Two articles from BarbWire contributor John Kirkwood:
Illinois’ Vichy Republicans: Tea Party Sell Out and Pro-Life Surrender
An excerpt:
Imagine if you would, you are an abolitionist. You hate slavery, you write against it, you give speeches against it, and you give your money and your time to express the horror of slavery to your indifferent neighbors, and to counsel those who have been scarred by the inhuman institution. Then imagine that the two biggest slave owners in the state, let’s call them Pat and Bruce, were running for Governor against each other. Would you vote for one over the other because one was better on taxes? Would you vote for one over the other for a bribe, large or small? Would you vote for Bruce over Pat if he promised to not work, whip, or sell his slaves on Sundays? What kind of a man, what kind of a person would you be, if you did?
One of the silver linings of this election, however, is that it has helped to separate the wheat from the chaff. If Pro-Life groups bowed down to Baal when there was virtually no pressure involved what will they do when true persecution comes?
Friends, if you are trying to decide just who is worthy of your support going forward, I’d suggest you pay attention to those groups who had a backbone and those who waved the white flag. To those who faltered: Not one more dime, not another minute of my time!
It has been disappointing to see some of my colleagues, well-meaning though they may be, lay down their arms. Though there are many in Illinois who haven’t tapped out on the fundamental issue of our day. Jim Finnegan, David Avignone, and Tommie Romano are among them and I’m sure that there are many others.
Read the entire article: BarbWire.com
The One Issue Voter
Entrenched evil will always deride the one-issue voter. As of late, I’ve been shocked to find that many in my own Republican Party are doing the same.
In modern times the “one issue voter” is a pejorative for “pro-lifers.” Imagine that! The Whigs died and the Republicans were born on one issue: the difference or indifference of a party toward the value of a human life. The Republican Party was born as an opposition party with one issue in mind – slavery.
At the time, if you cared more about the economy than justice you’d be a Whig or a Democrat. Fiscal conservatives in the 19th century perpetuated slavery. To some this was unacceptable and they were called one issue voters.
Make no mistake about it, there are elections and races that reduce us all to one issue voters. Try to infringe on the Second Amendment and you’ll find that constitutional conservatives are all one issue voters. Fiscal conservatives too are one issue voters and that one issue is the love of money.
A tea party leader in Illinois was deriding my stance against Bruce Rauner in the Governor’s race and made the point that out of the hundreds of people that he talks to when he’s canvassing in the street, “not one of them brings up abortion as their main issue!” A point well taken, and I believe him, but we should take away two things from that truth.
First, a poll never determines right or wrong and should never be the bellwether of our priorities. And secondly, we as Americans have grown so comfortable, worn out, and jaded about the death of 4,000 innocent children a day that we would prefer to argue over taxes, pensions, and education. When the trains roll by, we just sing a little louder.
Read more: BarbWire.com
