GOP not about personal freedom

In response to Mr. Hanley’s letter from June 28, titled “Republicans are all about freedom,” I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of freedom he’s talking about. He cites the end of slavery, and the Civil Rights Act, but what he doesn’t mention is how the Republican Party changed from conservative to neoconservative after the election of Ronald Reagan. The current Republican Party, unfortunately, does not support freedom. Rather than cite what’s happened in the past, let’s look at what we’re voting for in our time.

Republicans do not support the legalization of marijuana, even though ending prohibition would be a strong vote for personal freedom. Republicans do not support equal rights for all citizens, because they want to prohibit homosexual marriage — an example that starkly contrasts with Mr. Hanley’s mention of the Civil Rights Act. Republicans do not support privacy, as evidenced by the warrantless wiretaps started under President Bush.

Republicans do not support legal freedom, shown by the removal of American citizens from the Constitutionally established court system and placing them before military tribunals and holding them as “enemy combatants.” Republicans do not support the freedom of other countries with two wars started under President Bush with the expressed goal of “nation building,” despite the violation of international sovereignty. The Republicans don’t even support the economic freedoms of capitalism, lest we forget the bailouts that started under President Bush.

I’m not saying the Democrats are fully in support of freedom, either, but it’s clear that the current Republican Party does not support freedom. Personal, legal, economic and international freedoms are all things the Republicans have actively worked against in the past 10 years. Whatever they have done to advance the flag of freedom in the past is unfortunately undone by the current policy of the Republican Party.

Christopher Burrell

Barrington