What key issues make you a democrat?

[Trivium Academy]

Someone very close to me is a democrat for these reasons and only these reasons:

"I'm not a middle aged white man with tons of money."

"Democrats stand for taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor."

"Democrats believe in personal liberty, they don't tell you want you can't do with your own body." - references to legalizing marijuana, abortion where made after this comment

"The Democrats will end the war as soon as they accept office."

 

I used to be a Democrat because I believed the Democrats fought for American workers, I thought that Democrats wanted to help the underdog. I thought FDR was a wonderful president and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Depression and all that he accomplished as a President to champion the people.

 

So I'm curious, what is the modern Democrat? What does it mean to say you're a democrat? I don't know how else to figure this out but to read through tons of rhetoric and feel-good words, even the Democratic Party website- what is the nuts and bolts of the Democratic Party?

 

I won't comment further than this post b/c I really do want to learn and absorb what you say.

[LaMere Academy]

I look forward to reading the responses as well. I really do not know much about politics, but am trying to learn with this election. :001_smile:

[Jami]

I'm not really responding, because I am not a Democrat. But I chuckled at your acquaintance/friend's first criteria "I'm not a middle aged white man with tons of money." Dh said something last night about not being a rich old white guy, and I said, "Yeah, but you aspire to be one, right?" ;) Someday he will be old and white, those things are hard for him to escape, and I know I sort of hope he's a little richer somewhere along the line! :lol: Not that those are reasons to vote either way, it was just funny to me.

 

Jami

[Mom to Aly]

I am a democrat:

 

Because I believe in equal rights, equal pay and equal opportunities for all, men and women, rich and poor, whites and all minorities, homosexual and heterosexual, sick and well, etc.

 

Because I believe everyone has the right to decide their own religion and to keep it to themselves, not have it forced on others, which includes in school. Consider this: you may be Christian and think it is fine to have Christianity in the form of prayers, etc, in school, but how would you like it if a teacher started the day with a Hindu prayer, or an Islamic prayer? I bet you'd have plenty to say to that school!

 

Because I believe, no matter what you think of abortion, no one, and I do mean NO ONE, has the right to tell a woman what she can or can't do with her body, as long as that fetus is under a certain age. Past a certain point, especially the point of viability, it is different, because then it is a viable life, and has its own rights.

 

I am a democrat because I believe the government is here to help the middle class and, especially, the poor, survive and work towards a better life, not find ways for the rich to get richer, while the rest of the country gets poorer and suffers more hardships every day.

 

I am a democrat because I believe that, after paying into the system all of their lives, the people in this country who are becoming the elderly population should get back what they were promised so that they can live out their old age without terror over being able to afford to live, and afford the medical care they need.

 

I am a democrat because I believe everyone should be able to receive necessary medical care, not only those who are well, but those who are ill as well--insurance companies should be there to help, not only to make fortunes.

 

I am a democrat because I believe we have a responsibility towards this Earth and towards future generations. The whole "me" generation may be a joke to some, but it isn't to the planet we are destroying. I want my daughter, and her children, and their children, and so on, to have a planet they can live on, not the legacy of pollution and deterioration we are moving towards.

 

I am a democrat because I believe that, while we are a great country, we are not the only country, and should not act that way.

 

I am a democrat because I firmly believe that the education of our children should be one of our top priorities.

 

I am a democrat because I believe in paying my taxes--I understand that my community needs money to run, that, even if my dd does not go to public school, it is available to her, and that is my choice, and, as a member of my community, it is duty to pay for it, just as it is my duty to help support the local library, police, firemen, etc. I have no problem with that. I am not for school vouchers--if I decide not to utilize my public school, and to send my dd to private, again, that is my choice, but there is no reason money should be taken from the public school because I decide it is not worthy of my daughter. Either it is not doing well, and taking money from it will not help it improve, or it is, and I feel my daughter needs better, again, my choice.

 

I am a democrat because I believe the disabled, poor, elderly, and others on social programs need help, and should continue to get it. Just as we try to help people in other countries in need, so should we help those in need here. I have a brother who has been permanently disabled since the age of 15, and he gets a whopping $574 a month to live on, and the republicans begrudge him that? How I'd love to see one of them live on that for their restaurant allowance for one month!!!

 

I am a democrat for many more reasons, but, most of all, because I want a better world for my daughter, better than what I grew up in, and much better than what we have now. Crime is increasing, I think mostly because of the huge disparity you see everywhere--people living in mansions, to others on the street. And because I am deathly afraid of the future of the world if our governship continues as it has been going; I do not see how we can avoid some type of nuclear occurence in our future.

