Cherry's Blog

"The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." Hosea 14:9b

Friday, June 25, 2004

Odd Concerns for a Republican

As one who considers herself a truly compassionate conservative, I hold views somewhat adrift of the mainstream Republican platform. That's a shame, because there is no reason why Republicans shouldn't embrace the following issues by responding compassionately. That doesn't mean more legislation, but it does mean we shouldn't keep looking the other way.

o Poor farm workers who must work with toxic pesticides day-in/ day-out
o Pollution
o Overuse/ Dependence on Fossil Fuels
o Endangered Species
o Mistreatment of Animals

I don't know what to do about pesticides. I don't want bugs in my apples, but I can't stand the thought of the poor (often immigrant) workers who must breathe in toxins all day and become sick as a result.

But there are things Republicans can do about the environment. That's a God-given task, not a Democratic mandate. We shouldn't let Democrats "have" this issue. We care about the environment; we don't go out chopping trees or poaching zebras for the fun of it (although shows like Captain Planet try to pretend we do).

There are other issues Republicans don't address, but I think it's time we try to be truly compassionate, even if it means working together with Democrats.

Hypocritical

Clinton administration noticed an Al Qaeda/Iraq link too.