2020 Republican Party Platform, Part 1

 Back in 2008, when I was 18 and registering to vote in my first presidential election, I remember asking my dad which party I should register for. I only vaguely remember the conversation but he said something about not ever being able to vote for a candidate who supported abortion, so I said ok and I registered as a Republican. I've pretty much just voted along party lines ever since then, never really taking the time to learn about politics or figure out what I really believe. This year, I decided it was finally time to figure it all out, especially since I feel like I have been leaning more Democrat as of late. I figured a good way to do it would be to actually READ the party platforms from each party. I know, who does that? Oddly, I'm actually enjoying it and learning tons. I decided to start with the Republican platform, since that is the party I have always thought I was a part of. Conveniently, the GOP decided not to update their 2016 platform, which has made it easy for me to look up whether or not various promises made in it have come to fruition. This first section was the economics part, which I admit is not the most interesting to me. I tried to write a basic outline and then include links to relevant articles discussing what has or hasn't been done by the current administration in those areas. Enjoy!

The Republican Party Platform (2016 – opted not to update for 2020)

1.       Preamble

a.       America is the best country in the world because we are the example of liberty for the world

b.       The Constitution is not flexible and the system of government put in place by it should not change

c.       Peace will come from making sure we are strong enough to force peace

d.       Want to return decision making to the people

2.       Restoring the American Dream

a.       Rebuilding the Economy and Creating Jobs

                                                               i.      -Government can’t create prosperity, it comes from people being self-disciplined and working hard.

                                                             ii.      Accuses Obama administration of not growing the economy fast enough

1.       Pre-corona assessment of how Trump is doing with the economy – not as good as he said he would, and compared to Obama, nothing special. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2020/02/01/trumps-economic-growth-is-slower-than-obamas-last-3-years/#33186b814fed

                                                           iii.      Slow and steady should not be what we are going for, we should hope for faster growth.

1.       https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2020/02/19/no-president-trump-obamas-economic-recovery-was-not-a-con-job/#743866715e62

b.       Fair and Simple Taxes for Growth

                                                               i.      Getting taxes right is a big deal in how we can get the economy going well again.

                                                             ii.      Tax code is too long and confusing

                                                           iii.      Promise to lower rates that “penalize thrift or discourage investment” change anything that disincentivizes economic growth, eliminate loopholes.

c.       Our Tax Principles

                                                               i.      oppose retroactive taxation

                                                             ii.      Don’t want to allow judges to order higher taxes

                                                           iii.      Keep religious organizations, charities, and fraternal benevolent societies tax free

d.       A Competitive America

                                                               i.      High corporate tax rates make it hard to compete overseas and makes them want to take their companies abroad

                                                             ii.      American companies should be headquartered in America

1.       What Trump has done with taxes

a.       Reduced corporate tax rates permanently and individual tax rates temporarily

b.       removed indivudiaul mandate for health insurance

c.       Overall lowered tax rates

d.       raised standard deduction

e.       expected that when these tax codes expire in 2025, lower income households will pay more in taxes, while the top earners will pay less.

f.        https://www.investopedia.com/taxes/trumps-tax-reform-plan-explained/

e.       A Winning Trade Policy

                                                               i.      Reagan Economic Zone

                                                             ii.      Trade agreements should put America first

                                                           iii.      Can’t allow China to keep hurting us

                                                           iv.      Broaden trade agreements with countries that share our values and commitment to fairness.

1.       What did Trump Do with Trade Policies?

a.       This site seems to go quite in depth, I didn’t spend lots of time on it because this issue isn’t one that matters a whole ton to me. But I have heard that people are overall pleased with the results. Something Trump did well. https://www.piie.com/blogs/trade-investment-policy-watch/trump-trade-war-china-date-guide

 

f.        Freeing Financial Markets

                                                               i.      Dodd-Frank is bad

                                                             ii.      too much government control over nation’s financial markets

                                                           iii.      Community banks are closing.

