Letter: GOP concern

To the editor:

As a registered Republican, political events in recent years have left me feeling distanced from my original party. The article in Sunday’s Journal-World covering the new leadership in the Douglas County GOP was even more disheartening for me. Two thoughts jumped to my mind when reading the comments of the new chairwoman, Jana Rea.

The first thought came when I read Rea’s negative comments about Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. Rea’s stated opposition to her fellow party member reminds one of watching movies or TV shows where the leader of a gang gets into a disagreement with one of the gang members and has him rubbed out. One wonders, why do the other members stay in the gang when any disagreement with the leader can spell one’s demise?

The other thought came when Rae said, “I have a strong respect for the Republican Party platform. It is congruent with my faith.” Someone should explain to her that a governing body based on someone’s specific religious beliefs is not a democracy, it is a theocracy. Before the local “crew” alienates all registered Republicans with an ability to think critically, they should stop and consider the fact that two of their favorite candidates lost earlier this month. The Republicans have been accused of being a party of exclusionists who won’t compromise. Nothing from the article or Rea’s comments helped to dispel that accusation.