By Jack Schmiedlin of the Young Republicans Club

In the fall of my eighth-grade year, in the great state of Indiana, my history class took a political ideology test that surveyed our respective values and beliefs. It was designed to suggest with which party we would align the most. Much to my parents’ surprise, I came home and announced to them: “I am a Republican.”

My dad at the time was Libertarian, my mother a conservative and their surprise came from the fact that we never discussed politics in our house. Six years later, I remain a more informed Republican.

This 2020 election is arguably one of the most critical elections in the history of the United States. President Donald Trump’s style and manner can be abrasive. I have come to realize, however, that I am not necessarily voting for the personality of a man, although I do submit that President Trump’s somewhat irritating idiosyncrasies are perhaps exactly what this country needs. Rather, in this election — an election that could jeopardize the state of our inalienable rights — I am voting for a party, the Republican party.

As human beings, we all have inalienable human rights — rights un-retractable by virtue of being human. The rights most notable are “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is the job of the government to protect those rights preserved by each of the documents drafted by our Founding Fathers: The Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Within each of these arguably sacred documents are enumerated the pursuits, freedoms and rights that Americans hold dear. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom from censorship, as well as the right to bear arms, are the most prominent in today’s combative political climate.

An article by Michael Warsaw, publisher of the National Catholic Register, shows just how divided we are as a country. In his article, “Voting for a Vision, not a Person,” Warsaw states that the American people have a choice “between two completely different views of America. That difference is philosophical, not simply personal.”

He goes on to say, “One campaign has built itself on the notion that America is a great country, with much to offer. It embraces a vision that sees religious practice and belief in God as central to the country’s private and public life. In this understanding of America, faith is not something to be defended against with a ‘wall of separation’ designed to keep Christians out. Instead, faith — and Christianity itself — are seen as critical to the flourishing of our country in a perspective shared by many of our Founding Fathers. This was the understanding of men like Samuel Adams, James Madison, Patrick Henry and George Washington.”

In stark contrast, Warsaw explains that against these Christian-based beliefs is the counterculture of progressivism espoused by college students, academia, liberal media outlets and, more visibly, by radical groups that have resorted to strident protesting and even rioting to broadcast their messages. These messages declare that America should be shamed for various acts in its history — acts that these progressives believe are the true basis of the foundation of America — then as well as today.

Warsaw elaborates that these progressives are pushing for a seemingly overhauling of American thought — that we, as Americans, have much to atone for and little of which to be proud. If one is to believe these progressives then, apparently, our traditions that have made us the envy of the entire world should now be viewed as some form of discrimination.

Most every traditional belief upon which our great country was founded is under attack from the Left, including:

• The right to life.  Progressives just do not celebrate it; they export it to the world.
• Progressives believe it to be a fundamental right — and if someone’s religious freedom is in direct confrontation with that, progressives only deflect the problem.

Warsaw references a recent EWTN documentary, which pointed out that “… where governments tried to kill God, they have often turned next to killing people.”  If one was to review the darkest periods of man, they would inarguably be struck by how true this conclusion is: an absence of God or any semblance of a religious citizenry has been exemplified by man’s inhumanity to man. Just look at any civil war or multinational armed conflict; God was erased or otherwise ignored during our Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, etc.

Today, our most important election cycle will determine the future of our country. While these words seem to be broadcast every four years in this country, in 2020 they come with an especially stern weight and warning: the America of 1776, 1865, 1945, 1968 and now 2020 will forever be erased if the party that embraces a faithless agenda assumes power. The candidates of the Left, the beloved of the progressives, will wash away the “sins” of our Forefathers: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech and freedom from censorship, as well as our right to bear arms.

Jack Schmiedlin is a sophomore at Chatham University who plans to major in MIS (management information systems) and psychology. He’s the president of the Young Republicans Club for the 2020-21 school year.