by James Turnage, author of “Down from the Mountain”

One issue which the media, the Republican Party, and the Democratic Party refuses to discuss in the unconstitutional influence of the Christian religious right’s influence over America. Issues including abortion and same-sex marriage would not exist if our government defended the Constitution and ignored extremist right-wing organizations.

The first amendment forbids influence by a single religion over our government. Every day the Republican Party violates the Bill of Rights by serving the demands of lobbyists. The Christian religious right is one of the owners of the GOP and the fact that these politicians serve a single religious group is a crime against America.

The Republican Party pretends to be the party of family values. Trump’s illegitimate presidency is proof that they are liars. Donald John Trump is a self-admitted sexual predator, a man who has committed adultery multiple times, and a man accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women. The Christian religious right and a hypocritical party continue to support this man who has no morals.

The right-wing outwardly denies the normalcy of human sexuality, although nearly every story from Washington about sexual deviance involves a Republican. As a group they are all liars and hypocrites.

The worst of these fake-Christians are evangelicals who preach abstinence prior to marriage, although Trump and other right-wing politicians have admitted to sexual gratification prior to marriage, and adultery during marriage.

Probably the most egregious violation of the first amendment is a joint condemnation of a woman’s right to control the health of her own body. Abortion is not murder. A fetus is not a human being until it is born alive. Most importantly, the life of an organism must not take precedence over the life of a woman. She must be allowed to make every choice about her physical and mental welfare. For centuries men have been allowed to make decisions about women’s health and welfare; unconstitutional.

By supporting the Christian religious right, the NRA gun lobby, and other special interests, the entire Republican Party has proven that they are the enemy of the American people. They should never have been elected, but ignorant men and women who choose to believe lies cast their ballots for the worst of America.

It’s time for real change and that includes the destruction of the once Grand Old Party.

We can save the nation of our founding fathers on November 3, 2020 by voting every Republican out of office. America can survive if we all vote in the most important election in America’s history.

“The truth lives here.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

Image courtesy of Mike Licht

My seven novels are available on Amazon’s free Kindle app; CLICK HERE