McLean County Times

In many of my recent columns, I have focused on what Democrats favor. It has been pretty much everything Republicans oppose. So, voters have plenty of good reasons NOT to vote for Democrats. But what are the reasons for voters to support Republicans? With this column, I’m making the first of several efforts to explain what Republicans stand for. I will explain why our candidates deserve your financial support and vote.

Most Republican candidates will agree with the following list of ways to make life better, more hopeful, and freer for every citizen:

Putting Americans first. What does this entail? Putting Americans first involves a commitment to advancing the American people’s interests, well-being, and prosperity while upholding the values of democracy, freedom, and equality that define the nation. More specifically, here are a few of the many things that will occur when Americans come first: prioritizing citizen welfare, protecting jobs and wages, enhancing national security, preserving American identity and culture, fostering economic growth and prosperity, addressing inequality and disparities, and promoting civic engagement and participation.

Placing criminals in jail. Demanding law and order and prosecuting criminals on our streets contribute to safer, more just, and prosperous communities where individuals can thrive and fulfill their potential. Many benefits are associated with these actions: enhancing public safety, reducing crime, getting justice for victims, maintaining social order, allowing for community investment and economic development, and preserving democratic values. 

Ending illegal immigration. Legal immigration has many benefits. It fosters economic growth, cultural diversity, and innovation. It addresses labor shortages, supports social security systems, and promotes global talent exchange. Legal pathways ensure immigrants contribute to society, respect laws, and integrate smoothly, enhancing national development and multicultural enrichment. While illegal immigration also provides some benefits, it does not protect jobs, ensure national security, preserve our culture, reduce strain on public services, and address economic concerns.

Upholding the Constitution. Upholding the Constitution is essential for protecting individual rights, maintaining the rule of law, preserving democracy, and promoting stability, prosperity, and freedom for all members of society. By upholding our Constitution through the rule of law, we protect individual rights, maintain an orderly and properly regulated society, maintain checks and balances, improve stability and predictability, guarantee the preservation of democracy, and protect against government tyranny.

Limiting Government Power: We must end the weaponization of federal and state agencies against law-abiding Americans. We must end “lawfare,” which uses the justice system against those who dissent from the government’s viewpoints. Ending the weaponization of government agencies against law-abiding Americans helps uphold democratic principles, protect civil liberties, and preserve the integrity of government institutions, fostering a more just and equitable society. Limiting government power ensures the protection of civil liberties, restoration of trust in government, preservation of political neutrality, prevention of the abuse of power, protection of due process rights, and promotion of accountability and transparency.

Teaching children the Three Rs. We must eliminate federal money for education because it always comes with strings attached. It’s always a matter of a quid pro quo, this for that. The federal government is mainly behind the DEI programs and CRT curriculums that are corrupting our culture and poisoning the minds of America’s children. Promoting local control, reducing bureaucracy and regulation, encouraging innovation, promoting fiscal responsibility, protecting equity concerns, protecting educational freedom, addressing constitutional concerns, fostering competition and accountability, and reducing dependency on federal aid are all benefits of a back-to-the-basics approach to education. 

Getting the government off our backs. We need to get the government bureaucracy off the backs of working Americans. Keeping government bureaucracy off the backs of working Americans promotes efficiency, innovation, freedom, and personal responsibility, fostering an environment where individuals can thrive and pursue their aspirations without undue interference from the government. Reducing government overreach increases efficiency, lowers compliance costs, fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, promotes individual freedom, encourages personal responsibility, and protects privacy and civil liberties.

Establishing energy independence. Reestablishing energy independence can offer a range of economic, security, environmental, and technological benefits that contribute to our nation’s long-term prosperity and sustainability. Energy independence means protecting national security, improving economic stability, job creation, and economic growth. It can provide environmental benefits by allowing our nation to produce and use its energy in more environmentally friendly ways than many foreign energy producers. Supporting our energy production allows for innovation and technological advancement that might not happen in foreign nations.

Reducing the influence of Big Tech and Big Pharma. Big Tech’s negative influences include privacy violations through extensive data collection, monopolistic practices stifling competition, spreading misinformation, contributing to mental health issues via addictive designs, and exploiting gig workers. Big Pharma’s negative impacts involve high drug prices and patent manipulation, contributing to the opioid crisis through aggressive marketing, exerting undue influence on healthcare practices, prioritizing profit over critical research, and engaging in unethical clinical trials and misleading marketing. Both sectors necessitate greater regulation and ethical oversight to mitigate these concerns. By ending government collusion, we will protect our free speech rights, preserve democratic values, promote innovation and competition, encourage and safeguard minority voices, prevent the tyranny of government authoritarianism, and restore trust in our nation’s institutions.

Cutting government spending. We must restore faith in the American dollar by reducing wasteful government programs. Cutting government spending and restoring trust in the American dollar can contribute to a healthier, more stable economy, protect the financial well-being of individuals and businesses, and bolster the country’s position in the global marketplace. Cutting government tax-and-spend policies will promote fiscal responsibility, strengthen the economy, lower interest rates, protect purchasing power, reduce dependence upon foreign investors, encourage confidence and certainty, and preserve our international standing.

Holding the line on taxes. There is no question that Americans in general and Illinoisans in particular are among the most taxed people in the world. Holding the line on taxes can contribute to a stable and prosperous economy by promoting growth, investment, competitiveness, and fiscal discipline while also protecting the financial well-being of individuals and businesses. Holding the line on taxes will Promote economic development, encourage saving and investment, foster competitiveness, protect disposable income, promote fiscal discipline, support small businesses, and preserve taxpayer confidence.

-----

Our forefathers founded America on the timeless idea that all men are created equal and endowed with the God-given, unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Moreover, they believed that the government existed solely to secure those rights and that its power was derived from the people's consent. From these principles flow the freedoms that have made the American dream possible. These are the things that Republicans still believe in. The progressive Left? Not so much, though they will pay lip service to these values. Just remember, actions speak louder than words. We know the Democrats by their fruits. That party has been put in the balance and found wanting. Be sure you vote in support of Republican values and candidates during this autumn’s election.