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Morality is personal, not political

Editor, Index-Tribune:

    

  We as Republicans have to get out of the moralistic quicksand. We must realize that to be moral is a personal decision not a political statement. No political party or government has the right to regulate the morals of anyone’s personal life.

  I support the Republican Party, but in this area it has lost its way and left many young people, single women, African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, secularists, atheists and humanists by the wayside. They either drop out or join the progressive Democrats. We as Republicans should not be voting to force others to comply with our individual moral standards. A person should be able to live the life they have chosen to live, if that life style, in fact, does not encroach on the rights of others.

  Words used to describe ethics can be positive or negative depending on the context in which they are used. Morals and ethics are generally perceived as positive words, whereas words like moralist, moralize and moralism may have threatening or radical interpretations.

  We should all familiarize ourselves with the definitions and the insinuations these words have in our society. Then we can be more respectful and kind to our fellow citizens. Let us concentrate on strengthening the economy, ensuring and keeping our individual liberties, freedoms and rights. These are, or should be, the most serious and compelling concerns for all of us. This can be a center-ground place where all of us can come together and try our best to agree during these difficult and confusing times.

  Roger Jack Young

Sonoma