Throughout my adult life, I've watched and participated in a struggle between opposing views of how to achieve a better American society. These ideologies, although numerous and varied, were often squeezed down to conservative versus liberal... Republican versus Democratic parties. At least that's what the R's and D's wanted, and that's what their ever-increasing political power dictated.

Elections used to be fun; conventions used to be interesting fun, as competing factions within each major party fought, usually through their presidential candidate, for the votes of their party faithful. At conventions, roll-call votes of each states' delegations were a public declaration of the diverse views within a party. First ballots were typically filled with "favorite son" candidates of various states. They didn't expect to win, but it was a shout from the states that their organizations were alive and well, and that the party's diversity was not to be ignored. More importantly, competing candidates for the nominations spoke to their assembly and to the nation. Voter choices were often made based on what they heard from convention speakers.

Although there were competing factions within each party, there were also ideals around which each could unite. In simplistic terms, the Democratic Party advertised itself as the party of the "little people"... the so-called working people, primarily blue-collar. The Democrats had come from a tradition of "liberal" belief, meaning freedom from oppression, especially freedom for minorities from oppression by majority viewpoints.

We thought of the Republican party as conservative in that they were reluctant to change... determined to conserve what had made America great. They preached small government, states' rights, and individual rights. To some extent, conserving meant protecting the "establishment", which came to mean protecting business interests.

Regardless of which side of the political choice you favored, it WAS a fairly clear choice, and it WAS a choice that could be intellectually discussed.

What has become of those two parties?

The Democratic Party went from protecting individual rights to promoting forceful servitude to the state.

The Republican Party went from protecting individual rights to promoting forceful servitude to the state.

The two big parties have discarded their heritage, their ideology, and their principles in a frantic fight to become the ONE party that can fool ALL voters. Each is willing to stand for nothing in particular in order to not lose any voters. What we're left with are two parties who differ only in their rhetoric, which has kept some of the old appeal, but which is nothing BUT rhetoric that has little to do with their actions.

The "ideal" of both major parties has become winning and keeping political control. They use that power to reward those who sell out to their side, and they drag all the rest of us into serfdom to the ever-fattening structure we used to call "our" government.

We have a current example that demonstrates just how far the two parties have strayed from honestly being concerned about the rights of individuals. Even though those two parties now completely dominate government, writing all the laws, appoint judges, and controlling agency regulations, they have become the LAST groups to come to the defense of individuals and minorities. In many cases, such as this one, they have become the ENEMY that others must defend against.

There is before the U.S. Supreme Court, an important case that could determine whether eminent domain abuse will continue... specifically addressing whether a local government can take property simply because that property might be used to produce more tax revenue. It's a classic case of individual rights, specifically property rights. Is your home your castle? Can your city simply decide that your home or business can be sacrificed for more tax dollars? That issue is one of the most important facing our society. It's so overriding that it amounts to asking the question "Is there ANY limit to what government can do to you?"

I'm going to refer you to an article by Clint Bolick of the libertarian Institute for Justice in the Washington Times. It's worthy of careful reading. While you're reading it, I hope you will keep these questions in mind:

• Who is working for the rights of individuals?
  
• Where does the party I supported stand on this issue?
  
• Is my party part of the coalition in support of the individuals?
  
• Where are the Democrats in support of "minorities, the poor and the politically powerless?
  
• Where are the Republicans, former champions of limited government and individual property rights?

This case is a tragic proof that the lesser of two evils is still evil, and that America must come to realize that the power of these two corrupt parties must be broken. We can no longer allow ourselves to be suckered into believing that they care about anything but their own political wealth.