Dear Editor,

Can you take a moment to think about why people think Republicans are heartless hypocrites? As a Republican I often wonder why people think of my party in this fashion. Are we really a bunch of people that favor the wealthy over regular everyday people?

House Bill 1, the medical cannabis oil bill, has shown me why some people think of the Republican Party in the way that they do. It is hard to line up what the Republican Party claims to be and what we see going on with HB1. We, as conservatives, find ourselves in a tight spot when we say one thing and do another.

As far as why many in our state are proud to be Republicans is the realization that we have a two-party system in which one says that it favors the individual over the collective. I am a Republican because I support the idea that individual rights supersede the rights of the collective.

With all that being said, we see that Republicans here in Georgia are not acting as though they favor the ideals that they campaign on. With HB1, we see that the rhetoric and the actions seem opposed to one another.

Most Republicans at the Legislature say that they are pro-life. While HB1 has nothing to do with abortion, it does provide a way for those who have medical conditions to have a better life. If one child can have a better life as a result of using medical cannabis oil, shouldn't we that claim to be pro-life also consider that life is just as much about life outside of the womb? Shouldn't we fight to make life, in general, less painful and better for those that have conditions that could be helped by this bill? I am pro-life, and my opinion is that this bill will help those that could use the most help in our society to have a better life.

We as Republicans claim to pro-family. If there was one bill in the legislature that would assist families in Georgia let me assure you that this is the one. There are many strains that a family with children that have special needs experience when their children need constant care as a result of their situation. How can we hold the banner of being pro-family and then turn around and not help these parents that have children that could see their family life improved by passage of this bill?

Finally, we as Republicans continuously tout our party as being the party that is good for business. With those in the party that oppose HB1, with in state cultivation, this does not seem to be the case. If the legislature were to pass the bill in its original form, we would see a new industry start up in our state. As a result, it would bring many jobs to satisfy the demand that we see from families that need this medical cannabis oil. The original bill has many safeguards to prevent abuse of the cannabis that will be necessary in order to produce the oil that will help these children and families.

These are just some of the issues that I see on the politics seen with HB1 during this session. I would ask that those in the state legislature remember that they are looked upon as products of the Republican Party. Please stop hurting our brand at the state level and begin to prove that what you say is what you will do when elected. Our party's future depends on those who claim to be Republican to act as Republicans should. If we ever hope to be effective as a party, we must realize that our actions as Republicans should line up with our promises. If we don't start now, don't be surprised if we move closer to an America that we as conservatives won't like.

Aaron Brooks
A founding member of the Newton Conservative Liberty Alliance