I Know Why the Caged Elephant Sings

Today we return to the political realm for commentary, because we have been reminded recently of why we choose the Republican party as our political home. So, now for thoughts from the leader of the Chuckonian Federation...
I am a Republican and not ashamed to admit it. I find joy in knowing that others share my political party and many of my views. I also honor and respect my brethren on the other side of the aisle who wear a different idealogical brand and disagree with me on many things. One cannot survive without its counterpart. Unfortunately, some individuals on both sides take a "right vs. wrong" or "only us vs. only them" approach to politics. This is a destructive attitude in the American system of governement, as it clouds our ability to see truly beneficial solutions to a wide variety of problems, most of which are developed by a mixing of multiple ideas. As no one person has all the answers, neither does one political party. But, enough about domestic detente. One must also elaborate on his own position.
I had the honor, earlier this week, of attending a dinner here in Memphis featuring the Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, as its keynote speaker. Before the dinner, I also met and spoke with the Governor for a few minutes. My conversation with him and his speech at the banquet reminded me of the kind of Republican that I am (often not the typical conservative). I felt sorry for most of the Shelby Countians there that night, as they are rather well off and have spent much of their lives in that condition and, therefore, did not understand the kind of Republicans with which Gov. Huckabee identified. As great as that is, that is not what put me in the so-called "party of the elite." Governor Huckabee hit the nail on the head when describing his reasons for being a Republican. I felt as if he was speaking for both of us. I'm not a country club Republican, I'm just a country Republican. There was no silver spoon in the way of my first feeding back in '83. If all the stereotypes about Republicans are true, then I must be in the GOP because of what I want rather than what I have. That actually isn't half bad. Did this country not build itself on the desires of its citizens and not their status at the time? Why define ourselves by economic condition, when it is human nature to want more than we have. I think that even Bill Gates deserves to want a little more than he had the day before. It's as human as lust, thirst, hunger, or love. Equally human is the failure to always acquire that which we want immediately. But, now I'm getting overly-philosophical. Let me get a bit more political as we approach the runway of this flight.
Do I want the rich to get richer? Of course. They have every right to. As long as the poor can get richer too. The point here is that anyone, regardless of how much they have at any given time, has the God-given right to work as hard as they can for as much as they want.
Do I want lower taxes? Who doesn't? But, we must adequately fund our government's operations - foremost among them being the education of our youth. Budget cuts are hard to bear, but efficient spending only costs a little more brain-work to manage precious resources and funds.
Do I want the Supreme Court to stop legislating? Definitely. But, I want the Congress to start legislating and stop stalemating so no one else thinks that lawmaking is their job.
I'll get off the high horse now and leave you to ponder these and your own thoughts. Until next time, this is how we see things in Chuckonia...