Recently, my position regarding the United States Supreme Court decision legalizing sodomy drew severe criticism from many of my fellow delegates and party members at the National Young Republican Convention. This discrepancy then evolved into a debate over my status as a Republican. As a proud member of the Libertarian wing of the Republican Party, it has always been my position to advocate the constitution and the rights that it ensures— rights ordained by God and preserved by over two hundred years of American sacrifice. Therefore, I am inclined to enthusiastically support the Court’s decision to preserve a person’s fundamental right to privacy.

It is absolutely shocking that so many who call themselves conservative would disagree with the Court and support such a blatant assault on individual privacy and freedom. The Conservative Wing itself has fought since its creation for its core beliefs: limited government, personal freedom, individuality. The Court’s decision was a shining victory for Republicans who still believe the federal government should be kept as far away as possible from Americans’ lives— and allowing the government to dictate what one can and cannot do in the privacy of one’s bedroom is as close as it gets. Generally, social conservatives’ desire to see sodomy banished is based on no more than their own personal beliefs and convictions. Obviously, citizens of this country have every right to believe and say what they want, but a problem arises when elected officials try to impose these beliefs on a country that is too diverse and too complex to be forced to follow one way of life. Doing so would go against the very principles that this country was founded on: tolerance, individuality, and respect for all Americans-- even those whom you disagree with.

Republicans who are socially conservative have argued that allowing sodomy in one’s bedroom would wreck families, destroy communities, and drive this country into some kind of hellish, immoral wasteland. However, few have been able to provide any kind of credible evidence that would back up these allegations and wild projections. This is primarily because very little exists—allowing sodomy in the privacy of one’s bedroom affects no more than the consenting adults who are taking part in it. However, the state of the American family has been on a steady decline, although little of this downfall can be attributed to gays. Violence in our streets, criminal behavior glorified in movies and television, elected officials who seduce their interns—if Republicans really want to protect the family, let these be the issues to take up arms against.

Nevertheless, it seems as if many lawmakers seem to be fixated on gay sex. As always, it is their right to speak up for whatever they believe in, but I will stand ready to exercise my right (and responsibility) to question their actions. Case in point—when Republican Senator Rick Santorum sends out an anti-gay mailing only weeks after September 11th, claiming, “This may very well be the most important letter I send,” this is cause for grave concern. His absurd actions indicate a complete inability to prioritize the needs of Americans, rendering him, as I believe, unfit for office. This is a serious time in our history—now more than ever, America is faced with huge and difficult obstacles to surmount. At least we know that Santorum will fight against the evil homosexuals while thousands of American troops fight and die to protect us from terrorist attacks that would claim thousands of innocent lives. Santorum’s further comments against gays cost the party valuable PR points-- I hope he realizes that his idiotic gaffes have sent many would-be Republican votes swirling down the toilet.

I also find it disagreeable that I would be labeled a “bad Republican”, a “gay advocate”, or other names not suitable for print for siding with the Supreme Court. Furthermore, I am certainly not gay, immoral, Godless, or hell-bound for promoting my position. If my fellow party members feel that I am “not a true conservative”, they are sadly mistaken— a good Republican does not blindly and thoughtlessly follow the party’s platform, a good Republican does the opposite: questions the party’s actions, criticizes politicians who may be detrimental to the party and to their constituents, and constantly strives to create a party stronger than the one we were given and brighter than the one today. Unfortunately, this is an area where Democrats may have us beat—the left encourages dissent, if not thrives on it. How do Republicans expect to attract new members, maintain political strength, and most importantly, appeal to moderate voters when Republicans who disagree with only one idea, shared by only a portion of the party, are shunned, criticized, and dismissed as “bad Republicans”?