All these resolutions are to modify portions of the Republican Party of Texas 2002 Platform. All these resolutions passed the precinct convention
Under Preserving American Freedom, Limiting the Expanse of Government Power, Environment, Property Ownership, and Natural Resources, revise the second to last bullet point:
We oppose EPA
management of Texas air quality issues[ such as regulation of speed limits on
Texas highways].
RATIONALE: It is incorrect to say that the EPA is regulating Texas speed limits. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (formerly TNRCC) is what decides which emissions control measures Texas will implement. The EPA merely rubber stamps TCEQ proposals. The issue of environmental speed limits is addressed in a different section of the platform document.
Under Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety, Protecting Citizens from Crime, replace the speed limit section (the last section) with this:
Speed Limits - The Party opposes speed limits that are lower than what is recommended using commonly accepted traffic engineering practice. This includes but is not limited to environmental speed limits.
RATIONALE: Old Texas laws and misguided local politicians force speed limits that are well below the maximum safe speed. The system is so out of whack that speed limits criminalize 50% to 70% of all drivers at any time.
These low speed limits do not cause lower speeds. Instead they increase crashes, encourage lopsided traffic enforcement, and invite noncompliance with traffic laws.
Studies show that only the fastest 5%-10% of all drivers have increased crash probability, so Texas speed limits criminalize 400% to 1200% more safe drivers than unsafe ones!
Strict adherence to commonly accepted engineering practices would usually result in modest 5-10 MPH speed limit increases. Just that little can make all the difference between a speed limit that criminalizes almost everyone and a speed limit that only criminalizes unsafe drivers.
Think of it this way: how can Texas expect drivers to strictly obey speed limits when it cannot even obey the rules for determining the limits?
Under Strengthening Families and Promoting a Freer Society, Educating our Children, revise this section:
Scientific
Theories – The Party believes that scientific literacy is critical for Texas
schoolchildren. Texas schools must first and foremost teach commonly accepted,
current theories that have broad support in the scientific community. The
Party also believes that other viewpoints on scientific topics,
such as the question of universe and life origins and environmental theories,
must be tolerated. [should not be constrained to one opinion or
viewpoint. We support the teaching equally of scientific strengths and
weaknesses of all scientific theories – as Texas now requires (but has yet to
enforce) in public school science course standards. We urge revising all
environmental education standards to require this also. We support individual
teachers’ right to teach creation science in Texas public schools.]
RATIONALE: All students must learn and understand commonly accepted scientific theories. This is a fundamental requirement for scientific literacy. The alternative is students too ignorant to comprehend contemporary science.
While other theories exist on particular issues, the Party
should not specifically endorse them nor should it explicitly require that they
be taught in the classroom. The Party is not a scientific clearinghouse, and the
party should not micromanage classrooms. Some of these alternative theories are
mostly faith-based, so it is inappropriate to teach them in public schools.
United Nations- The Party tolerates the participation of the United States in the United Nations insofar as this participation does not reduce American sovereignty or diminish the United States’s prominence in the world. The Party opposes:
1. federally-imposed requirements on the state regarding the care of illegal aliens including the extension to illegal aliens the benefits of public education, non-emergency medical care, and welfare including Social Security and SSI payments;
2. a national tracking system for control of immigration (or any other purpose);
3. participation in any election by illegal aliens;
4. UN control of any United States land or natural resources;
5. the use of Presidential Executive Orders to implement UN treaties thereby circumventing our elected Congress;
6. any attempt by the federal government, or the UN, to directly or indirectly tax United States citizens for UN support;
7. any UN control of any United States land or natural resources;
8. a UN resolution that would force the United States to adopt gun control measures by treaty; and
9. any agreement or treaty that would subject the United States or its agents to jurisdiction of any international court.
RATIONALE: The current platform plank is extreme. U.S. involvement in the United Nations, with certain parameters, is an appropriate way for the U.S. to be involved in the world community. Separating ties with the U.N. would be a radical, counterproductive move.
It is important to note the usage of “tolerates.” This is intentionally a lukewarm word. The party does not “endorse,” “encourage,” or “promote.”
Note that sections 1-8 are carried forward from the
existing plank. Technically, sections 1-3 do not correspond to the UN and make
no sense in a UN plank. I recommend that the SD 16 resolutions committee rework
this plank to move sections 1-3 to a more appropriate section.
Free Exercise of Religion – The Party believes all Americans have the right to practice their religious faith free of persecution, intimidation, and violence. We call on Congress to sanction any country that is guilty of persecuting its citizens because of their religious beliefs. We support the right of individuals and state and local governments to display religious icons on public property subject to their control in a reasonable manner. The Party acknowledges that when churches and states combine, the result has always been a corrupt church and a tyrannical state. America’s birth was a rebellion against a corrupt church-state, and modern church-states are a serious current threat to our national security. The Party believes that the best way to maintain the integrity of church and state is to honor the separation provision that the Founding Fathers framed into the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Party encourages investigation and prosecution of corrupt, personally destructive organizations masquerading as religions.
RATIONALE: The original wording is as if the author intended to combine church and the state. It must be clear that while tolerance of personal faith is critical, the church and state must be kept separate to prevent tyranny and corruption.
A common line Republicans use against socialism is that liberals think that “if we just do it this way, it will work.” The truth is that socialism fails every time. The same goes for mixes of the church and state: it always fails. The U.S is doomed to be a failed nation if it doesn’t protect the church and state from each other.
The original plank hypocritical says that “all Americans have the right to practice their religious faith,” but it only protects public display of the 10 Commandments. If the platform is to support displaying religious icons on public property, then other icons besides the 10 Commandments have to be allowed.
The platform should make it clear that cults illegitimate and harmful and should not be tolerated.