children is not just morally wrong, but one of the absolute most vile and disgusting accomplishments mankind has ever made. While this is in part due to my faith, it is foolish to say that it is a religious viewpoint. Anyone who values human life should be able to say that murder is wrong, whether or not the person is out of the womb yet.
3. Gay rights. I, along with most of my fellow conservatives (at least the ones I know), believe that homosexuality is immoral and, in some cases, disgusting. For the most part, we don’t have any problem with homosexuals as people, but we do not believe that they should have any special rights just for being gay. I especially don’t like the idea that churches, who generally believe homosexuality is a sin (and have since Old Testament times), should be forced to perform gay marriages with the risk of losing tax-exempt status if they don’t. This would be a violation of our first amendment right to freedom of religion. I also don’t like the idea of teaching homosexuality in school. Our public education system wastes enough taxpayer money already; we don’t need them wasting time teaching something that is not only morally wrong, but also quite irrelevant for young children to be learning.
4. The first amendment. All this “separation of church and state” bullshit has gotten way out of hand. Our founding fathers are probably rolling in their graves at the sight of what some people are trying to do. I can totally understand the government taking a neutral stance on religion, but people who are attempting to get “In God We Trust” removed from currency and banning prayer from schools are really just trying to remove our freedom of religion. For some reason, these people think it’s okay to practice any religion – as long as it isn’t Christianity. I believe the Republican party is the most supportive of our first amendment rights, not just for Christians, but for all people of faith.
5. The second amendment. The right to bear arms is one of the great freedoms we have, mainly due to our origins as rebels. While it does not hold exactly the same relevance it did when it was written, the second amendment is not outdated nor obsolete today. We are facing new and different enemies all the time, and the right to defend ourselves needs to be honored. Most people who commit crimes with firearms are already doing something illegal. If guns were outlawed, it would make no difference to them; they would just obtain their weapons illegally, which in many cases they do anyway. The only people a firearm ban would hurt are law-abiding citizens who want to legitimately defend themselves against criminals.

There are other things as well, but these are the main reasons I consider myself a Republican. I didn’t make this list to start any arguments (although I won’t stop you if you really feel you need to argue), but rather to present why exactly I am part of this “horrible” party that everyone seems to hate right now.

Tags: Politics