                                                           iv.      Abolish Consumer Financial Protection bureau

1.       What Trump did about Dodd-Frank https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dodd-frank-financial-regulatory-reform-bill.asp

 

g.       Responsible Home Ownership and Rental Opportunities

                                                               i.      Housing prices are too high and not enough people own their own homes

                                                             ii.      Scale back federal role in the housing market

                                                           iii.      promote responsibility on the part of borrowers and lenders

                                                           iv.      avoid future taxpayer bailouts

                                                             v.      Reform federal regulations that make it harder to rent buy or sell homes

                                                           vi.      FHA should not support high income people

                                                          vii.      End government mandates requiring banks to satisfy lending quotas to specific groups – no discrimination for mortgages

                                                        viii.      Federal government should not take over zoning decisions in local areas, this destroys self-government of citizens

1.       This was an interesting comparison of how Trump and Biden compare on housing plans https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trump-vs-biden-housing-plans/

a.       I’m not a fan of Trump ending the requirement for suburbs to diversify

 

h.       America on the Move

                                                               i.      Highway Trust fund – don’t give money to mass transit because that is a local problem.  

                                                             ii.      Federal Aviation Administraion reform

                                                           iii.      Livability Initiative is meant to get people out of their cars

                                                           iv.      Repeal davis-bacon law

1.       What is it? https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction

2.       https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/01/04/instead_of_infrastructure_investment_how_about_killing_davis-bacon_135913.html

3.       Doesn’t look like any move has been made towards repealing it

                                                             v.      oppose increase in federal gas tax

                                                           vi.      TSA should not be able to unionize

                                                          vii.      End federal support for expensive railroad systems

1.       Trump administration and transportation https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-18/the-price-of-4-years-of-infrastructure-weeks

 

i.         Building the Future: Technology

                                                               i.      Want universal broadband coverage

                                                             ii.      Keep up the space program in order to protect national security interests and foster innovation and competitiveness

j.         Building the Future: America’s Electric Grid

                                                               i.      Make sure everyone has access to electricity

1.       Looks like he’s doing that https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/08/13/trump-administration-invests-371-million-improve-rural-electric

 

k.       Start-up Century: Small Business and Entrepreneurship

                                                               i.      Reduce occupational licensing laws that make it hard for people to start entrepreneurial careers

                                                             ii.      overturn Dodd-Frank

1.       Has Trump Been Good for Small Business? https://www.app.com/story/money/business/2019/05/06/small-businesses-under-trump-better-worse-off/3643818002/

 

l.         The Federal Reserve

                                                               i.      Should be transparent

                                                             ii.      Annual audit of Federal Reserve’s activities

                                                           iii.      Set a fixed value for the dollar

1.       Seems like the pandemic did what Trump wanted with the reserve. Hard to find info https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/business/economy/fed-powell-trump-mnuchin-response-coronavirus.html

 

m.     Workplace Freedom for a 21^st Century Workforce

                                                               i.      Don’t like most of the Project Labor Agreements

1.       What is that? https://www.nrtw.org/what-is-a-project-labor-agreement-and-how-does-it-affect-workers/

 

                                                             ii.      Workers should be able to accept raises and rewards without union officials vetoing

                                                           iii.      unionized workers should know what is happening with union trust funds

                                                           iv.      Support states in enacting Right-to-Work laws

1.       https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/04/federal-employees-white-house-memo-028954

2.       Seems like he tried but it didn’t work out?

                                                             v.      call for a national law to protect economic liberty of the modern workforce

                                                           vi.      Clear nondiscrimination policies make sure employees succeed based only on merit

                                                          vii.      Endorse employee stock ownership plans

                                                        viii.      Minimum wage should be handled at state and local level

1.       From what I found, it doesn’t look like Trump has done anything about minimum wage, but apparently made a statement last month that he was thinking about potentially increasing it on the federal level.

n.       A Federal Workforce Serving the People

                                                               i.      Federal compensation and benefits are too much

o.       Reducing the Federal Debt

                                                               i.      impose firm caps on future debt

                                                             ii.      accelerate repayment of debt

                                                           iii.      spending restraint is necessary

1.       Trump has increased the national debt, even if you don’t take the problems with COVID into account

2.       https://www.newsweek.com/under-trumps-watch-americas-national-debt-has-increased-66-trillion-1521418

3.       https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-poised-to-add-more-debt-than-obama-in-first-term

 

Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America

Summary: Living in a racially unjust and deeply segregated nation creates unique conundrums for white children that begin early in life and impact development in powerful ways. Dr. Jennifer Harvey offers age-appropriate insights for teaching children how to address racism when they encounter it and tackles tough questions about how to help white kids be mindful of racial relations while understanding their own identity and the role they can play for justice.

