Boon - Southern Populist  

by Jon Boon McNutt

Anyone that knows me knows that I don't have very much in common with the "religious right". Over the years, their attempts to censor, block, brainwash and ultimately destroy anything that doesn't benefit them has turned myself and the christian coalition into bitter enemies.

Fortunately, like most bad situations, we can find common ground and use our energies to make this country a better place for all of us to live in. I thought long and hard about just how in the world I could get religious zealots to agree with me on anything, and eventually I thought of it: Smaller Government.

Sound crazy? Yes, of course it does. It is true, though. Through smaller government the religious right could get exactly what they want. They shouldn't want the government telling them how to live just as much as I don't want my leaders telling me how NOT to live.

With less federal laws and more states rights the religious right could easily vote for the ideas and laws that they want in their local community and if I don't agree with what was voted in, I can get up and move myself to an area that can appreciate the same values I live by.

The religious right have a few favorite topics that they use to recruit people into their fold, some of which are: abortion, gay rights, marriage, sexual activity, and the death penalty. These can be very touchy subjects for many people but the religious right have made their stand on these issues and will not budge. In this situation, it's a good thing. If states had more rights each one could vote on these issues without the fear that the federal government will step in and force morality.

If your state happens to vote to ban all abortions or abolish the death penalty and you disagree with its decision you have 2 options. Move to another state or deal with it and try to rally more people in your favor to vote the next time. It sounds like a much better system to me.

It would be wonderful if one of the two party candidates would support a system like this, but alas neither one does because they were bought and sold years ago. A viable 3rd party is the only road towards a more democratic country. We should look to someone like Bob Barr and not care about his personal beliefs, not care about his feelings on abortion, gays, or any of the non-issues the well paid talking heads on TV keep blabbering about.

We should care about shrinking the control the federal government has on us. We should ask him how we get off foreign oil. We should ask him how to get more well paying jobs in this country. We should ask him how to get more kids to pass math in this country. These are the types of issues our President should be worried about. Any issue that CAN be solved within its own state SHOULD be solved within its own state.