Ah, Republicans. A consistent breed. They tout themselves as those who want to shrink the government and let capitalism run free as the wild cheetah. They want less taxes, less shouldering of health care costs, less banking regulations, less gun regulations (what an asinine stance)…but what’s that? What do I hear? Speak up.
Oh my god! Is that really true?! Republicans actually want a whole mess of regulations and laws? About what? Holy crap, they want to slap a whole bunch of regulations on those things they have no business doing so: intelligent design instruction in science classrooms, gay rights, and abortion.
I know that this is not exactly a new issue, but it ceases to amaze me. Just a few days ago, the nutjob Michelle Bachmann said this about intelligent design being taught in schools: “I support intelligent design. What I support is putting all science on the table and then letting students decide. I don't think it's a good idea for government to come down on one side of scientific issue or another, when there is reasonable doubt on both sides.” So many problems, where to begin? First, intelligent design theory is not science. Period. It is not a testable theory like evolution is testable. Evolution can be scientifically disconfirmed whereby intelligent design theory cannot. Second, reasonable doubt is not equal when one theory is a scientific theory and the other theory is philosophical/religious. Whatever doubt each may have would be of different kinds – thus they cannot even be compared using the same standard, much less a scientific standard. Third, and this is the main point here, Bachmann is taking her flawed, religious view and applying them to the masses under the guise of science. She believes that her religious view should be taught to everyone as a viable scientific option for people to consider. If she were to become president, that kind of position amounts to a huge government hand in our science education, a hand that just reeks of violating the separation of church and state. So when Bachmann says, “I would prefer that students have the ability to learn all aspects of an issue. And that's why I believe the federal government should not be involved in local education to the most minimal possible process,” she is actually doing the exact opposite. She would be legislating her religious beliefs to all. If she really wanted to stay out of local education, THEN STAY OUT OF LOCAL EDUCATION. Be a consistent Republican for god’s sake!
Gay rights. Again, this is fundamentally a religious issue. Republicans overwhelmingly do not want to grant the same rights to the LGBTQ community as heterosexual people enjoy. Why? Because apparently the Bible says so. And thus we have another instance where Republicans take a religious view and try to legislate it to everyone else. If Republicans were consistent and constitutional, they would heed the separation of church and state and refrain from making laws discriminating against LGBTQ folks. Case closed.
Abortion. Another religious issue. If there were ever an issue where government just needs to keep its hands off of people, it is with abortion. The moral status of an embryo or a fetus is such an unsettled issue that I cannot fathom why people insist on wanting laws governing what women can and cannot do with their bodies. The only argument I have heard from Republicans that the unborn child is definitely a full-blown person worthy of the same exact rights as anyone else is a religious argument. They’ll spout the ever popular Bible verse, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.” (Jeremiah 1:5) And, yes. That is supposed to be God speaking. A clear violation of church and state, and a clear instance of Republicans wanting to impose legislation where it would seem they should be against it.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not pro-abortion; I’m only pro-choice. I don’t think abortion is the healthiest thing for women. But IT’S NOT MY CALL. It’s not right for me to legislate my personal values on someone else’s body. Likewise, it is wrong for government to intervene here when there is absolutely no consensus on whether abortion is right or wrong. When there is consensus, then let’s talk, but otherwise, gov’t get out. All Republicans should be pro-choice if they really believed that there should be less government.
So don’t give me that crap that Republicans are the champions of less government. If you buy that, then I have a flying pig to sell you. For some weird reason, Republicans have a whole bunch of religious views they are just dying to legislate on you.
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