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I thought it had so many compelling points that I never would have thought of before. So many of my generation were raised to be colorblind, to not notice or point out color. And I don't blame our parents generation, they were doing what they thought was best. Unfortunately, colorblindness also leaves us blind to the fact that we're still not done fighting injustice. So, if colorblindness is out, what do we teach our children? Many may say that the right course is to teach them to value diversity, to love everyone and our differences. Which also sounds great but leaves one problem: when we celebrate diversity and difference, whiteness is not one of the things you are allowed to celebrate. There's really no such thing as "white culture" and while the messages of "black is beautiful" are encouraged, nearly everyone would recoil to hear someone chant "white is beautiful!" or "I love my gorgeous white skin!" So where does that leave us? We end up even more racially divided than ever because white kids end up feeling guilty or like something is wrong with their whiteness.

I had never really thought about any of this before. This book left me with so many great ideas about how to raise my children to be kind to others, celebrate diversity, be comfortable in their own skin, and also to actively work to fight against injustice, be aware of the systems that benefit them disproportionately because of their skin color, and cultivate meaningful relationships with people of color throughout their lives.

I highly recommend this book. You may not agree with absolutely everything that the book says, and that's ok but hopefully you can come away with some new ideas you had never considered before.

"Being white in a system of white racial hierarchy negatively impacts white people's humanity and health every day, even as it harms and negatively impacts people of color every day. We cannot fully enable children who are white to be healthy until we have created a truly just world. And so our goal as parents is not - and must not simply be - to teach our children to be more inclusive, embracing, and curious humans....Our goal must be to bring them along with us...as we work to change this world."

What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics

Author: Rachael Denhollander

Pages: 323

Rating: Due to the subject matter and the sometimes graphic descriptions, I wouldn't allow anyone below probably 15 or 16 to read this.

Summary:
Rachael Denhollander’s voice was heard around the world when she spoke out to end the most shocking US gymnastics scandal in history. The first victim to publicly accuse Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who sexually abused hundreds of young athletes, Rachael now reveals her full story for the first time. How did Nassar get away with it for so long? How did Rachael and the other survivors finally stop him and bring him to justice? And how can we protect the vulnerable in our own families, churches, and communities?

What Is a Girl Worth? is the inspiring true story of Rachael’s journey from an idealistic young gymnast to a strong and determined woman who found the courage to raise her voice against evil, even when she thought the world might not listen. This deeply personal and compelling narrative shines a spotlight on the physical and emotional impact of abuse, why so many survivors are reluctant to speak out, what it means to be believed, the extraordinary power of faith and forgiveness, and how we can learn to do what’s right in the moments that matter most.

My Thoughts: I haven't written a post on this page in a while, but this one is worth it. I've learned so much over the last few years about how if you want to understand someone, you need to listen to their personal story. And this book does just that. Denhollander walks all of us through the questions many people ask when accounts of sexual abuse are brought forth. Why didn't the victim report earlier? Could they have misunderstood? But the alleged abuser is so NICE! This book was seriously incredible. At the beginning the author tells us that her parents were very involved, very open about sexuality, they taught their children about safety, but that still didn't protect her. We have to be so, so, careful, and even then, it might not be enough.

One of the points she brings up that I loved the most is how people were so unwilling to believe that this man was capable of such depravity, because of how "kind" he was and how many good things he had done. He was involved with charity work, volunteered so many hours to "treat" girls at his own home. He was so personable. But, Denhollander points out that it doesn't matter how much good he did. That DOESN'T cancel out the bad! You can't just erase your crimes by doing lots of other good stuff. It doesn't work that way.

