what's right (and wrong) with the conservatives

like my profile says, i'm a card-carrying member of the party.

but that doesn't mean i agree with everything in their platform.

and that's a beautiful thing about the conservative party. i can disagree with some points in the platform, and i'm not called a neanderthal, a racist, a bigot, or a goose-stepping neo-nazi. (yes, that's been said, believe it or not! and the nazis, remember, were farther to the left than the ndp!)

it's a good thing that i can respectfully disagree , although, in the end, even though i hope that never changes, it may be the party's downfall. or at least the reason it never gets into power.

the liberals, on the other hand, rule with an iron fist. if you don't toe the party line, you're a wackjob and are booted out.

anyhow, i sometimes wish the conservatives would go back to their grass roots, rather than being liberal-lite. they have had, and subsequently abandoned (or appear to have abandoned), some great ideas, for example:

• fixed election dates
  
• triple-e senate
  
• proportional representation
  
• dumping the gun registry
  
• private delivery of publicly-funded health care (this is NOT a bad thing--it ensures people will have equal access, but more widespread access, thus reducing wait times!)
  
• scrapping the gun registry
  
• giving tax credits to stay-at-home parents (thus providing the best child care money can buy!)
  
• enforcing tougher sentences for sex offenses and crimes committed with guns
  

a couple of things bug me about the party's platform, though. to wit:

• who the hell cares whether it's called a marriage or a union? let same-sex couples join together--there can be nothing wrong with two people loving each other and professing that love; just make sure anyone who refuses to perform such a ceremony because of religious or other beliefs isn't persecuted for abstaining
  
• i'm sure there are others, but right now they escape me
  

note to stephen harper: i think you can be the next prime minister of our great country. wanna know how? don't be a copycat. don't try to emulate the "please everybody" liberals. because when you flip flop more than a fish on the dock, people start to believe the drivel about a "hidden agenda". stand for something. even though people may not completely agree with what you believe, they will at least respect you for standing by your beliefs and principles. even though our canadian society has become a cesspool of corruption and immorality, especially in government, there is a groundswell of people wanting to embrace a more just, more moral way of living. you just have to outline for them how you will facilitate it.

do it, stephen. for the good of the country.