READ THE PLATFORM

Wow. Texas Republicans want to lock up gay people, put Bibles back in classrooms, and increase prosecutions of those who interfere with anti-abortion demonstrators at clinic entrances. And those are just the things that caught my eye. I'm wondering why the term "Texas Republican" isn't equated with "far from mainstream America" in the public mind.

Here are some highlights from the 2002 Republican Party of Texas platform (PDF file here). Note in particular the order of "constitutional rights" -- guns, abortion protesting, and rights to acknowledge that we're a "Christian nation":

Preserving Our Constitutional Rights

Right to Keep and Bear Arms – The Party calls upon the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress to repeal any and all laws that infringe upon the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution; and to reject the establishment of any mechanism to process, license, record, register or monitor the ownership of guns. We urge the Legislature to clearly declare that it has the exclusive authority to determine where firearms may or may not be legally carried in the State of Texas, and that no other state governmental entity and no local governmental entity may regulate or prohibit the possession of firearms. We believe it is the responsibility of all gun owners to safely store and operate their firearms.

Freedom of Access Act – The Party urges repeal of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances law. We reaffirm our belief in our constitutional right to peaceful protest, and we insist that assaults on peaceful protesters be prosecuted vigorously.

Christian Nation – The Republican Party of Texas reaffirms the United States of America is a Christian nation, which was founded on fundamental Judeo-Christian principles based on the Holy Bible. We also affirm the right of each individual to worship in the religion of his or her choice.

. . .

Celebrating Traditional Marriage

Family – The Party supports the traditional definition of marriage as a God–ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a man and a woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society. We urge the repeal of laws that place an unfair tax burden on families. We call upon congress to remove the marriage penalty in the tax code, whereby a married couple receives a smaller standard deduction than their unmarried counterparts living together. The primary family unit consists of those related by blood, heterosexual marriage, or adoption. The family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training, conduct, and property.

. . .

Homosexuality – The Party believes that the practice of sodomy tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, recognition, or privileges including, but not limited to, marriage between persons of the same sex, custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits. We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.

Texas Sodomy Statutes – The Party opposes the decriminalization of sodomy.

. . .

Educating our Children

. . .

Traditional Values in Education – The Party opposes faculty in public institutions abusing their positions to manipulate students to reject traditional American religious, moral, political and economic values. We support a character education curriculum and a program based upon biblical principles upon which our nation and state law system were founded.

. . .

Bilingual Education – The Party supports the termination of bilingual education programs in Texas.

Religious Freedom in Public Schools – Our Founding Fathers based the premise of this nation on God–given rights endowed by our Creator. – The Party affirms President Lincoln’s quote: “It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” The Party urges school administrators and officials to inform Texas school students specifically of their First Amendment rights to pray and engage in religious speech, individually or in groups, on school property without government interference. We support and strongly urge Congress to pass a Religious Freedom Amendment which provides: “Neither the United States nor any State shall prohibit student–sponsored prayer in public schools, nor compose any official student prayer or compel joining therein.” We urge the Texas Legislature to pass legislation similar to the American Heritage Education Acts passed in Kentucky, Indiana, and other states, which end censorship of the discussion of the role of religion in our founding documents, and encourage reading and discussing those documents in our public schools. We support the return of Bibles and other religious books to the shelves of all public schools and libraries.

Religion and Secular Humanism.

Since Secular Humanism is recognized by the United States Supreme Court as a religion, and our government–funded schools are prohibited from teaching any religion, the Party believes that Secular Humanism and New Age Religion in any form should be subjected to the same state and federal laws as any other recognized religion.

Scientific Theories – The Party believes that scientific topics, such as the question of universe and life origins and environmental theories, should not be constrained to one opinion or viewpoint. We support the teaching equally of scientific strengths and weaknesses of all scientific theories – as Texas now requires (but has yet to enforce) in public school science course standards. We urge revising all environmental education standards to require this also. We support individual teachers’ right to teach creation science in Texas public schools.

Link via American Samizdat.