As all men are beholden to the eternal and objective morality found in the nature of the one, true, triune God, we, the Young Republicans of Texas, are no exception. Therefore, concerning the principles derived from this morality, we espouse them publicly, strive to embody them in our daily lives, and desire to see them implemented in society at large through our political activism.
Politics was understood by Aristotle as the science of organizing human society so that those within it can achieve a good and virtuous life. In the course of this pursuit, one must not only consider what is best in the abstract but also what is best relative to present circumstances. Doing this on a personal level entails abiding by God’s eternal morality in our private lives and acting out the principles derived from said morality in our public lives in a manner fitting of the age. The Master sums this up in giving the two greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Analogously, and more directly related to Aristotle’s understanding of politics, a good society orients its members towards achieving the good life by being structured both according to the aforementioned eternal principles and in a manner fitting of the age.
This requires the pursuit not only of heavenly and eternal goods, but also of temporal, earthly goods such as a sense of belonging in one’s own home. This is entailed by the phrase “fitting of the age” or the phrase “best relative to present circumstances”. Thus, it is necessary to see ourselves not as abstract humans living a disembodied existence, but as Texans living in a Texan society and pursuing the good life. How the good life is pursued as a Texan is in many ways distinct from how an Indian, a European, or even a Louisianan might pursue the good life. This is due to the fact that we have a unique history, culture, and heritage as Texans that is particular to us. As some are quick to do, this heritage should not be reduced to mere superficial things such as cowboy boots, barbecue, or country music. Although these things are also products of our people’s history, we are also the inheritors of a culture of fearless courage, genius innovation, and a Texas-sized pride in our state.
Our resolutions are aimed at constructing and maintaining a good Texan society as outlined above. We reject the dead consensus of the recent past that we are merely fungible cogs in a global economic machine without a home where we belong and whose God is irrelevant. We affirm the vision of a Texas for Texans in which the legacy and tradition of our fathers are honored, our own well-being is a priority in governance and public policy, and Texans work to leave a better society for their posterity than that which they inherited.