I am a Republican because...

[GloriaInEleusis]

So many people seem to have a interpretation of Republicans that is no to me at all what we stand for. So, I'm copying this here in hopes that it might educate a few people.

I am a Republican Because...

I BELIEVE the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person's dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored.

I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.

I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.

I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs least.

I BELIEVE the most effective, responsible and responsive government is government closest to the people.

I BELIEVE Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times.

I BELIEVE Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.

FINALLY, I believe the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.

Paula, I really sympathise that's why I posted here. If I was American, I would feel deeply offended by this common place assumption that all americans are idiots or loonies.

Believe me most of us are not flippantly anti american, we are just bemused (often in an affectionate way) at the way you americans speak your minds so candidly.

Thanks Slim

paula, how do you calculate that Americans are the most generous in the world? I am not being confrontational, just wondered how that opinion was arrived at. thanks

news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2714116.ece

thanks for that. i've been having one of those philosophical moments where i think the bigger gift comes from those who are less able to give.

just that i've lived in the 3rd world and seen how other countries take in proportionately large amounts of fairly destitute refugees. with little internal and external help to cope with it.

I don't have the excat numbers to hand but I believe that the US takes in around 10,000 refugees a year. This may not seem like a lot but these refugees get permanent settlement in the US.

The sad fact is around 1 out of 170 people in the world are refugees. Most of these will return to their own country when the situation in their country settles down. The US does not border most of these countrys and it would be logistically very difficult to transport back and forth so many refugees. As I said before the American people give loads of money to many 3rd world causes which hopefully helps improve the situation for refugees or helps improve the situation in their country so that they may return.

sorry exact

I have just skim-read the whole thread and can't find anyone saying all Americans are uneducated, not intelligent, or "loonies".

Slim or Paula, could you point out where Americans were thus offended on this thread?

Wendy just last night (although to be fair she did backtrack a bit) suggested that most Americans couldn't point out most countries to you on a map for instance. Those sorts of comments are insulting and untrue

Being Native American myself I have to say I did think it was a bit racist

I believe Wendy also said that she lived in US for several years, so I doubt if her understanding of Americans' geographical knowledge can be considered a prejudice.

It sounded to me like she was talking about something she actually witnessed.

Anyhow, neither Wendy nor anyone else here said all Americans are 'uneducated', 'loonies', 'idiots', 'not intelligent'. So why are you offended and why was slim 'sympathising'?

If everybody agrees that Americans at large are not being attacked or insulted, can we now go back to ridiculing the OP?

ISawSanta - Just trying to say the word "American" is being used here on this thread to talk about "citizen of US".

You can bang on how offensive this is to the native Indian population from here to eternity, and still it won't change the fact that these days when anyone says "American", they are NOT talking about your native ancestors.

Paula's native ancestors, rather.

So just to be clear you are standing by your racist comment

you know when you look out of your window on a gloomy saturday morning feeling pretty mellow and full of the joys of the season and then you see something really weird....a woman with a big massive shovel standing in a massive hole and digging it deeper, thinking that she thinks she is doing something other than burying herself. it is a surreal sight...that's what reading the OP was like.

PMSL

NB, re American generous giving to charity (from paula's link):

My italics. AFAIK it also applies to eg donations of used items to charity shops.

So What, they are still donating huge amouts of moey f to charity. How ca you complain about that!!!

santa, that is true but these great gaps exist in every country - take britain in the 1950's, a mining village had nothing in common with the aristocracy, culturewise.

I think these gaps between teh culture of us immigrants look smaller if you are outside the us, and you can see what they have in common, rather than what divides them.

The States is certainly fascinating. Whilst it's often been argued that multi-culturalism doesn't entirely work, (detractors often point to LA as an example), it's certainly true that to an outsider, a person's Americanism is more relevant than their ethnicity.

I'm not sure that's really true of anywhere else in the world.

Yes Desi, I'm quite in awe of this typically confident way americans have of happily displaying their "americanism".

Other nationalities do it, but no one as merryly and confidently.