In 2015, a group of conservative Republicans in the U.S. House came together in hopes of gaining leverage over GOP Speaker John Boehner and foiling President Barack Obama. But they had trouble deciding what to call themselves.
The “Reasonable Nutjob Caucus” was suggested. “We had 20 names, and all of them were terrible,” then-Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina told The New Yorker. “None of us liked the Freedom Caucus, either, but it was so generic and so universally awful that we had no reason to be against it.”
It apparently didn’t bother them that the Freedom Caucus was most infatuated with the concept behind the name. Within the modern GOP, individual liberty is increasingly viewed with fear, suspicion and hostility.
Then-Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., on Capitol Hill in 2016. “None of us liked the Freedom Caucus, either, but it was so generic and so universally awful that we had no reason to be against it,” he once told The New Yorker about the name. (Alex Brandon/AP)
It used to be a fundamental ideal — if not the fundamental ideal. At the 1964 Republican National Convention, presidential nominee Barry Goldwater proclaimed, “This party, with its every action, every word, every breath, and every heartbeat, has but a single resolve, and that is freedom.” President Ronald Reagan believed that “the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.”
But their brand of conservative thinking has seen a drastic decline in market share. Nowadays, what excites Republicans is using the power of government to impose their values on the unwilling.
That was apparent under President Donald Trump, whose idea of liberty did not extend beyond doing whatever he wanted for his own interests. He could no more deliver a stirring tribute to freedom than he could swim the English Channel.
But in 2023, it’s other Republicans who lead the assault. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has bragged about punishing The Walt Disney Co. for daring to oppose a measure restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
He signed into law a bill dictating what public universities can teach about racism, sexism and other disagreeable topics. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — often cited by conservatives for its criticism of progressive intolerance — filed a lawsuit arguing that the law would “impermissibly chill free expression and promote unconstitutional censorship.”
Chilling free expression to arctic temperatures is the whole point. Railing against “critical race theory,” Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas vowed, “We banned it in publicly funded K-12, and we will ban it in publicly funded higher ed.”
Education is just one of the places where Republicans want tight government control. The American people have come to support fully legalizing cannabis. But a dozen states, almost all controlled by the GOP, forbid even medical marijuana.
Republicans can no longer be counted on even for keeping the government from meddling in business decisions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several red states made it illegal for companies to require proof of vaccination from employees or customers.
Access to abortion is a fading memory in red state after red state. Former Vice President Mike Pence wants Congress to ban abortion everywhere.
Forced birth was not always a Republican cause. In 1967, as governor of California, Reagan signed one of the most liberal abortion laws in the country (which he later regretted). Goldwater said, “That’s a decision that’s up to the pregnant woman, not up to the pope or some do-gooders or the religious right.”
Gay rights have been achieved over GOP objections, and the objections persist. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has urged the Supreme Court to recant its decision affirming same-sex marriage.
But the chief focus is on denying transgender medical treatment to minors. The same people who insist that parents should decide whether their kids can read controversial books say that parents can’t be trusted when it comes to gender therapy.
It’s not just youngsters who are harmed by the anti-transgender fever. Some states require trans people to use restrooms corresponding to the gender assigned them at birth.
When the General Assembly here in Illinois was on its way to passing a bill allowing businesses to provide all-gender restrooms — as long as they had only locking stalls with floor-to-ceiling partitions — GOP Sen. Neil Anderson promised to “beat the living piss” out of any male who entered such a restroom while his daughter was inside.
Republicans in Tennessee enacted a law criminalizing some drag performances — a law soon blocked by a federal judge. One of the groups behind this law has the nerve to call itself the Alliance Defending Freedom, which certainly sounds better than the Alliance Attacking Freedom.
Conservatives occasionally make perfunctory efforts to claim to defend personal liberty against intrusive government. But what today’s Republicans truly cherish is their freedom to trample on your freedom.
Steve Chapman was a member of the Tribune Editorial Board from 1981 to 2021. His columns, exclusive to the Tribune, appear the first Thursday of every month. He can be reached at stephenjchapman@icloud.com.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Steve Chapman: Republicans used to be champions of individual freedom. Not anymore.
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01.06.2023
In 2015, a group of conservative Republicans in the U.S. House came together in hopes of gaining leverage over GOP Speaker John Boehner and foiling President Barack Obama. But they had trouble deciding what to call themselves.
The “Reasonable Nutjob Caucus” was suggested. “We had 20 names, and all of them were terrible,” then-Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina told The New Yorker. “None of us liked the Freedom Caucus, either, but it was so generic and so universally awful that we had no reason to be against it.”
It apparently didn’t bother them that the Freedom Caucus was most infatuated with the concept behind the name. Within the modern GOP, individual liberty is increasingly viewed with fear, suspicion and hostility.
Then-Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., on Capitol Hill in 2016. “None of us liked the Freedom Caucus, either, but it was so generic and so universally awful that we had no reason to be against it,” he once told The New Yorker about the name. (Alex Brandon/AP)
It used to be a fundamental ideal — if not the fundamental ideal. At the 1964 Republican National Convention, presidential nominee Barry Goldwater proclaimed, “This party, with its every action, every word, every breath, and every heartbeat, has but a single resolve, and that is freedom.” President Ronald Reagan believed that “the very heart and soul of........
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