2002 Soap Box Archives

America Has Spoken

The 2002 election has come and gone and I for one am glad it’s over.
Our television screens were inundated with negative campaign commercials
and I’ve never seen such rampant character assassination. It seems that
little thought is given to accuracy, and after all not telling the whole
truth constitutes a partial lie.

Both parties are guilty of this disgusting practice and they should both
be ashamed of themselves.

The campaign rally at Paul Wellstone’s memorial service was one of the
most disgusting things to happen this year.

Everybody says that they want to run on the issues, but the truth is the
issues get lost in the flood of hyperbole and innuendo.

If candidates would just stop the double talk and say what they really
stand for instead of trying to sidestep all the hard questions there
would be no need for all this negative trash.

We the people deserve to know what kind of candidate we’re voting for,
instead of getting a pig in a poke{no pun intended.}

If I was running for political office the first thing I’d do is forbid
any negative ads being used on my side of the campaign. I would spend
my campaign money letting the voters know how I honestly feel on the
issues.
In answering the other side’s negative ads, I would just take it point
by point and answer yes I did or no I didn’t. I would let everybody
know exactly what kind of candidate I would be, and I wouldn’t answer a
question with a question.

I would stand up and say, I’m pro life, I believe in a strong defense
program, I hate big government, I’m for the death penalty
and I’m against rewarding welfare recipients for having children they
have no intention of caring for. I’m anti NAFTA, pro states rights and
I believe in law abiding citizens owning guns.

I believe that we should not only reduce but do away with our dependence
on foreign oil by uncapping our dormant oil wells and diligently
searching for alternate energy sources before our domestic supply of oil
ran out.

I believe that women who do the same work as men should be paid the same
and should be advanced on their abilities, sex notwithstanding.

I believe that legal marriage exists between a man and a woman only.

I would fight to restore voluntary prayer in school, the Ten
Commandments and nativity scenes to public places.

I believe that we should only extend the most favored nation status to
those countries who open their markets to our products as freely as we
open our markets to theirs.

I don’t believe in marriage penalties or death taxes and would protect
the sanctity of our international borders, doing whatever it takes to
stem the flow of illegal aliens. People who immigrate here should go
through the prescribed legal process.

I believe in the right of all children to a quality education and would
fight for school vouchers to ensure that parents can play a significant
role in the schooling of their kids.

I don’t believe in socialized medicine, socialized employment or giving
up the sovereignty of our own military to the United Nations.

I believe that we should acknowledge the nations who are friends to us
as such and call an enemy an enemy.

I believe in diplomacy but not when it defies common sense.

I believe that America should adopt a “Don’t tread on me” policy with
swift and decisive retribution against those who violate that policy.

I believe that doctors who cheat Medicare and politicians who
accept graft should go to jail.

I would initiate a program of domestic law enforcement which would clean
up even the meanest streets. Just because someone is poor doesn’t mean
that their children should have to duck bullets on their way to school.
I would jail drug dealers from the smallest to the biggest and would
allow the D.E.A. to take off the gloves in the war on drugs. I would
take back our schools so that those who wanted to learn could walk the
halls and playgrounds without being accosted by punks.

I would enforce sensible environmental regulations, administered not by
political hacks but by qualified people who know what they’re doing.
But I would never put the welfare of the snail darter or the spotted owl
ahead
of a working man’s ability to feed his family.

I would give drug addicts convicted on the first offense of a non
violent crime the choice between meaningful rehabilitation and prison.

I would push for tax reform, legitimate election reform and a flat
income tax. Citizens should be able to do their own tax returns.

And I would put my head down and pursue my goals ignoring the nay sayers
and politically correct pundits who would criticize me at every turn.
Besides who’d need them, I’d have the people on my side.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels