Unwinding after a very long night (and before I start working again), so I’m reading the 2000 Texas Republican Party Platform. Note, this is not a good way to unwind, unless you are a wing-nut religious psycho who hates the Constitution. Actually, there’s a lot that I can agree with in here, but enough sheer lunacy to make you cringe (realizing these people are in power). Some highlights:
- The Party calls for the United States monetary system to be returned to the gold standard. [hmm, still undecided on how nutty this is]
- We believe the environment is best served by individuals working in their own best interest. [Oh, wow. This has apparently worked wonders in Texas]
- the Clinton-Gore administration’s concept of “sustainable development” [yes, Bush’s policy of “unsustainable regression” looks like it’s been much more successful; thanks for the largest deficit evar!]
- Opposes: the theory of global warming and the Kyoto Agreement [ahh blissful ignorance of reality will make it all better]
- Opposes: Senate ratification of the Biodiversity Treaty and any its subsets of international authority over United States’ resources
- Opposes: the Endangered Species Act as currently authorized and its implementation as a land use control document
- Opposes: the Wildlands Project, Border 21, the World Heritage Treaty, and the United Nations BioReserve program
- Opposes: the vast acquisition of Texas land by conservancy groups and government agencies, which potentially reduces the local tax base
- Opposes: EPA management of Texas. air quality issues [they’ve been doing such a great job themselves]
- We urge the immediate passage by the Texas Legislature the “Defense of Marriage Act”, which would deny recognition by Texas of homosexual “unions” legitimized by other states or nations.
- Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God… [as opposed to changing truths ordained by God, like womens rights and eating shrimp]
- We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. [discriminate away!]
- The Party believes, as do the vast majority of Texans, that pornography is repulsive, addictive and contributes to deviant criminal behavior. [you hear that? you are eeeeeviil]
- We support a state constitutional amendment that prohibits state or federal regulations imposed on private schools. [discriminate away!]
- We call for the abolition of the U. S. Department of Education and the prohibition of the transfer of any of its functions to any other federal agency.
- Re: Classroom Discipline: Corporal punishment should be used when appropriate and we encourage the legislature to strengthen existing immunity laws, respecting corporal punishment.
- We support a character education curriculum and a program based upon biblical principles upon which our nation and state law system were founded. [and here I thought we were children of the Enlightenment]
- We support individual teachers. right to teach creation science in Texas public schools. […and on the 8th day God created the Remington bolt action rifle to hunt the dinosaurs… and the homo-sexuals]
- The Party supports amendment of the Americans with Disabilities Act to exclude from its definition those persons with infectious diseases, substance addiction, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders…
- The Party calls upon Texas legislators to prohibit reproductive health care services or counseling in or through the public schools.
- We support the parents. right to choose which vaccines are administered to their minor children.
- Re: Homeless/Poverty: The Party encourages private groups to use their own creativity and initiative to explore private alternatives to government assistance.
- Re: Social Security: The Party supports an orderly transition to a system of private pensions based on the concept of individual retirement accounts
- We support fundamental tax reform, including such measure as cutting individual tax rates, the elimination of the marriage penalty tax and the death (inheritance) tax, and elimination of capital gains and corporate income taxes.
- The Party calls on our Texas legislators to resist any efforts to make Worker.s Compensation mandatory for all Texas employers.
- The Party believes the minimum wage law should be repealed.
- (4) support the technological development of environmentally safe uses of coal for our national energy needs. [this is… stupendous]
- The Party continues to encourage and support… …2) the immediate funding and development of the Strategic Defense Initiative … 4) the abandonment of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
- The Party believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership in, as well as all financial and military contributions to, the United Nations.
- We support re-establishing United States control over the [Panama] Canal…
(Note, there’s a lot of Christianity talk scattered about this thing as well, but honestly now, have they read the Consititution? No mention of Jesus or God anywhere in there. Have they read the Bill of Rights?)
That being said, it would be nice if Bush/DeLay and folks would have actually put their money where there mouth was in fiscal responsibility, the balanced budget, waste and fraud in gov’t contracts, unfunded mandates. Oh yeah, and “the election of a conservative Republican president who supports the constitution and the sovereignty of the United States.” Hah, boy did they get that one wrong.