The preamble to the Wyoming GOP platform says: “WE believe that there are timeless truths that will always inform and direct our party and our country, regardless of current events and circumstances, changing strategies, goals and leadership. »

Plank No. 22 of the Wyoming Republican Platform states: “Freedom of speech is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Wyoming. Freedom of expression includes the freedom of the individual to express his or her beliefs, ideas and opinions without fear of reprisal…”

This, to me, certainly sounds like one of the “timeless truths” referenced in the preamble.

Given these masterful statements, one would think that the Wyoming Republican Party would encourage freedom of thought and expression among its members. One could also conclude that the Wyoming Republican Party would never retaliate against a member for speaking their mind.

We would be wrong.

Recent history proves that the Wyoming GOP never hesitates to punish a member for expressing their opinion. If a Wyoming Republican has the audacity to say something that does not have the imprimatur of the party leadership, the leadership is more than happy to hit the offending malcontent with an official censure.

Official censures from the Wyoming GOP were doled out to everyone from Republican members of our congressional delegation, a Republican governor, legislators, and various local Republicans who dared to speak out. So much for free speech in the Wyoming GOP.

Except Troy Bray, of course. Oral Eathorne and the cardinals of the Wyoming Republican Central Committee refused to censure him when he directed a vulgar epithet at a sitting state senator and told her she should kill herself.

I suppose this can be considered protected speech within today’s Wyoming Republican Party.

The latest example of Republican doublespeak in the Cowboy State, when GOP leadership ignored Plank 22, is the recent censure of a Laramie County GOP precinct committeeman for an email that did not comply the party line.

A long-time respected Republican, who sent an email before the election that didn’t say nice enough things about Donald Trump. A resolution of censure was drawn up against him for his statements, and although the resolution did not pass, he was still censured by his fellow Laramie County Republicans.

It is ironic and sad that the Wyoming Republican Party insists that Republican candidates for office must adhere to the party platform, while the party hierarchy itself ignores the platform when it suits them and when she wants to count on dissidents for a coup d’état.

It’s almost as if the Wyoming Republican Party wants to prevent any voice other than its own from being heard in the Big Empty. It’s almost as if the Party leadership wants Wyomingites to hear only their officially sanctioned speech.

I am here to testify that we hear them loud and clear. We can hear a word from official GOP lips echoing through the countryside. The word we hear from Oral Eathorne’s Wyoming Republican Party is “Hypocrisy,” and the Party backs that word up with its actions.

I really hope the Wyoming Republican Party blames me, a lifelong Republican, for calling out their bullshit. I will be in good company and I will wear my censure as a badge of honor, a timeless truth, and I will proudly uphold it with my words and actions.

Rod Miller can be contacted at: [email protected]