Liberal 7

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEMOCRATS and REPUBLICANS

The differences between the political parties in the United States are described amusingly in this poem by an unknown author. "Democrats buy most of the books that have been banned elsewhere. Republicans form committees and read them as a group, consume 3/4 of the rutabaga in this country and dump the rest. They wear hats and usually clean their paint brushes. Democrats give their worn out clothes to the less fortunate, Republicans wear theirs. Democrats name their kids after currently popular sports figures, politicians and entertainers. Republicans name their kids after their parents, or grandparents, according to who has the most money. Democrats try to quit smoking, but cannot. Neither can Republicans, who keep their shades drawn although there is no reason to. Democrats should, but do not. Republicans study the financial pages of the- paper, Democrats line the bird cages with them. Most of the stuff on the roadside has been thrown out of car windows by Democrats Republicans raise Dahlias, Dalmatians and eyebrows. Democrats raise Airedales, kids and taxes. Democrats eat the fish they -catch, Republicans hang them on the wall. Republican boys date Democrat girls, but marry Republican girls. They want to have some fun before they marry. Democrats make plans and change them. Republicans follow plans their grandfathers made, sleep in twin beds and some even in separate rooms. That is why there are more Democrats than Republicans." (Government in America textbook, 7:238)

Upon deep reflection I see that we must first return to the days of yesteryear. We must negate the bad and keep the good, then- we must start some intense soul-searching, asking ourselves some hard questions. Questions like what happened to morality? What happened to the traditional Judeo-Christian family values that comprised the very fibers of our great nation? Maybe the president should deliver a state of moral union address too?

We must return to an era when gay meant happy, there was no "political correctness", words like marriage, commitment and perseverance had deep meaning and were as familiar as divorce is today. A time when we knew that these basics helped make us a great nation and rise from 13 Colonies to the USA in just over two centuries. We were founded as a nation of immigrants, a melting pot where all can come in pursuit of the American dream. We must not let a few Liberals change history with their ideas of revisionism or demagogues like David Duke, Pat Buchanan, Michael Levin, Reverends Sharpton, Jackson and Farakkan divide our great nation by manipulating and exploiting bonds that unite us all as Americans.

When slavery was abolished Booker T. Washington became a college professor who rose to dine at the White House with President Grover Cleveland. He did this without berating any one. Unlike Reverend Louis Farakan whose followers sometimes call him master. Lincoln freed the slaves in 1865. No one need call any man master again. United we stand, divided we fall!

When George Washington was sworn in as the first president of our great nation some two centuries ago he placed his hand upon the Bible, standing less than a day’s journey, by horseback from raw, untamed wilderness. There were four million Americans in a union of 13 Colonies. Since then we've pioneered and revolutionized the world with inventions like the train, car and plane, and journeyed to the moon. We stood together as a nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Many feel we need to look back for glory and greatness, but present day America need not. There are many mountains yet to climb. (President Reagan's inaugural address, January 21, 1985)

We must never become a nation that needs to look back for glory. It’s time to renew our faith, strive forward and continue being the greatest nation in the free world. We defeated the 'Evil Empire' and are now the greatest nation on Earth. There is no limit to what we can do in the next 200 years. But first we must stop slipping, and sliding into third worldism, and regain the values that made us this great nation.

This is not the time to rest. We can meet the challenges and create a future worthy of our past. But, we cannot do it alone, we need God as our copilot and Commander-in-Chief to help guide us in making the hardest, most demanding and rewarding decisions we will be called upon to do in life: the right ones. The choice is ours!