Me and the RNC

I received a fundraising letter from the Republican National Committee yesterday - or more properly, from Mike Retzer, the Treasurer of the RNC - asking why the have yet to receive my membership renewal for this year.

To my knowledge, I have never contributed to the RNC. The closest I've gotten is paying for cable from RCN. But for the past few years, I've been receiving emails, and lately snail mail, from the reds. This latest letter begins, "I don't want to believe you've abandoned the Republican Party, but I have to ask ... Have you given up?"

I felt it was only fair to reply. So instead of a contribution, I sent this letter.

Dear Mike,

Thanks for your letter. But I'm sorry to inform you that I have given up on the Republican Party.

For years, I put up with the Party's views on abortion, even though I felt the issue was beneath us, and that it contradicted our belief in individual responsibility. I disagreed with the War on Drugs, but let it pass, even though it was so obviously a waste of tax dollars, because I supported the Party's approach to crime in general. Time and again, when our leaders proposed measures I found pointless, I stayed the course, with a belief that the underlying rationale was sensible.

I no longer find that to be the case.

I cannot support this Administration. As difficult as this is to admit, I find President Bush to be even more morally vacuous than Bill Clinton. His attempts to mislead us with half truths, obfuscation, and all-out lies are heartbreaking. The passing of Ronald Reagan served to remind me what it was like to have a strong leader with heartfelt beliefs who spoke his mind without fear. In his shadow, the current Administration appear no greater than a gang of thugs.

In your letter, you write of "President's Bush's agenda of cutting taxes, strengthening homeland and national defense, and improving education." These issues are all important to me. But we cannot defend ourselves and cut taxes at the same time. I am willing to make sacrifices in time of war, as I believe are most Americans. Tempting us with lower taxes at a time when every dollar counts is shameful. Our educational system is in a shambles. As a university educator, I am confronted daily with students who are ill equipped for higher education. But the writing and reasoning skills they need will not be improved by the type of testing this Administration supports. Basic skill building - the hard work you and I did in school 30 or 40 years ago - is what is missing from the classroom today. Not more standardized testing.

Noticeably absent from your letter is any mention of homosexual marriage, which is a "hot topic" right now. The Party's focus on this issue, like that of abortion, is embarrassing to me. Do we truly have nothing more pressing to consider than whether or not homosexuals can marry? I understand the President's need to pander to the lowest common denominator of his base, but I find it repellent.

I have not made any final decisions about how I intend to vote in November. While I am not a supporter of Mr. Kerry, I do find that he has a gravitas sorely missing in our candidate. When November comes, I may simply not vote. The prospect saddens me.

I don't expect you to see this letter. I imagine some volunteer, seeing it contains no contribution, will throw it away. But if we lose power this Autumn, it will be because of people like me, who mourn the loss of true Republican ideals, and are too disillusioned to vote.

Thank you,

John Bliss
Chicago, IL