Interesting article in today’s New York Times, “For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics.”

The Republican Party has become a mouthpiece for Christian fundamentalists that want to force everyone to live their life just like they do.  How is this any different than Muslim fundamentalists that want everyone to live their life like they do?

And why do we all need to follow the same rules – are the Christian and Muslim fundamentalists afraid they’ll stray from their path?  Is their resolve so weak that they can’t deal with temptation (and difference)?

The Pilgrims came here due to religious persecution, and the Islamic world was, before the rise of Wahabism, the most tolerant area of the world.

And when are the Christian Rightists coming to get the various minorities in this country, people that have helped build and shape us?  They’ve already used violence here (look at the Oklahoma City bombing, for example).

If the Republican Party wants to be the Grand Ol’ Party again, they’re going to have to stop preaching a socially conservative, Christian fundamentalist doctrine; they need to return to their roots of stressing freedom and small government, and stop seeking to pass laws outlawing abortion, gay marriage, and the rest of their bigoted, racist, facist agenda.

We need a political party that will stress a centralist, more Libertarian viewpoint, especially on individual freedom, a cornerstone of our Republic.  If the Republicans can’t do that, perhaps its time to found a new second party (which has happened at least twice in the history of the United States).