On Wednesday afternoon U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker 
I am a Republican.
Ladies and gentlemen… I am a Republican.
Some of you may groan and some of you may cheer. By the time I am finished, some of you may reverse your position.
I believe in free enterprise. This means true free enterprise without government interference. No unions or any of that nonsense. The strong will survive, the weak will fall, new companies will rise in their place. The system will continue to work, as it has in the past.
I believe in a non-interventionist foreign policy. I believe we have no business in getting involved in wars in which the United States is not directly threatened. This has done us no good in the past, and continues to do no good for us. I am wholeheartedly for crushing anyone who does attack us, though, and leaving them to clean up the mess. I want to withdraw all foreign aid.
I support Israel, which is why I believe the United States should get out of its business. Don’t worry about what Israel does or is done to it. Israel can defend itself. So can the Arab nations. If we get involved in whatever war happens there, where do we stop? What other “helpless innocents” or “allies” (depending on your point of view of that situation) do we need to defend?
I believe religion has no place in government and government has no place in religion. They won’t interfere in your church, don’t try to inject your church into them. We should be tolerant of all religions. If somebody believes in liberty, I don’t care what religion they are. If you are part of a “peaceful” and “loving” religion, then why would you deny someone from another religion the basic rights and opportunities you enjoy?
I believe that love comes in many forms and we should not condemn love that does not conform to our particular view of what love should be. Love should be encouraged and embraced, not used as something else to hate your neighbor over. So long as no one enforces their ideas of love upon another, we should be allowed to love as we want. If that means that a man finds happiness and love in the arms of another man, or a woman with another woman… why should we condemn it? Shouldn’t we be happy that they’ve found some kind of light in this dark world? Do we really need to snuff that light?
I believe in sound money. I want to see the Federal Reserve abolished, and control of our currency back in the hands of the government, where it Constitutionally belongs, and not in the hands of the bankers.
I believe people have a right to keep and bear arms, and should be allowed to use that right responsibly, especially should they need to defend their life or that of their loved ones.
I believe torture is wrong and we should not do it, but harsh interrogation techniques should still be used in gathering information if necessary. But there are lines you don’t cross.
I believe in charitable giving and volunteering, but as an individual’s choice. Nobody should be forced into either, but if you give them the opportunity, they will do both, and far more capably than any government service could do either.
I believe in states’ rights. The states should be considered sovereign and allowed to govern the people living within their borders as they see fit. No sweeping federal mandates, especially any that aren’t necessary.
I believe taxes have become unfair and the current system punishes those who actually work hard. The FairTax system is no better. We do not need the amount of money the government has been spending. We can shut down several programs that aren’t necessary, bring our troops back inside our borders unless they’re fighting a war, and we will save plenty of money that can be returned to its rightful owners: the American taxpayers.
I believe that some drugs are harmful and should be kept off the streets where possible, but at the same time, others which are currently illegal are not as harmful as many which are legal. Legalizing such drugs and turning them into a market would allow the government to tax them as it does tobacco and alcohol, which kill a combined nearly half million people every year in the United States alone. I believe in ending the war on drugs and focusing on intelligent methods of combating severe drug abuse.
I believe in individual rights and responsibilities. I believe we should all enjoy our freedoms and liberty, but understand that with them comes the burden of acting responsibly. Without one, it is hard to have the other. Let’s enjoy these responsibilities and act upon them, rather than seeing them as prison shackles.
I believe all of these things. And for that reason, I have had Republicans attack me for “not being a Republican.” At the same time, those who go only by labels attack me just for being a Republican. But I believe that, when you look at its history and what this party truly stands for, not the nonsense of the last few years but its actual history… I believe these are the views that define the Republican Party at its root. It is about liberty and freedom.
That is what I think about when I display my pins, shirts, and other paraphernalia with the Republican elephant on them. I display this logo proudly for all to see, and dare them to disagree with what I know to be true.
I am a Republican.
Erik Setzer
Last 5 posts by ErikSetzer
- The Liberty Movement: Unite or Die - April 21st, 2010
- On the Position of Organized Medicine and the AMA - April 14th, 2010
- World Turned Upside Down - April 13th, 2010
- Is There Any Integrity Left in Florida? - April 3rd, 2010
- The Case Against John Thrasher - January 18th, 2010
