M odern P atriot C hronicles

Vol.VIII - August 29, 2002
Craig Dawkins

"Oklahoma Conservative Values"
Barry Goldwater the Libertarian
The 11 th Commandment and the Corporation Commission Race
Will Free Speech Become a Victim of Terror?
Can Voters Trust Tony Lauinger and Oklahomans For Life, Inc. Surveys?
Silly Misleading Polls

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Oklahoma Conservative Values"

"Oklahoma conservative values" is a mantra that was chanted over and over by politicians looking for votes during the primary election. Do people really know what conservatism is anymore? And why is it that we elect people who say they have "Oklahoma conservative values" when they have spent the better part of their lives living in places like Washington D.C.? I'm convinced that most people voting today simply don't know what the term means.

The next time you hear a politician say that they have "Oklahoma conservative values," ask them if they are for school vouchers, prayer in schools, home schooling, privatizing social security, eliminating the income tax, ending the death tax, gun rights, restricting abortions and doing away with the grocery tax. And while your at it, ask them to cite the conservative principle of governing that would empower a government bureaucrat to control what and how much a person eats, drinks, smokes, or reads in the privacy of their own home. Maybe being a conservative has just a little to do with strengthening our individual liberties?

Many people in the United States (and most of the mainstream media) believe that conservatives are some form of American Nazi. So prevalent is this view that we have President George Bush II espousing "compassionate conservatism" (whatever that means). The very term gives credence to the idea that most conservatives aren't compassionate. Is it not compassionate to empower a parent to send their child to the school of their choice? To give people control over their retirement? To lessen the tax burden of the people?

I wonder how many politicians running for office really know what the term "Oklahoma conservative values" means?

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Barry Goldwater the Libertarian

A Barry Goldwater tidbit I found on Chuck Muth's News & Views.


"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more
efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote
welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to
repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones
that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose,
or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not
attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first
determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later
be attacked for neglecting my constituents' interests, I shall reply that I
was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am
doing the very best I can."

- Former Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.), "The Conscience of a Conservative"


Does anybody think Goldwater would fit into the Republican mainstream today?

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Are you a Conservative or a Liberal? Find out at www.Politopia.com .

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The 11 th Commandment Apparently Doesn't Apply to Dana Murphy

With all the hooping and hollering about Reagan's 11 th Commandment, where four past Republican Party Chairmen leaped to the defense of Denise Bode, one would expect that Dana Murphy (Republican Corporation Commission candidate) would receive the same kind of vivacious defense. But apparently Reagan's 11 th Commandment doesn't apply to her.

No less than two phone calls attacking Dana Murphy occurred the night before the primary election. The messages attacked her ethics and encouraged voters to select either CHS (Cole Hargraves Snodgrass & Associates) candidate Jeff Cloud or former State Senator Mark Snyder.

If anyone deserves to be defended by the Republican establishment, it's Dana Murphy. She is a well-qualified candidate running for Corporation Commission. If Jeff Cloud and CHS really believe in Reagan's 11 th Commandment they'll condemn the attacks and make sure it doesn't happen again. If we excluded every person who had been through a divorce, half of Oklahoma County would be ineligible.

Otherwise, Dana Murphy might want to put out her own attack ad tying Jeff Cloud to Kirk Humphreys and a famous outdoor recreation store. But that probably wouldn't be fair either. Or would it?

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Will Free Speech Become a Victim of Terror?

A recent poll released by the First Amendment Center, (based in Arlington, Va.) shows that Americans will, indeed, exchange freedom for the illusion of safety. 1000 adults were surveyed with a 3% margin of error.

49% of those polled felt that the 1 st Amendment goes too far. (10% higher than 2001)
48% of those polled felt that the government should have the freedom to monitor religious groups in the interest of national security. Even if the monitoring violated the group's religious expression.
42% said the government should have more authority to monitor Muslims.
40% favored government restrictions on the academic freedom of professors to criticize government military policy during war.

Unbelievable.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Can Voters Trust Tony Lauinger and Oklahomans For Life, Inc. Surveys?

This is a follow-up on an earlier campaign story where Oklahomans For Life, Inc. State Chairman Tony Lauinger "interpreted" Tim Green's answer to be "NO" when the written answer was clearly checked "YES."

Al Mertens, former candidate for Oklahoma State House District 99 and current vice-chair for the Oklahoma Minority Republican Coalition said Lauinger, "refused to help my campaign in any way in 2000 because he said that Opio Toure had been 'helpful' in getting things out of committee in the past." Why favor the pro-choice Toure over Al Mertens, a pro-life Catholic? Good Question.

Ted King, writer for the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper pointed out that Lauinger did the same thing in 1994 when State Senator "Jerry Pierce, from Bartlesville, gave the maximum pro-life answer on the survery and Tony's school alum from Cascia Hall Frank Keating got the Oklahomans For Life nod." King also said, "I had a personal conversation with Lauinger after Keating was elected. He was 'giddy' about Keating's election victory. When I asked what Keating was going to do about right to life? He said, "I don't know."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Silly Misleading Polls

The Tulsa World published the results of a poll that asked, "It is about one years since Oklahoma passed a right to work law. Do you think having the law improved Oklahoma's economy?"

As expected, most said no. In fact 61% said no. 20% said yes. 19% didn't know. How ridiculous it is to assume that in less than a year after passing a right to work law, Oklahoma would experience a significant increase in economic activity in the midst of a national recession?

How could anyone, other than union thugs at the local AFL-CIO office, take this poll seriously?