Conservatives, Rejoice!

Last Friday, Senator John McCain stunned the political world when he announced his running mate for the 2008 election, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Personally, I was hoping the choice would be the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, but after doing some research into Gov. Palin’s record I must admit that I am very impressed with McCain’s decision.

Governor Palin is a conservative with true convictions that has a record of putting principle before party. She is strongly pro-life (even recently giving birth to a son with down’s syndrome instead of having him aborted), a lifetime member of the NRA, a proponent of lower taxes and less government control, in favor of drilling offshore and in ANWR, and does not believe in global warming. Thank God for politicians like this! Politicians that have common sense and use their power to help the people that elected them. Even though I was a supported of John McCain before his VP pick, I am now even more on board the McCain express and am excited for what will take place on the road to the election.

-J. Heffley

Supporting Sen. McCain-Part III- The Right To Life

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.- That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men…

- The Declaration of Independence

The founders of this nation understood that all men have God given rights. Rights that can never be taken away. Governments, made up of laws, are created in order to defend these rights. The most important of these rights is the right to life, and it is the government’s job to make sure that life is preserved. Over the last three decades since Roe vs. Wade, the right to life has been trampled on. This right, being God given, is not an issue that is based on popular opinion but is based on the right of every person, whether they can speak or not, to have the choice of life.

It has been estimated that around 35 million human beings have been killed due to abortion since 1973 with the passing of Roe Vs. Wade. This is not a political issue, this is a moral issue that Americans have to begin standing for.

After the Civil Forum at Saddleback church in California, the nation no longer has any doubt about Senator McCain’s view on abortion. When asked by Pastor Rick Warren what his stance on abortion was, McCain responded, “you will have a pro-life president.” When asked when he thought life began, he firmly and bluntly said, “At conception.” Senator Obama on the other hand said that the question of when life began was above his pay grade.

For America, the choice is clear.

-J. Heffley

Supporting Sen. McCain-Part II- Constitutional Interpretation

“On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted… and instead of trying what meaning can be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.”- President Thomas Jefferson

“I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation. In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitution.”- Constitution Signer James Madison

When the President takes the oath of office, he makes the most important promise to the American people that any politician can give; he promises to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Sadly, we have had Presidents who have not kept this promise.

The Constitution is the most important law in America and protecting it is the highest call of every politician. A candidate’s view on the interpretation of the Constitution is the most important issue of any election. I know there are going to be people who read the last sentence and say that this is not the most important issue of the election; the most important issue is Iraq, the economy, or abortion. I agree that these issues are important, but they are not the most important.

Since its beginnings, America has been synonymous with freedom: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom from government oppression, etc. And if those freedoms are not carefully preserved, then none of the other issues in this election will even matter. What happens if we win the war in Iraq, but end up handing our freedoms over to the government? Will a better economy matter if Americans can no longer speak out against oppression for fear of their lives? Now you may be thinking that I am taking this a little to far. But you would be wrong. Freedom is not an attribute that is passed along in the bloodline: it is an idea that burns withing the hearts of true Americans and must be protected and fought for at all times. And it is up to the people to elect a leader that will do so.

We need to elect a leader who views the Constitution as a law that has been written in stone, with the only meaning being the meaning that was intended by its authors. There are politicians in America today who support the idea that the Constitution can be re-interpreted and changed to serve a political purpose. But when the law of the land is no longer a standard that is unchanging, the American people can say good-bye to the freedoms they know and love. For if the Constitution can be re-interpreted, the law that said you have rights now means nothing at all.

Fortunately for us, Senator McCain has said time and again in his town hall meetings that he is a federalist who will uphold the original meaning of the Constitution. Senator Obama on the other hand, has not given his opinion, why? Well I can not be entirely sure but it may be that he is one of those people who believe the Constitution can be re-interpreted. For Americans, I think the choice is clear.

For all of his flaws, I believe Confucius was right, “When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedoms.”

-J. Heffley

Supporting Sen. McCain-Part I- The Second Amendment

“A Free People… Ought To Be Armed.”- President George Washington

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms within his own hands.”- President Thomas Jefferson

I hold the opinion that the Constitutional Bill of Rights were arranged in order of importance. While the first amendment grants Americans the freedoms that we have come to know and love, the second amendment gives Americans the means to protect those freedoms. For years, I have been a lover of guns and have believed in the individual right of citizens to own firearms for their protection and pleasure. After all, what good is life, liberty, and property if you don’t have the means of keeping and protecting them?

For lovers of history, I think it is good to remind you that Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Muammar Qaddafi all took the guns away from their people so that they would not have the power to revolt against the governments that were oppressing them. This is the most powerful reason for free people to own guns, so that they may be used if government overreaches its boundaries and begins to take away freedom. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

Moving to today’s political scene, it is important to support a candidate who defends the people’s right to bear arms. Unlike Senator Obama, Senator McCain has held a consistent record on protecting the Second Amendment. He voted against the assault weapon ban, supported a bill by Senator David Vitter against confiscation of firearms after emergencies (such as Katrina), and co-sponsored legislation on lifting the DC gun ban.

For proponents of the second amendment, Sen. Obama is usually the person in their nightmares who wakes them up every night. Senator Obama has time and again supported gun bans and gun control laws, both in the Illinois state legislature and in the US Senate. He also supported the DC gun ban, at least until the Supreme Court ruled it as unconstitutional (any surprise there?).

I believe that on this issue, the choice is clear. Senator McCain is not only talking the talk, but has walked the walk: proven by his consistent voting record. This is just one of the reasons why I am putting my support behind Senator McCain. He not only stands for the issues that are important to me, but is truthful about them also.

- J. Heffley: The Reaganite

Who I Support

At the beginning of the election process, I put my support behind a candidate who fit my beliefs perfectly. Sadly, that person is not longer in the race. Now Senator McCain is the presumptive candidate and at first, I was extremely skeptical. I was one of those people who was complaining that he was too liberal for the Republican party.

But after I started being honest with myself, I found that there is a lot more common ground between me and Senator McCain than I originally thought. Sure, I don’t agree with him on every issue, but I do agree with him on all the issues that matter, and if most conservatives were honest with themselves, I think they would agree.

The most important issues of this election, are all issues that Senator McCain has excellent positions on: the second amendment, the supreme court, foreign policy, and fiscal responsibility. On all of these issues, without exception, Senator McCain has shown that he is the choice for conservatives (Yes, even more so than Bob Barr).

In my study of Senator McCain, he has proven himself to be the man this country needs at this time in history. Expect future posts not only about his positions on key issues, but explanations on why they are the right positions.

- The Reaganite

My Name

I chose the name Reaganite not only because this blog is centered around politics, but because President Reagan is my hero. Not only did he do wonders for this country, but he had policies that were not focused around what the republican party believed but were focused around a set of beliefs.

Principle over party.

Political parties can change, and so can their beliefs; but a fixed set of principles will never change. As for my political views, my devotion is to the truth. To that set of principles that make sense. I believe that government should be fiscally responsible, I believe that the Constitution is a document that is “written in stone,” meaning that it should only be interpreted with the same intent in which it was written. It is not a living document and should never be treated that way. I believe in the power of the individual, and the right of individuals to choose their own path in life.

I believe in freedom. Freedom of press, speach, assembly. Freedom to choose the religion you want, and freedom to exercise that belief. I believe that every life has value, from the unborn infant to the old man living down the road in the nursing home. I believe that every citizen has the individual right to keep and bear arms. I believe in order and the rule of law. I believe in a strong national defense and think that the greatest way to preserve peace is to prepare for war.

These are the beliefs that define me.

-The Reaganite