The republican's conference in New Orleans Thursday brought out some of their so called heavy hitting speakers whose rhetoric represented their ditto head right wing ideology that they continue to preach to their base. The New Orleans Advocate reported some comments of their speakers, but as usual there was nothing reported about what they and their party stand for.
Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame came out and preached about the bible and guns. Both have been around much longer than he and will still be around long after he kicks the bucket, but it is a conservative staple. Rob Maness, republican candidate for the U.S. Senate said we cling to our guns and religion. I guess he believes that is the only qualification to be a U.S. Senator.
Paul Hollis, another republican candidate for the U.S. Senate called for a balanced budget and term limits. Another ditto head statement that his party has no record of doing in the last 50 years. And of course, Louisiana's governor Bobby Jindal told his audience the left wants to silence religious liberty.
As a Catholic and gun owner for over 40 years no one has silenced my religion or taken away my gun. When I bought my weapon over 40 years ago I could not take it home until the New Orleans Police Department ran a check on me and then I picked it up a few days later. I don't remember if the NRA was around then or not. If they were they were not very vocal politically like they are today. The people should remember gun violence was not a problem then, but it is now even though the NRA is very vocal and active. That should tell the people something.
Guns, religion and prayer is all the conservative republicans have to offer the people today. They talk about our fore fathers attitude toward religion but have forgotten that our fore fathers did not use religion or prayer as an issue to divide the country. Religion and prayer is something that comes from the heart and can be practiced any time and any place. No one can take that away and contrary to what the republicans would like you to believe, no one is trying.
As President Clinton has said many times over, the only way Republicans can win elections is by dividing the people. It may work sometimes, but it failed as recent as the last republican administration in Washington. And that really says it all.
This commentary written by John Lucia
