I wanted to attend the Tax Day Tea Party, but they are holding it at 4 pm. Before the typical workday is over, on a typical workday.

I have always been a registered independent - at first, because I wasn't going to be an R like my parents and a D didn't fit; now because I don't fit anywhere.

Wikipedia lists 5 main political parties in the US.

I could join the Green, Democratic, Constitution, Libertarian, or Republican party. And yet, I can't agree with the platform of any of them.

Is there a prolife conservative party? A party that will secure our borders, but still treat immigrants as people? A party that can see that public education isn't working, but won't throw the baby out with the bathwater? A party that supports parental rights - but protects the rights of children not to be poisoned or drawn and quartered because they are inconvenient, costly, or not up to our standard of perfect? A party that says we should feed disabled people, not starve them; respect their right to refuse treatment, but not kill them?

Greens are rejected because I pretty much disagree with them on everything. Abortion, 2nd Amendment, immigration, taxation, repealing federal anti-drug laws... the list is endless. I'd estimate I'm the polar opposite of a Green party member, even if I do water with gray water, keep the AC off as much as possible, and make my own biodegradable cleaning agents.

Democrats are rejected because of the life issue- and taxes, and universal health care (read: health care rationing). This party has given us Jimmy Carter, the Clintons, the Obamas, Ted Kennedy, Pelosi... it's the party of turncoat Catholics who like to show up on Easter for show but don't actually believe anything the Church teaches.

Still, I do not want a religious party. I reject the Constitution party partly because of their mission - "to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations." Without definition, "Biblical foundations" look like code words for a particular kind of Biblical fundamentalism; a literal biblical interpretation. I'm also not convinced that our Constitution is actually based mainly on Biblical foundations, but more loosely on a general moral code (which does have a basis in the Bible). Many of our Founding Fathers would not pass the Bible Christian test today.

I also disagree with the Constitution Party's platform to repeal the 17th amendment (direct election of Senators, as opposed to the state governor appointing them) and I don't think we should abolish all foreign aid.

I'm not a Libertarian because I reject out of hand the notion that abortion is merely a matter of personal conscience and that the government has no interest or right to regulate marriage. I also think it's a horrible idea to abolish free education (as broken as the public education is, making everyone suddenly pay for their children to attend some sort of private school is not the answer.)

And the Republicans...well, most of them don't seem to be following their platform anymore. The last Republican presidential candidate was McCain- author of the McCain-Feingold Act, restricting American's political speech! Bush gave us No Child Left Behind. Several Republicans have voted for Obama legislation.

All I'm left with are small fringe groups, many relatively new, many without an official platform.

What party are you a member of, and why?

Labels: politics