Fighting for what matters

A letter to the editor in this mornings Star Tribune counters Jim Moore's recent editorial stating that most Minnesotans are independent, and that is a good thing. Letter writer Alex Kurt seems to think being Independent means you believe nothing, and that the constant bickering by the opposition parties is good for the process. Alex is 100% right in making the point that great passion and fighting for what you believe in is what our system about.

Unfortunately the opposition parties don't do that, oh sure when running for election they talk about there strong stance on abortion, or they sign a no new taxes, or talk about how they won't expand rail transit. All to often though that is where it ends, at talk.

If Tim Pawlenty was fighting against taxes, fighting to make abortion illegal, and fighting to stop funding to rail transit then the 30% of passionate Conservatives would have something to fight over. If Mike Hatch did everything he could for the environment, fought day in and day out to get minimum wage to $10.00 fought to reverse the law banning gay marriage, and did everything he could to improve education he would be someone worth fighting for the 30% of passionate Liberals, but those candidates say what’s best for there career leading up to the election, and then do what’s best for there career following the election, and unfortunately for those with great passion those two paths are separate.

Alex Kurt in an attempt to rip the Independence Party, brings up Jesse Ventura to close his letter. While clearly Jesse has his share of flaws, a firm belief system that he fought day in and day out for was always there. Clear consistent views remained from the campaign to his four years leading the state. Even if Alex Kurt tended to disagree with Jesse that's OK because Alex thinks great passion and disagreement where it matters is good for the process.

The Democrats and Republicans while employing decent passion also have used the system to the point where they disagree for the sake of disagreeing. For them it is not about right and wrong, and the passion behind there views, instead it is about who's idea it was. You need look no farther then social security. Any decent president will do his best to lead on that issue, unfortunately it is an issue where the end result is a clear negative. The party of the president will always support him while the other party will bring up all the negatives within the issue.

While there may be some level of inconsistency within the Independence Party from candidate to candidate the one thing that brings us together is a commitment to honesty, a commitment to citizens and voters over campaign donors, and a commitment to look at the whole picture and not get caught up on minor differences at the expense of major needs elsewhere, and a commitment to displaying differences on the campaign trail. As we have seen with Tim Pawlenty signing away on taxes, or Democrats voting for conservative social policy they don't have the level of consistancy that we fight so strongly over. Without honesty all the partisans are fighting over is dumb luck, and if thats all your left with you might as well be an "independent" of no convictions.