I learned so much reading this book, especially about how difficult it is for victims to be believed, gain justice, or stop their abuser. Society just brushes these things off way too easily and it's not ok. My favorite quote from the book is this, "Why don't victims report? Because most of the time, the only thing reporting accomplishes is heightening the trauma to almost unbearable levels. It invites an audience to view your sexual assault. It's choosing to have no voice in the process after having it stolen from you. That's why victims don't report."  (pg 271).

This book was good. If you have ever thought, "Abuse will never happen to me/my children/the people I love because we are careful/teach them about their bodies/don't go to bad places/we're vigilant" then you need to read this book. If you're in any sort of position where you have the opportunity to listen to children or anyone who may possibly report to you about abuse, you need to read this book. The consequences of failing to take abuse allegations seriously are astronomical. By the time Larry Nasser was brought to justice, numerous girls over several decades had attempted to report him, only to be either completely ignored or find that the investigation was not taken seriously enough. I'm hoping and praying that our culture and practices will keep heading in a positive direction of change, but we all have to keep speaking up.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Author: Donald Miller

 
Summary:

After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller's life stalled. During what should have been the height of his success, he found himself unwilling to get out of bed, avoiding responsibility, even questioning the meaning of life. But when two movie producers proposed turning his memoir into a movie, he found himself launched into a new story filled with risk, possibility, beauty, and meaning.
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years chronicles Miller's rare opportunity to edit his life into a great story, to reinvent himself so nobody shrugs their shoulders when the credits roll. Through heart-wrenching honesty and hilarious self-inspection, Donald Miller takes readers through the life that emerges when it turns from boring reality into meaningful narrative.
Miller goes from sleeping all day to riding his bike across America, from living in romantic daydreams to fearful encounters with love, from wasting his money to founding a nonprofit with a passionate cause. Guided by a host of outlandish but very real characters, Miller shows us how to get a second chance at life the first time around. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is a rare celebration of the beauty of life.

My Thoughts: I feel like that summary doesn't do a good job describing this book. It was AMAZING. I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into but I finally decided to check it out after one of my favorite podcasters repeatedly recommended it and then did an entire podcast episode based on it. This book was worth all the hype she gave it. Seriously. If I had been reading a personal copy instead of a library one I would have been highlighting stuff all over the place. It was that good. The author starts with talking about how a couple of filmmakers want to make a movie out of a memoir he wrote. They have to write this screenplay and have to change a few things in order to make it a good story that people will enjoy watching. So Don kind of goes on this journey finding out what makes a good story, and then figuring out how to make his actual life into one. And here's the thing - we all can do it.

I think one of my biggest takeaways is that challenges and difficulties in our lives are some of the elements of good story. We won't have a good story to tell our children, grandchildren, or even God someday if nothing really ever happens to us. And we don't have to wait for things to happen. We can go make them happen. We can create amazing stories in our lives, if we want to.

This quote is one of my favorites. "Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller."

Whoa. That got me thinking so hard. We sometimes get so mad at God for putting us through this or that or the other thing, but...he's just helping us create an amazing story that we can be proud of one day.

Here's another good quote. "If the point of life is the same as the point of a story, the point of life is character transformation. If I got any comfort as I set out on my first story, it was that in nearly every story, the protagonist is transformed. He's a jerk at the beginning and nice at the end, or a coward at the beginning and brave at the end. If the character doesn't change, the story hasn't happened yet. And if story is derived from real life, if story is just condensed version of life then life itself may be designed to change us so that we evolve from one kind of person to another."

If I haven't convinced you to read this book yet, just google the title and "quotes" and keep reading. So many little gems, so much to think about, seriously....SO GOOD. Go read it. 

Roots: The Saga of an American Family

Author: Alex Haley

Pages: 729

Rating: PG-13 (Very intense scenes of violence, rape, and obviously, the N-word is scattered through practically every page of the last 2/3 of this book.)

Summary:
"Early in the spring of 1750, in the village of Juffure, four days upriver from the coast of The Gambia, West Africa, a man-child was born to Omoro and Binta Kinte."

