Jeremy Keil

10/1/02

Editorial #1 - Political Parties

Since this is my first editorial, let me lay down my personal ground rules. I don't swear, so don't expect a lot of expletives. I don't use racial slurs except in direct quotes, which will be rarely used. After all, this is supposed to be my opinions, not someone else's, right? I absolutely will NOT apologize for offending someone. I've tried to put my opinions down in the bluntest way possible, and if it offends you even when toned down, that's your fault, not mine. I don't get easily offended, and there's no excuse for you to be so. And finally, I absolutely will not tolerate flames. You can agree or disagree all you want, and you can even send me an editorial of how you feel, but flaming will get your address blocked. So if you're going to tell me what you think, please be smart about it. I expect the same of myself, and if I violate any of my ground rules, I will be quick to apologize and either amend the error or remove the offending editorial. And now, the true topic of this editorial…

Political parties: big mistake. They try to make you think as if it just naturally happened that there were political parties, but that just isn't true. Political parties came about because of a major faux pas on the part of the public. "Professor Jeremy" is here to give you a history lesson on exactly how political parties came to be and why they are a huge mistake. Oh, and for the record: I'm a registered independent, and when the first election I can participate in comes up, you bet your tail I'm going to be there. (Independents can't vote in partisan primaries, but that is how I prefer it.)

Let's take a trip back in time, shall we? The time is 1791, and the United States' first President, George Washington, is giving his Farewell Address. Listen carefully, and you can hear him giving some sort of warning. What against? Political parties. Unbelievably, one of our Founding Fathers foresaw this canyon threatening to rip apart our country. Ever more unbelievable is the fact that in the very next election, the one that would determine Washington's successor, the country had already splintered into two parties: the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. It's very ironic that Washington's warning went in one ear and out the other, but it's also one of the most dangerous mistakes America had ever made. Now, instead of only two political parties, there are five, six, or maybe more. All of them are like each of the others, but will different ideals.

All of the parties are similar in that they all have "agendas". The difference is in what their agendas are. For example, the Republicans are seen as conservative, while the Democrats are more liberal. For the most part, all of the modern political parties are either liberal or conservative. I do not so much straddle the fence as tear it down in front of me as I go. Unfortunately, it's usually rebuilt right behind me…but I digress. I agree with the conservatives on some issues and the liberals on others, but there are a great many issue on which I think they're both wrong. If I could remember them offhand, I'd go into them, but let's just say there are people in the different parties that I think are okay. But most everyone else is a lemming, doing what their party's leaders tell them to do and believing what the leaders tell them to believe. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is suppression of free thought. Not everyone is such a blind lemming; however, blind loyalty is more common than you think.

As said before, I cannot stand suppression of free thought. I am a registered independent because I want to vote by what I think and feel is right and not by someone else's definition. If more people stand up against the parties and say, "I will not be a lemming", then maybe this country will realize that maybe, just maybe, ol' George was right in warning us against the hell that is partisan politics.