 

And, for what it is worth, I am a middle aged (42) white woman, was middle class, or upper middle class, until my divorce, am completely against the legalization of marijuana, except for medicinal purposes, and then only at home or in a medical facility.

[Carrie12345]

:iagree:

I am a democrat because of everything above but the last paragraph.

[muffinmom]

Don't want to get into a long exchange. But I just want to point out that the things described by Mom to Aly don't necessarily apply just to Democrats. Many Americans, both parties, feel the same way about a lot of the issues. I think the major difference between the parties is not necessarily which issues they care about, but how to go about solving them.

 

I think we'd all be more civil if we could realize that most of us DO care about the same things. To imply that Republicans don't care about equal opportunities for all or think that we are the only important country in the world or only want the rich to get richer or don't put our children's education as a priority or don't care about the needs of the elderly or mentally ill, etc., is just a misrepresentation or at the very least a misperception of the party's ideals. It's just perpetuating what others want our country to believe about the Republican party. (And the same is true for misrepresentation of the Dem. party). This is part of the problem--everyone just hears what the media or their party's leaders portray about the other guys--and believes it and then characterizes people according to it. We have to stop such characterization and come to some real solutions.

 

Sorry, Jessica, I didn't mean to get off the subject...just tired of the assumptions that are made about people and their beliefs--on both sides.

[Mrs Mungo]

I want control of my reproductive choices. Since many conservatives believe that birth control is abortificant in nature I will remain *firmly* pro-choice even though I would *personally* prefer to see abortion limited in some ways.

 

I think all people should be given equal treatment under the law.

 

I don't want family values or religion in public schools.

 

While I'm a staunch supporter of the second amendment I still believe we should put some control on guns. Nobody needs hollow-tipped ammunition or extremely high capacity clips to kill a deer or even an intruder.

 

I believe 3 strikes laws often put the wrong people in prison for life.

 

I *don't* think we should privatize Social Security.

 

I don't think we should take money away from already poor schools as punishment for low-performing students.

 

I think replacing oil with alternative energy sources should be THE number one issue of the current campaign and THE number one priority of our nation until the problem is solved.

 

I think the "War on Drugs" is *in some ways* a waste of money although I *also* understand how in some ways that money funds terrorism. That is a tough one. I guess I don't think we should be wasting money going after local pot-growers.

 

I don't think churches have any business receiving federal funds, even for charitable work.

 

I agree with the progressive tax system.

 

I think illegal immigrants who are already in this country deserve a chance to become citizens.

 

I agree with stricter limits on political spending.

 

I believe the Patriot Act harms our rights and protections.

[hsmamainva]

Awesome list, Mrs. Mungo!!!! :hurray:

[FO4UR]

"Democrats stand for taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor."

"Democrats believe in personal liberty, they don't tell you want you can't do with your own body." - references to legalizing marijuana, abortion where made after this comment

 

 

I just felt the need to chuckle at the inconsistancy of your friends comments:lol: Don't tell him what he can do to his own body, but tell the "rich" what to do with their money??????

 

I know there are Dems out there who are better spoken....so back to the regularly scheduled discussion.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I grew up in Baltimore County and everyone I knew was a Democrat. Generally the only canidate that ran with opposition were Democrats, thus I registered as a Democrat. Now I live in a hugely Rep. area so I am a Republican for the same reason. It's probably not a great reason, but I like to have a choice on who to vote for in the primary, especially for local canidates.

[Jennifer3141]

I'd be Green Party if they'd ever come up with a candidate who wasn't so obviously toked out during a speech but I am a Democrat because I always vote for the environment first. And I believe in a woman's right to choice.

 

I am a "rich" white American woman. If Obama is elected, we are in the tax bracket that will be hit the hardest. It will hurt. My DH is supporting all our parents. It is still worth it to us so that our kids have a planet on which to live and the freedom of choice should they ever have to make a very hard and personal decision.

 

Jen

[Erica in PA]

LOL, Jessica, I didn't see this thread until after I posted my poll just now, asking about the Democrats' view of the media. Today must be the day to get inside the mind of the Democrat! ;)

 

Fwiw, my family are mostly all Democrats, and their reasons are the same as the person you mentioned above-- Republicans are for the rich, don't care about health care, get into people's private business, and don't care about people dying in Iraq. Democrats are the opposite of all of the above. I'll follow this thread, because I am sure people here have better reasons!! :bigear:

 

Erica

[Greta]

I haven't read the other responses yet, so that I can just give you my own gut reaction to your question (and then I look forward to hearing what others have had to say!)

