| Delegates
attend Republican state convention
Recently, 9 delegates from Idaho County gathered in Pocatello with other delegates (elected citizens) from the other 43 counties in Idaho to discuss the beliefs, actions, and performance of Idaho’s Republican Party. This was my second experience with a convention, and a much better experience. After my first experience, I didn’t want anything to do with the Republican party. It seemed political entrepreneurship and using the force of law to benefit a few were the action steps of the Idaho GOP as opposed to protecting and defending inherent rights of all individuals in Idaho. This time, I saw folks wanting to correct unjust laws and policies, remove political entrepreneurs and practices from office, and in short, reestablish values and work ethics that would bless the lives of all who lived in Idaho. It was a breath of fresh air to hear more talk about principles of liberty and raising money for candidates to promote these principles instead of only politics and ‘money’ for politicians. A few topics of debate among the 500 plus delegates included: 1) a mechanism to not endorsing candidates as Republican if the candidate’s policies were opposite of the tenets of Idaho’s GOP: faith in God, free enterprise, honesty, hard work, personal accountability, personal responsibility (see the Platform for more information), 2) right to protect oneself by lethal force, if necessary, in one’s own home and be presumed innocent instead of proving innocence, 3) making municipal elections partisan (individuals would announce their party affiliation), 4) curtailing illegal immigration and improving legal immigration, 5) increasing safety of children and others in ‘gun free’ zones via empowering conceal carry and safety training, 6) pros and cons of Medicaid expansion financially and culturally. This convention had inspirational speakers on true liberty, and wonderful renditions of the National Anthem and America the Beautiful that I think everyone in our area, regardless of political affiliation, would have enjoyed. Prayer and pledge of allegiance started each session 2 to 3x per day, and on occasion a scripture from the Bible. If interested in more information, contact Marge Arnzen or myself. We both attended. Scott Perrin, Idaho County Delegate |
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