So begins Roots, one of the most extraordinary and influential books of our time. Through the story of one family—his family—Alex Haley unforgettably brings to life the monumental two-century drama of Kunta Kinte and the six generations who came after him: slaves and freedmen, farmers and blacksmiths, lumber mill workmen and Pullman porters, lawyers and architects...and one author.

A national and international phenomenon at the time of its original publication, Roots continues to enthrall readers with its masterful narrative drive and exceptional emotional power, speaking to us all with an undiminished resonance and relevance.

"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage.... Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning no matter what our attainments in life."—Alex Haley

My Thoughts: Wow, what a book! I've wanted to read this for a long time and finally dove in. Honestly, the slavery portion of American history is not something I've spent a lot of time reading about. I think mainly because it's so hard to read about something so horrific and immoral happening in your own country. I flew through the beginning part, where Kunta is growing up in Africa, but my reading slowed considerably once he was captured by a slave trader.

I admit, I was shocked by what Kunta had to go through. Although this book is largely a work of fiction (obviously, the author wasn't there and doesn't have any detailed records of words that were actually spoken), Haley tried to make the events as realistic and as historically accurate as possible. And I was appalled. The horrible conditions on the slave ship, the fact that so many of them died before even reaching the US, and then, that they advertised, "Healthy, prime slaves" upon arrival, when in reality, most were horribly emaciated, extremely ill, weak, and covered in sores.

Then, once a slave, treated basically as no more than an animal would be. I learned so much from reading this, and it was so exciting to follow the author's path at the end as he searches out and eventually traces his roots all the way back to the African tribe that Kunta disappeared from back in the 1700's. Due to lack of records and the fact that slaves were bought and sold so frequently (and every time that happened, their last names were changed to their new master's last name), being able to trace a family all the way back to Africa is probably a unique occurance.

I was incredibly humbled by my reading of this book. Especially to note how religious the slaves generally were. They led terrible lives, and yet they clung to God sometimes more fiercely than their "Christian" owners. I also feel deeply grateful that I grew up in a time and place where I literally don't even remember noticing that some people have a different color skin than me. Looking back on my childhood, I can't remember a single instance where I thought less of someone because they didn't look like me. Roots doesn't go into much detail into the lives of the author's ancestors after they were officially freed from slavery after the civil war. But as we all know, the fight for freedom was far from over. We are still battling racism in so many ways, but it sure is amazing to see how far we've come. I was amazed to read that even many abolitionists, who felt that the slaves should be freed, did not believe that blacks and whites could live together in harmony, and many favored shipping all the freed slaves back to Africa.

This book was definitely an epic, but so worth the read!

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Author: Ina May Gaskin

Pages: 319

Rating: PG - just be aware, there are a few photos of women laboring (some are completely naked) and a few pictures of babies actually emerging from the birth canal. Which I don't think is a BAD thing, but....wanted to put that out there.

Summary:
What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you. Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.

Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:

• Reducing the pain of labor without drugs--and the miraculous roles touch and massage play
• What really happens during labor
• Orgasmic birth--making birth pleasurable
• Episiotomy--is it really necessary?
• Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at all costs
• Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth
• How to avoid postpartum bleeding--and depression
• The risks of anesthesia and cesareans--what your doctor
doesn’t necessarily tell you
• The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers
• How to create a safe, comfortable environment for
birth in any setting, including a hospital
• And much more

Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women’s faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.

My Thoughts: I found this book to be incredibly helpful. I also read "Birth Matters" also by Ina May Gaskin, and although that one was also great, I liked this book just a tad better because I felt like it got more into the details of natural childbirth and what the benefits are, plus what all the risks are associated with various medical interventions. I also loved how the entire first half of this book is just a bunch of natural birth stories. Those kinds of things are pretty empowering to read!

I just love the overall message that a woman's body is not defective, it's not broken, and pregnancy and childbirth doesn't need to be treated like a disease. If you've ever wondered what might drive someone to choose natural birth, look no further than this book. You'll be considering it yourself after you read this!