I cast my first vote in 1969. I have voted in every election since, local, state and federal. I have always been a registered Independent. I prided myself in voting for the person and policy, not the party.
Last week, I changed my registration to Republican.
This was not prompted by the circus happening in our Congress. It was not because of the increasingly disturbing rhetoric coming from the “squad” of radically left-leaning junior members of Congress. It was not because of the radical promised policies put forth by the Democratic candidates that can neither be realistically financed, or that they even mean to keep. It was not even because of the idiotic statement by Hillary Clinton that Tulsi Gabbard was some kind of Russian plant!
The tipping point was the Sept. 11 diatribe by Gary Hooser. His whining about his own Democratic party here in Hawaii being too “corporate” and “centrist” convinced me that the increasingly radical “progressives” are a danger to our republic.
The idea that a legislator should balance the needs of the people with the corporate interests that provide the jobs, taxes and livelihood of those people seems abhorrent to him.
As an avowed “progressive,” he and his ilk believe that the system should be slashed and burned to the ground, and then hope that it will rise from the ashes like a Phoenix, perfect in their image of a great society. They have no care about the damage such acts do to the people, their lives or the country, as long as society is molded in their view of the “perfect world.”
They have become increasingly vocal and violent in their need to suppress the right of anyone to express dissenting opinions. Yet, when they have the chance to make meaningful change, they offer nothing of worth.
Mr. Hooser ran the Democratic Senate, yet accomplished none of the changes he is so eager for others to make. His hatred of the corporate farms is legendary, and he would love to see them destroyed and out of Hawaii. Does he care about the jobs lost, the homes that they live in or the taxes they pay? No, his way or the highway is the attitude.
His article is a sort of call to arms to the hoped-for army of progressive candidates that will campaign to “put the people and planet first” and strive for “economic, environmental and social justice.” Hopefully, they will not prevail. We need the “centrists” who weigh all the costs of their actions. They can be environmentally friendly, socially aware and yet not tear down our society and destroy the hopes and dreams of our people. Such radicalism has failed worldwide throughout history. It must not be allowed to repeat itself here.
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Barry Dittler is a resident of Wailua.
