This editorial originally appeared in the Los Cerritos Community News

Since the Sacramento Budget Game editorial, I have received certain communications, mostly in reference to the last tag. And though in a conversation I would have explained my position in clearer terms, I needed to make it more concise so that the letter itself would fit into the space available for such letters.

For those upset with that statement please be patient with my explanation of this statement. 

In the past decade I have noticed a trend in within the Democrat party where if you don’t tow the party line of the leadership you will be marginalized. This is one reason why I left that party. For the most part my ideas as a Christian conservative Democrat were demeaned or treated as the ravings of a madman. As a Republican I notice ideas are treated as things to be explored and debated. I may not agree with a Log Cabin Republican on things like Prop. 8, but we can have a civil discussion on that or other topics whether we actually agree on them or not without the sort of vitriol you face from Democrat Leadership. 

In the last 6 years I have noticed how moderate and conservative Democrats in elected office have consistently been marginalized by their own party’s leadership unless they tow a leftist line on at least a few issues. For instance, when I heard ridicule coming forth from the mouths of Democrat leaders over Alan Lowenthal having the temerity to reach across the aisle when he doesn’t need to or to even allow Republicans to be elected to local office in his district; I became aware that the time for bipartisanship and moderation was coming to an end. Today there are a relative handful of Democrats who are willing to meet with conservatives much less listen and consider the actual merits of our ideas (i.e. Senator Lowenthal, Rep. Napolitano, Assemblyman Calderon).  Most have been in office for more than a decade &/or come from the few districts where the registration gap between the two parties is small.

In recent weeks we have seen released from the Department of Homeland Security a document which seems to label all Christian conservatives as well as veterans as potentially being more dangerous to national security than Al Queda. We see impeached judge Rep. Hastings introduce a bill to convert former military bases to be in essence gulags for political dissidents. And we see a plan put forward by the current White House Administration to turn Americorps from a charitable organization into a civilian Army possibly akin to the Hitler Youth or the Red Army. And we have to ask ourselves for how long will we be able to disagree openly with one another in a civil manner? Or will we in order to protect our liberties be forced to rebel, be it peaceful like Dr. King & Mr. Gandhi or not.

Sincerely,

Matt Kauble

Cerritos resident