Here is Dave Smith writing at Illinois Family Action:
Some Illinois Republicans want to stay away from “controversial” issues. They think that removing the traditional marriage plank will somehow help liberal Republicans who are “hurt” by the platform in their swing districts. First, if they think that they are going to avoid controversy by removing this important plank, they are woefully wrong. Secondly, the Illinois GOP has its fair share of RINOs elected to office, who are the source of the problem at hand; but clearly demonstrating that liberal Republicans can win with the current state platform.
There is no upside for the Illinois Republican Party to water down the social issues in the platform. On the contrary, it will only result in a massive fight at the convention and disunity among Republicans. Social conservatives do the lions share of grass roots work in Illinois and watering down the platform will make them less inclined to work hard for candidates running for office. It may even cause some conservatives to abandon some Republican Party candidates in protest. And it will definitely compel more voters to stay home during elections — hurting Republicans at every level on the ballot.
The best option is to leave the platform as it is written and as it was approved just four short years ago.
…
Laurie Higgins has some great suggestions for the Illinois GOP Platform Committee:
- Include a plank defending an expansive view of religious liberty, a plank that echoes the language, meaning, and intent of the First Amendment.
- Add a plank that espouses the view that objective, immutable sex supersedes subjective feelings about sex in all sex-segregated areas in which private, personal activities take place, including but not limited to restrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, showers, shelters, and hospital rooms.
- Oppose any changes that weaken the Republican platform on its unequivocal opposition to abortion, including opposition to abortion in the case of rape, incest, or the “health” of the mother. The product of conception between two humans is a human with a right to continued existence.
- Oppose any platform changes that would espouse the view that “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” should be protected categories in anti-discrimination laws or policies.
- Oppose any platform changes that would espouse support for the view that sex-segregated facilities in which personal and private actions take place should be open to persons of the opposite sex.
- Oppose any platform changes that would espouse the view that the term “sex” is inclusive of “gender identity” or “gender expression.”
Read more: Illinois Family Action
Image credit: www.illinoisfamilyaction.org.
