We need two major political parties

The reason for having two major political parties is that one party believes in a larger role the federal government has in governing, which results in things being more uniform in this nation, while the other party believes in a limited role for the federal government and that states have a larger role in policymaking and need more flexibility.

Some narrow-minded special-interest groups have been trying to control the Republican Party. Some of the planks these groups inserted into the Republican platform have nothing to do with giving the states more control, but are a dictatorship telling elected Republicans how to vote on issues.

So-called religious conservatives have no business dictating to our elected officials how to vote. Religion belongs in the church, not on Capitol Hill, not in the state houses. The Tea Party should be known as the Troublemakers Extremists Association, unwilling to compromise with Democrats or even fellow Republicans.

Two major political parties working together and having checks and balances is reason that we are the United States. If one of the parties always would have control, we would be known as the Union of Socialist Democratic States and if the other party was always in control, we would be known as the Divided Republics of America, each republic having a different type of government.

Paul Adams

Stanwood