Voice of the People

I'm an African American male of the Republican Party. The party is in transition this year. Yet the party has not given an adequate description of its new identity or in which direction the party is headed. This is what I believe to be the platform that will ensure our party identity for years to come without jeopardizing our conservative moral values.

Kent Allen doesn't sound like a 40-plus-year Republican to me. He adds that he is wavering. I was upset with President Bush's uncontrolled spending and his stand on immigration.

When you hear that old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” you have to think of Grandmaster Sang Kun Pak and how much he has done for the children in our community. Independence Elementary began a partnership with Pak's Martial Arts nearly 10 years ago by bringing the program into the school weekly to provide lessons for children who might not have had the opportunity to participate in his studio. Over the years, I have watched, firsthand, children in our school learn to focus, respect others and find the value of hard work. Master Pak is more than a teacher of skills. He truly is a master of helping children learn discipline and self worth.

Not only did our president sell out his country on the interrogation problem, but now he's lying to his countrymen, saying on his stimulus bill there is a slight upswing in our economy. But on the same page, General Motors is on the verge of bankruptcy while Chrysler needs more money. And, most important, gas at the pump has risen in price causing family hardship.

People on food stamps often have jobs, too

Why we need socialized medicine

Many people work and get food stamps

Sanford damaged integrity of office

Michael Jackson died last Thursday, and on Friday the House of Representatives voted on the cap and trade bill. How did my congressman vote? He had not made up his mind on Thursday or Friday. But I thought since President Obama had said under his plan of cap and trade, electricity bills would necessarily skyrocket and since we were told at the co-op meeting our bills would go up $250 per month on average, it's a no brainer: He will vote “no.”

Since the Constitution says we only have to put the number of people in our household on the Census report, and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform is under federal investigation for fraud, let's exercise our rights and do just that. The Democrats, of which I am one, want to shove ACORN down our throats. Stand up for one of the few freedoms we have left and not give out more info than we are required to by law.