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What happened to the Republican Party?

Throughout history, Republicans led some extremely progressive movements. I mean some serious “liberal” ones. Abe Lincoln united the country, freed the slaves. Republicans voted the Civil Rights Act in 1964 with 80 percent House of Representatives and 82 percent in the Senate. Today that is considered a “liberal” movement.

The progressive wing of the GOP supported the women’s suffrage movement. Teddy Roosevelt, a great Republican, founded the progressive movement and assisted in leading the charge to establish the 19th Amendment.

Today we equate “progressive” with being liberal when in fact, progressives are people who believe that the greatest obstacles to individual freedom and liberty are discrimination and poverty. I think conservatives and liberals believe everyone has the right to equal opportunity to reach their full human potential. Progressives believe that prosperity is the outcome to healthy democratic society that balances the values of individualism and community. That’s what being progressive is. If you hear that someone is in the “resistance” they are probably progressive, at least they are today. It means we resist what does not resonate with our core American beliefs and values as stated in the United States Constitution.

Progression happens when people have had enough. It’s not the politicians or the ultra wealthy. It’s just us, you and me who seek what is fair and American. Montanans may get into cyber matches online and disagree on news threads, but when it come to public lands, education, or what is the “right thing to do,” we find commonality. At the end of the day it won’t be about politics, who’s right and who is wrong, it will be about what is best for our families and our neighbors, and being Montanans, we always work together for that.

—Cristina Friar

Bigfork