The Quest for Ideological Purity - The Arrogance of the Carson City Republican Party

My compliments to Jed Block, Republican candidate for the Assembly 40th District, and his courage to reject the attempt by a small coterie of self-righteous, self-anointed, pseudo-intellectual purists of the Carson City Republican Party.

Block was informed when and where he should appear before the “recently created secret Republican Vetting Committee” so it members could decide whether the party should support his candidacy.” (See Nevada Appeal, March 26th.)

In the same article, Block went on to say the proposed “vetting” of candidates was to be in a closed meeting that “may not even be observed without and invitation.”

Block’s outrage at this fascist strain of the modern conservative movement here in Carson City, is not only understandable, but completely justified!

One can only surmise, that this group would require any Republican candidate to pass a series of ideological litmus tests, before they would, in their profound omniscient wisdom, give their unequivocal support to a candidate.

There are far too many questions that need to be answered by those who sit on this “vetting committee of the Carson City Republicans.”

1. Who are you? Come out from the shadows and name yourselves!

2. Where do you get any authority to demand from any candidate to stand before you in a secret meeting so that you can pass judgment?

3. Who is going to pass judgment on the members of the vetting committee?

4. Answer this question…Do you have any legal, political, or moral authority to demand that candidates stand before this “star chamber”? (My personal comment if I was running for public office, I would have told you to kiss my posterior fundament!)

5. Why are you afraid of public scrutiny?

6. Why the secrecy? The Ku Klux Klan held secret meetings and put people into office, which is not a model a political organization should mimic. Actions speak louder than words. However, “exclusion” is a word with strong substance.

7. Why did this committee not take out an ad in the Nevada Appeal inviting all citizens to participate in an open forum, sponsored by the Carson City Republican Party, so that rational conservative principles could be properly presented?

8. Would you like the curious of our community to do background checks on this vetting committee?

My antipathy towards the Carson City Republican community became more than magnified when I approached a member of the Carson City Republicans Women’s Club, and respectfully requested that I, and Mayor Bob Crowell, give a presentation on the Traveling Vietnam Wall before its arrival to Carson City, the capital of Nevada.

I was informed, that the Mayor would not be allowed to speak because “he’s not one of us.” But, I might be able to speak, but only after a meeting of their Executive Board to decide if I was worthy of an appearance before them.

Bob Crowell is my friend and a Vietnam Veteran. As a four-time decorated Vietnam Veteran, I was insulted not only at their rejection of my colleague, but also that I had to pass a litmus test, before being “allowed” to promote a non-partisan issue which honored our fallen men and women who served honorably and paid the ultimate price.

The taste of bile in my mouth after their denigrating attitude towards the both of us, still requires a daily purification of my mouth by large amounts of Listerine, and even then there is an aftertaste.

History is resplendent with the ashes of political ideology’s that demanded absolute purity from its adherents. History is has also shown that those who try to enforce their political purity, quickly drift into the quicksand of obscurity.

One can only hope!

Karl Neathammer is a 25 year resident of Carson City. He makes no apologies for his comments. Long ago he discovered the First Amendment. The beauty of the First Amendment is that he really doesn’t give a damn what his critics think!