As a proud American and Texan, I am appalled by the platitudes declared in the new Texas GOP platform. The Texas Republican Party has reached a new low this year. This time, they have taken a jackhammer to the very foundation of our country and our freedoms.
The political party that claims to represent patriotism and American values above all else has fallen into the vices of far-right extremism, proving that they value their political power above the sanctity and preservation of the United States of America.
In the 53-page document, the Texas Republican party outlined their blatant attack on our democracy, not even bothering to veil their far-right ideology. The platform calls for a repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting through poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation at the polls. Proceeding with their anti-American tirade, the document refers to the president as “acting President” and claims that President Biden “was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.” The platform even goes as far as to urge for a referendum vote in 2023 to determine “whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation,” ringing the alarm bells for secession.
While the idea of repealing the Voting Rights act of 1965, undermining a fair and free election, and seceding from the United States all seem certifiably insane and probably will not result in enacted results, the unfathomable extremism displayed by the Texan GOP shows just how radicalized the Republican Party has become.
The party that was once led by President Lincoln, who fought tooth and nail to keep the union together, is now the party calling for secession. The party that claims to fight for adherence to the Constitution, is now obliterating the separation between the Church and state by declaring their support for “prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments being returned to our schools, courthouses, and other government buildings.” I guarantee Lincoln and our founding fathers are rolling in their graves, after hearing their words and their country defaced and trashed by the Texas Republicans.
The Texas GOP spent 3 days undermining America’s enshrined values – the right to vote without discriminatory inhibition (codified through a bill signed by a president from Texas, as they conveniently forgot), our democratic principles, and our very unity as a nation.
Seemingly everyday I am reminded of Ben Franklin’s potent words spoken 235 years ago. When asked what kind of government the founders had created, he responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” This struggle is not one between Republicans and Democrats. The choice is no longer between conservatives and liberals. It is a battle waged between liberty and tyranny, a battle for democracy and freedom.
They have attacked our country’s fortified values – the very soul of our nation.The Texas Republican party has devolved into an un-American puddle of what it used to be, and it is the duty of true patriots, regardless of party, to fight for our country against these extremist ideologies. At the close of those 3 days, the leaders of the Texas GOP cemented themselves in history as traitors, as the red, white, and blue confetti fell.
