“Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue; and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants for tyrannies” ~ John Adams
There is great wealth in the writings of our founders on the role of government, economics, the rights of man, and the pursuit of the American dream. One of those great writers was Adams who happens to be one of my favorite. I am not pushing a moralist agenda, but in light of the events taking place in Florida, I think it is appropriate to look at the role morality and virtue play in our society. Adams tied freedom and liberty directly to morality. I do not think it is an accident that the sanctity of Human life is respected and cherished in America as it is when compared to the rest of the world, but as Mark has pointed out, there are those even within the GOP who view the value of life differently. As Republicans, we must strive to make sure our party continues to be a defender of human life. It was striking to me to hear the difference between the two sides during the house floor speeches for the Terry Schiavo vote, our two party system really has turned into Pro-Life and Pro-Death.