FIRST VOTE!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

PARTY AFFILIATION IS 
YOUR FIRST VOTE!

by Steve Fair

 People often ask me the difference between the Republican Party and the Democrat Party.  “All political parties are alike,” they will often say, but is that true?  Not really.  I want to point three distinct differences between the two major political parties:

     First, the Republican Party is a party of limited government, Democrats believe in an expanded government.  Republicans believe in empowering individuals and businesses.  They believe that government should have just enough revenue to provide basic core services, aka roads, infrastructure, law enforcement.  Republicans believe in providing those in real need with a hand up, but not a long term hand-out.  The Democrat Party believes government has a moral obligation to provide for citizens.  In addition to core services, they believe the government should provide food, shelter and health care for every citizen.  The money to provide those programs are collected from the general public in the form of taxes and then redistributed to those in need.

     Second, the Republican Party believes that life begins at conception; Democrats believe it begins at birth.  According to Prolifephysicians.org, there is a universal consensus in the scientific community as to when life begins.  They state, “According to most elementary definition of life, life begins at fertilization, when a sperm unites with an oocyte. From that moment, the being is highly organized, has the ability to acquire materials and energy, has the ability to respond to his or her environment, has the ability to adapt, and has the ability to reproduce (the cells divide, then divide again, etc., and barring pathology and pending reproductive maturity has the potential to reproduce other members of the species).  Non-living things do not do these things.  Even before the mother is aware that she is pregnant, a distinct, unique life has begun his or her existence inside her.”  U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida), chair of the Democratic National Committee, says defining that human life begins at conception is “an extreme and radical step.”  The Democrat Party national platform statement on abortion says; The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.  

     Third, the Republican Party believes in the right to keep and bear arms, Democrats believe in restricting personal gun ownership.  Democrats favor more gun control laws e.g. oppose the right to carry concealed weapons in public places. Republicans oppose gun control laws and are strong supporters of the Second Amendment as well as the right to carry concealed weapons for self defense. 

     In general Democrats tend to favor an active role for government in society and believe that such involvement – be it environmental regulations against polluting or anti-discrimination laws – can improve the quality of people’s lives and help achieve the larger goal of opportunity and equality. On the other hand, Republicans tend to favor a limited role for government in society and believe that such reliance on the private sector (businesses and individuals) – be it avoiding unnecessary environmental regulations or anti-discrimination laws – can improve economic productivity and help achieve the larger goals of freedom and self-reliance.
       Remember your party affiliation is your first vote!  Are you aligned with your values?

     For more information on the difference in the two major parties, go to http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican.