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Republicans not unified on “Family Values”
by Dan Dodson
(published in the Trenton Times, October 6, 2004)
“Family Values” is one of those political code words that has a deservedly creepy connotation. GOP congressional candidates Chris Smith and Bill Spadea use it in their campaigns to mean they are “pro-life” and for the “no gays” marriage amendment. The right to control one’s body and marriage are core personal liberties that conservative Republicans seem to have no problem taking away.
This conservative ideology has even made its way to Trenton, where, Joe Truch, the chairperson of the Trenton Republican Club, recently called for a marriage test to be applied to the distribution of city owned housing. Mayor Palmer, quite rightly, dismissed this suggestion as discriminatory.
I urge moderate Republicans to rise up and take back control of the NJ Republican party. Moderates can send a message to the NJ GOP by rejecting conservative candidates and taking back local party control.
Dan Dodson
Leadership Trenton Fellow
Trenton, NJ
Copyright 2002, Dan Dodson
