Values

RAINS is the Republican Assembly INdiana Southwest

We believe that man’s rights flow from the Creator and the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable and cannot be legitimately granted or rescinded by men.

JUDEO-CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION

We believe in the guiding force of moral law as expressed by the Judeo-Christian ethic and contained in the Holy Scriptures of these historic faiths.

SELF-GOVERNMENT

We believe that the only answer to the current moral decline in our nation is a return to the beliefs and standards of morality which our Founding Fathers placed into the Constitution. With the framers of that document we believe President Adams’ statement that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people: it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” We understand that the concept of self-government begins with governing one’s self first, then family, community, state, and nation.

EDUCATION

We believe in the rights of parents to pursue a quality education for their children. We support parental choice to create competition among the schools. We must insure that no school or teachers’ union can compromise the education of our children or advance a particular political agenda at the expense of our future generation’s educations.

FREE ENTERPRISE

We believe in the free enterprise system as the best hope for men and women to fulfill their economic hopes and dreams. We know that the free market is the most efficient and the least costly system to deliver the highest quality goods and services at the lowest price to the consumer. We will support only those who support the free enterprise system through legislation to reduce or eliminate intrusive government intervention in the marketplace.

FAMILY

We believe that the traditional American family, consisting of persons related by blood or adoption through the marriage of one man and one woman, is the cornerstone of our American society, and the government is duty bound to protect the integrity of the family unit through legislation and tax policies.

SANCTITY OF LIFE

We believe that the preborn child, from conception to the end of natural life, is a human being possessing the same unalienable rights as all other people and entitled to the full protection of the law.

NATIONAL DEFENSE

We believe in a strong and consistent national defense. We believe in victory over, and not accommodation with, tyranny in any form or philosophy.

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” General George Washington

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

We believe in the unqualified right of our citizens to keep and bear arms and in the Second Amendment’s guarantee to individuals of that right.
TAXES

We believe that the federal tax system is abusive to the American people while discouraging investment and growth. We believe in growth oriented tax policies which would gradually eliminate punitive income taxes and move our tax system toward that originally established by our Founding Fathers.

VICTIMS RIGHTS

We believe in the concept of victims’ rights over the rights of any criminal. We support a system of restitution as a deterrent to crime and recidivism.

NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY

We believe in nationalism, and that Government’s first concern is the welfare and protection of the American people and their sovereign right to rule themselves without deference to any foreign or international body. We do not believe in trade protectionism but support political leaders who will adopt policies that create fair and competitive trade.

DECENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT

We believe in the supremacy of the power of individual citizens over the powers they choose to delegate to the state, a principle enshrined in the Tenth Amendment. We believe that only small government truly serves the needs of the people and that those governments closest to the people are most responsive to their needs. We affirm the principle of Federalism, and its establishment in the form created by the Founders.