STATEMENT OF IDENTITY AND PRINCIPLES OF THE RHODE ISLAND REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY
The Rhode Island Republican Assembly (RIRA) is an organization of conservative Republicans, built upon those principles so well articulated by President Ronald Wilson Reagan. We understand that not all of our members will necessarily agree with all of our positions. However, we do share a common expectation that any member who disagrees with some portion of our Statement of Identity and Principles will make up for this with a passion for those principles with which he agrees, and for which he has chosen to become part of our organization.
Central to the identity of all Rhode Island Republicans is the proposition that it is the duty of the public servant to place the common good ahead of his own. This most basic requirement of good government has been lacking in Rhode Island for quite some time. As conservatives, we demand of our leaders a superior level of honesty, integrity, and respect for the law.
We believe that in the absence of certain essential virtues, any system of laws is in vain. Many of our Founding Fathers warned us that our Constitution is only a tool for preserving Freedom when it is in the hands of a moral people. That is why is essential that we recognize that the moral foundation of our society is of an origin far greater than ourselves. We believe that as members of the human race, we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We believe that Governments are established and ordained to protect these God-given rights.
The founders of our Nation firmly held to a conviction that religious freedom is fundamental to a Free Society. It is this religious freedom that allows us to publicly debate the nature of those rights with which God has endowed us. As individual citizens, we have many different religious beliefs and practices, as well as many different understandings of the Nature of God and the nature of man. However, we utterly reject the notion that the interests of Liberty are somehow served when religious expression is removed from the public square. When individuals, be they private citizens or public officials, are free to contribute their religious perspective to the arena of ideas, the result is that society as a whole has the opportunity to come to a deeper understanding of our fundamental human rights.
We believe that any free people must be governed by laws; not by men. As citizens, we must insist that both our Federal and State constitutions be strictly followed. When laws are passed pursuant to these constitutions, they should be respected and enforced. It is the role of the Judiciary to strictly interpret the law, in the context of its original intent. If we fail to hold our leaders to their oaths of office, then we have only ourselves to blame, as our government degenerates into Tyranny.
The Republican Party was founded in 1856, on the principle that the dignity of the individual cannot be determined by the will of the majority. This is a direct consequence of those self-evident truths to which Thomas Jefferson so eloquently refers. In Abraham Lincoln’s day, slavery was the most egregious violation of this founding principle. Today, in the same spirit, we recognize that the unborn child has a fundamental Right-to-Life that cannot be infringed. That sacred right extends to all persons, regardless of their age or infirmity. We believe that in preventing individual states from working to secure this fundamental Right-to-Life, the Federal courts have severely misinterpreted the Constitution and have abused their power.
We believe that the Traditional Family is the foundation and cornerstone of our society. The government must not attempt to undermine or to redefine the family unit.
The full potential of any society is realized when individuals are free to succeed or fail, according to their individual efforts and talents. We must always remember that opportunity is a product of Freedom; not of government. Opportunity is something that can be advanced by both the public and private sector, but any plan that attempts to guarantee individual outcomes is doomed to failure. Opportunity opens the door to the imagination, and competition and the potential for profit help to turn ideas into reality.
Competition is beneficial to both the public and the private sectors. This is the key to improving many of our public services, especially in the area of Education. When a government uses its legislative power to give itself a monopoly on a service that can be performed in whole or in part by other entities, the quality and cost effectiveness of that service suffers.
Governments also must compete with one another. For example, we can attract new business to Rhode Island by making the tax code more competitive. When a government functions well and is cost effective, it is likely to promote economic growth.
A proper Separation of Powers between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government, is essential if a people is to maintain control of their government.
Our law enforcement system is designed primarily to apprehend and to prosecute offenders. Part of the burden of preventing crime and providing security must reside in the hands of the individual; the government must not have a monopoly in this area. A proper exercise of our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms can play an important role in countering those who perpetrate violent crimes upon us. This right should not be infringed.
Private property rights are fundamental to our Liberty. All government policies must respect these rights.
Subsidiarity is an essential principle of any successful government. In our society, this is established through the notion of Federalism, in which each level of government has certain enumerated powers. We are opposed to the unconstitutional usurpation of power by any level or branch of government.
We likewise recognize that the National Federation of Republican Assemblies is a federation. As an independent member of this federation, we retain the right to speak for ourselves on issues important to us as conservative Rhode Islanders.
