Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan, and Tulsi Gabbard
By Lori Jaffe
Now that President-elect Trump has welcomed people with differing views to help set the tone of our new government, we have time to reflect, regardless of our party affiliation. What are our values? What do we have in common? We may even ask ourselves, “Am I a Republican at heart?” This self-reflection may take a little time, so be patient with yourself. But if you are not a registered Republican, please consider what you value and whether your values line up with those of the Republican Party. Many Democrats and members of other parties have made the switch. After all, Ronald Reagan famously said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me.”
Here is a general list of Republican values. One of these values focuses on the proper role of government.
I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs least.
One “ critical function,” is to protect our citizens. According to the U.S. Constitution,
“Article IV, Section 4 The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”
The 2024 Republican Platform has a more detailed list of what the Party plans to accomplish. Here are a few that specifically relate to our security:
“Seal the border, and stop the migrant invasion.”
“Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.”
“Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.”
The above goals aim to stop the current influx of people who commit crimes. In 2021, President Joe Biden ended Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy. “Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told a House subcommittee that the Biden administration has ‘effectively managed’ the flow of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border.” But the result of Biden's action was that millions of illegal migrants came across our borders, including members of criminal gangs such as MS-13.
County Executive Marc Elrich’s sanctuary policy has enabled MS-13 to take a foothold in Montgomery County. This has led to devastating results for many families. In October, 2023, four MS-13 gang members were charged in the death of 18-year-old Rosa Sanchez Merino. “According to the department, Roberto Carlos Rivera-Delgado, Iris Tudella Alonzo-Salgado, Aracely Abarca-Melgar, and Edwin Alexander Rivas-Salvador killed Sanchez Merino sometime around May 1 and buried her in a shallow grave along Brookville Road in Olney.”
In December 2023, the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center reported, “The mother of Alexandra Reyes, a teenager from Montgomery County murdered by the gang, had this warning. ‘In their schools, check their friends because they’re inside.’ Reyes’ mother said. ‘She was so sweet. She trusted in everyone and that, that was her problem.’” We ask those who are not yet registered Republicans to examine their hearts and ask, “What if this was my daughter?” Imagine what that child had to endure. Who separated that daughter from her mother?
We hope that your introspection will lead you to realize that we Americans still have a lot in common. We still know that protecting our children must be our priority. We must take back control of our country's security.
If you would like to join the Republican Party, you can at this link. All are welcome. We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our events. Thank you.
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Lori Jaffe is the Party Secretary for the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, volunteer coordinator and Member of the Executive Board. She can be reached at [email protected]
