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This is an opinion column.

Youve met him before, my Reasonable Republican friend. Ive mentioned him in previous columns, shared his insights, his perspectives on some of the hot buttons out here making folks apoplectic.

Sometimes we agree. Quite often, in fact.

Sometimeswell, our friendship matters more.

Weve known each other since high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Weve laughed and shared and debated for decades, so many we no longer calculate. Decades as we navigated the evolution of our respective lives. As he became a doctor, an OBGYN in Texas. As he obtained a Theology Masters. All while feeding his passion for sailing.

Most of all, weve respected each other at every juncture of the journey, through every back and forth.

We treasure what we have in common far beyond anything upon which we may differ.

Like me, hes a Christian, so our views are shaped and guided by our faith. By the greatest commandment. By Love thy neighbor. Period.

Politically, he describes himself as a fiscally conservative social liberal.

As I scratched my head, he explained: One who believes in less government regulation of trade, lower taxes, but advocates coordinated private assistance to those in need and seeks to be neither judgmental nor, worse, prejudicial.

Sounds reasonable.

Yet my RR friend grew frustrated as his party abandoned large swathes of policiespolicies that may be nuanced or complicated, or perhaps beyond the comprehension (or interest) of the average voter. Like trade. Like pursuing for their region the millions of federal dollars allocated each year to build and rebuild outdated roads, bridges, stormwater systems, and the like, no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

Hes exasperated with Republican lawmakers who hold their noses at any position or policy that might actually enhance lives. Like, in our state, Medicaid expansion. Or providing rural residents in places such as the Black Belt with systems that dont spit raw sewage, not their yard.

Hes even more agitated at the Republicans gluttony for red-meat social hot buttons. For Boogiemen.

Like eradicating a womans personal choice before shes likely to even know shes pregnant.

Like suppressing Black voters under a Trump-fueled delusion of fraud.

Like flailing on about critical race theory when most of them cant define it.

Like whatever they were mad at Judge (soon to be Supreme Court Associate Justice) Ketanji Brown Jackson about during confirmation hearings. Whatever made them act with ignorant petulance.

UNITED STATES - MARCH 24: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., left, questions witnesses as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, looks on, on the fourth day of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Bidens nominee for Associate Justice to the Supreme Court, in Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on Thursday, March 24, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

Texas should uniformly be embarrassed by [Sen.] Ted Cruz, my RR said after the Republican senators histrionics with a childrens book. As a Black man, I hope you dont think the Cruzes and [Sen. Lindsey] Grahams in any way speak for white America (Oh, did I mention my RR friend is white?)only twisted, perverse, self-serving, vocal judgmental white America.

Alright then. No, I told him, I dont broad-brush all whites with the pitiable, commandment-defying antics of white Republican lawmakersnationally or in our own blood-red state.

Our Republicans aimed their ignorance and fear at transgender youth just trying to live just as Bull Connor aimed firehoses at children just trying to live free almost 60 years ago.

Their new all-but unenforceable, big-government laws are embarrassing intrusions into the lives of trans youth (like where they can handle natural body functions), their families, and their physicians. They dont protect children, as Republicans lamely claim, but bully and demean them.

Stupid laws, my RR friend asserts. Born of fear and misunderstanding by people who think transgenders are people who are somehow perverted rather than simply people whose genetic makeup has misaligned their psyche with their physical form. Fear that they are also somehow sexual predators.

The transgender population makes up what, 0.4%?, he says. One-point-four million out of 350 million. It shouldnt even be an issue.

Yet another point of agreement.

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Of his party, my RR friend went right to Scriptureto Romans 1: 21:

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became future and their foolish hearts were darkened.

There is no moderate wing of either party, as far as I can tell, he texted recently (not one of the points upon which we wholly agree, though I digress). But there is no more embarrassing position than the far-right yuck. Its really a shame. People used to be able to be Republicans without being embarrassed about it. Lately, I find them on the wrong side of every single issue I care about. Theres no safe space anymore for a fiscally conservative social liberal.

No safe space, it seems, for a Reasonable Republican.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. McConnell was critical of the federal budget put forward by President Joe Biden. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty Images

I dont want to believe that, honestly. I dont want to believe my friend is the last Reasonable Republican. I want to believe there are more out there like him. More Republicans who really believe in less government and more empathy.

More Republicans who love their neighborseven those different from themselves. Those whose choices they dont understand or embrace.

More Republicans who are guided by faith, not fear. By compassion, not condemnation.

More Republicans

My RR friend is so infuriated with his party right now that he shared this: You can even call me your Reasonable former Republican physician theologian sailing friend.

Reasonable Republicans, if there are any of yall left out there, please stand.

Reasonably soon.

More columns by Roy S. Johnson

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Roy S. Johnson is a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary and winner of 2021 Edward R. Morrow prize for podcasts: Unjustifiable, co-hosted with John Archibald. His column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Press-Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com, follow him at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj.

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Any reasonable, empathic Republicans left out there? If so, its time for you to stand - AL.com