Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Mess With Texas...

Like many states in 2010, the state of Texas has a number of pressing social, and economic issues that would be worthy of inclusion in the recently released 2010 Texas Republican Party Platform. A few issues that come to mind would be...
  • Every four minutes a student drops out of  Texas Public Schools
  • Texas has the highest percentage of  uninsured children in the United States
  • Texas has over 15 counties with disturbingly  high infant mortality rates.
  • The  current  unemployment rate in Texas is  8.l%
  • Texas has four of the top ten U.S. cities with the  highest rates for home foreclosures  (Austin, San Antonio, Dallas & Houston)
So with all  these issues to choose from,  what do you think the  Texas GOP decided was the most pressing threat to the  good people of  their state?    Why,  Gay  Marriage of course...  What  else??   (via the Huffington Post)
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Texas Republicans recently unveiled a policy platform that includes a statement of support for legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples as well as for an official to perform a marriage ceremony for gay partners wishing to wed.
The 25-page proposal debuted last week as a guiding light for the state GOP over the next two years defines its position by saying:
Marriage Licenses - We support legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony for such.
The proposal from Republicans in the Lone Star state makes the following claims related to the party's view of homosexuality:
  • "We believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases."
  • "Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have beenordained by God, recognized by our country's founders, and shared by the majority of Texans."
  • "Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable "alternative" lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should "family" be redefined to include homosexual "couples."

The recently rolled-out platform from the Texas GOP has also come under scrutiny for advocating to outlaw all "sexually-oriented businesses" -- including strip clubs and "all pornography" -- while allowing virtually unrestricted access to oil and gas drilling.
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So it looks like  the  Texas GOP is finally going to  close the "Chicken Ranch!"


And  just to make sure  the  next  generation  of  Texans aren't exposed to any dangerous "facts"  the Texas State Board of Education  has decided to revise some of their textbooks to better reflect  their own peculiar Texan perspective.



Of course this isn't the first time the Republicans in Texas have entertained the rest of us with their adorable home-spun eccentricity. Let us not forget the annual call by the Texas GOP for their state to secede from the union.



Now all this would be funny if this was just some fringe group of nutjobs or random postings on Sarah Palin's facebook page. But stuff like this is part of the official platform of a State Republican Party. Even more interesting is the window this gives us on the post- BP oil spill strategy of the national GOP going into this November. 


When you can't campaign as being FOR anything, except really stupid ideas and failed policies,  you do the next best thing. You pick something really scary you can run AGAINST.  Because over the eight years of the Bush-Cheney Administration the GOP cried wolf so often with "Terror Alerts" and totally failed to catch Osama Bin Laden, they can't really play the "Terrorism Card" anymore.   Also more than a few Republicans have recently figured out that scapegoating Hispanics by using the scary "illegal immigrants" card is just a great way to piss off millions of Hispanic American Voters.

So what's left? Oh yeah...The Gays
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It just gets  clearer and clearer every day,   The Republicans have lost their minds...

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