Opinions 
Thompson: Principle, not party politics
By Kevin Thompson/Congressional Candidate
Thu Sep 27, 2007, 06:36 PM EDT
It is not hard to see that people today are dissatisfied with our government. Our Republican president suffers from terrible approval ratings as he wages an unpopular war that has no end in sight. Our Democrat-controlled Congress also suffers from all-time low approval ratings as the public is forced to witness the continual stream of senators and representatives resigning in disgrace. Our government has let us down. Our elected officials seem to have lost their way. What is the answer?
The answer certainly cannot be more of the same. They say the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. Our current political climate sees constant political upheavals when voter disgust reaches a certain level. Voters throw the bums out in one election, handing power over to one party.
Then later, when they lose their way, voters throw them out and restore the former party, the same folks they threw out the first time. We are in a vicious cycle. Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, throwing out the Democrats. Then when voters realized the GOP had lost their principles, in 2006 voters threw them out, handing back power to the Democrats. This is the same party they were so displeased with in 1994. Now, the people are once again unhappy with Democrats, so what are they to do? They could go back to the Republican Party, but that would be the very definition of insanity.
The answer to our problem cannot be found in our current political make-up. Both major parties have had their chance, and both have failed. Both Democrats and Republicans have left voters feeling disenfranchised. It is time for real change. Let’s put an end to the cycle of disappointment.
I am happy to offer the voters of the 5th District a real alternative to the status quo. I am a member of the Constitution Party, the largest growing third party in the nation. You see, last year, I had enough. I was like many of you, fed up with Republicans and Democrats alike. I was looking at another election where I was forced to vote for the lesser of two evils. I started looking for a third party. When I found the Constitution Party, I had found my true political home. Our battle cry is “principle over politics.”
Our platform is simple. We want to return Washington to its founding principles. How do we solve the problem of government losing its way? We retrace our step and see where it was we veered off course. To solve the problem in Washington, let’s go back to the very founding of our government.
Our Constitution is not a document of laws that our citizens are obligated to follow. Instead, it is a document written for our government officials, rules for them to follow. What our Founding Fathers feared most was a government out of control. They believed that rights came from God, power was derived from the people and government needed to be kept in check. They formed a republic based on those ideas. They wrote in the Constitution clear guidelines for each branch of government to follow. This was their limitations. Anything not specifically given to the federal government was then to be given to each state to decide. Freedom belonged to the people, not their government.
Unfortunately, our politicians today feel as though they can ignore the Constitution, trample over our rights and recklessly spend our hard-earned money. Both Congress and the president share guilt over an unconstitutional war in Iraq. Gun owners are considered shameful for wanting to preserve their Second Amendment rights. The unborn are being denied their right to life. Americans across the country see their right to free speech being curtailed. Our borders stand unprotected as American jobs continue leave on one side and illegal immigrants enter on the other.
You can put an end to this. On Oct. 16, I am asking for your vote. Let’s end this vicious cycle and Democrats and Republicans packing. You can find out more about my campaign at www.thompson07.com. Find out more about the Constitution Party at www.constitutionparty.com.
Kevin Thompson of Brockton is a candidate for Congress.
Join Your Town