 

I agree with many of your friend's reasons. I don't mean to ruffle feathers, but I can't answer your question without saying that I believe the raison d'etre of the Republican party is to create/enforce a class system where the nation is sharply divided between the haves and the have nots. I, on the other hand, like the Dems, think this nation is strongest with a large middle class. My family is far, far better off when there is a Democrat in the White House. If I were wealthy enough to benefit from the Republican policies which make the rich richer and allegedly are supposed to "trickle down" (but never do) then I might feel differently. But I would like to think that my own best interest would be fairly weighed against the best interests of the rest of the nation, and there is absolutely no doubt that most Americans are better off financially under the Dems.

 

The environment is also a huge, deciding issue for me. And while neither party is doing nearly enough, Dems do more than Republicans. And since they are, perhaps unfortunately, the only two viable options for most offices, my choice is pretty clear. If the Green party becomes a viable option someday, then that might change. But as of right now, I'm a registered "yellow dog" Democrat.

 

This is an issue I have been extremely hesitant to discuss on this board, but I also share your friend's feelings regarding the Democrats not trying to tell people what to do with their own bodies. This is a big issue for me. Regardless of my personal, mixed feelings about the implications of abortion, the implications of a government taking that right away from its people are far, far more troublesome. Criminalizing abortion does much more than just assert the personhood (I realize that's not a real word, but it's the best I can do) of a fetus, it diminishes the personhood of the woman. What right is more important, more deeply personal, more profoundly necessary than the right to control one's own body? I firmly believe that my rights end where your skin begins (and of course vice versa). I have no more right to force you to carry a pregnancy to term, even if that fetus is a person whose life depends on it, than I do to forcefully remove one of your kidneys for transplant into someone who will otherwise die from advanced diabetes, or to forcefully withdraw blood from you for a transfusion that will save someone else's life, so on and so forth. Any basic definition of human rights, to me, has to include the right to control our own bodies. I shudder at the thought of my daughter growing up under a government which views her as nothing more than an incubator. So I am adamantly opposed to making abortion illegal. That said, however, I am also entirely in favor of doing whatever we can to make abortion UNNECESSARY and UNWANTED. And frankly, I think the Democrats do a much better job of that. Sex education and widely available, affordable birth control. Social programs and economic policies that support middle and lower class working families so that they don't feel they have to chose between having another child and staying afloat financially. Programs that help single mothers get on their feet. Laws which protect the rights of parents in the workplace. All of these things and more, brought to you courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Democrats! :D

 

ETA one more reason I'm a Democrat: My Mom was only six years old when her father died, leaving my grandmother to raise eight children alone. I simply cannot imagine what my grandmother would have done without Social Security. That SS check that she got every month wasn't a lot, but she was able to stretch it to provide for all her children and give them a secure and stable home. Those eight kids grew up to be responsible and self-sufficient adults. I can only imagine what might have happened if Social Security hadn't been there.

[Greta]

I just felt the need to chuckle at the inconsistancy of your friends comments:lol: Don't tell him what he can do to his own body, but tell the "rich" what to do with their money??????

 

I don't think it's about "telling" the rich what to do with their money at all, but the fact that under the Republicans, measures are taken which specifically and unfairly favor the rich, such as the regressive tax.

[FO4UR]

I don't think it's about "telling" the rich what to do with their money at all, but the fact that under the Republicans, measures are taken which specifically and unfairly favor the rich, such as the regressive tax.

 

 

I don't think this thread was meant to be a debate, but I'd be interested in a s/o thread on the impact of the tax policies of the Reps and Dems.

[nakitty]

What Aly and Mungo said....that fits me and I don't have to do all that typing...:lol:

 

Will add that I am also for the legalization of Marijuana...medical and otherwise. And, can't recall if it was stated....but, I also support assisted suicide.

 

Aly and Mungo...I will try and rep you both tomorrow...as I am all out of rep for today...:D

[Karen in CO]

I am a "rich" white woman from the South. I grew up with the John Birch Society as part of the identity I inherited.

 

I do not believe in "trickle-down economics." I pay more in taxes that many make in a year. I want to see government not just give breaks to big business just because they make money. I want to see companies that actually create jobs in this country be rewarded. I want companies to be held accountable for their pollution. I think that a smart use of incentive tax breaks can help to create new jobs in this country.

 

I am strongly pro-life, but I know that outlawing abortion will only cause harm to more people than it will help. The only way to reduce the number of abortions in this or any country is to first increase the value that we put on life. All life. I am also against hunting for sport and against the death penalty and against raising animals in inhumane conditions even if it is for food. I think we should be more connected with our food chain. Somehow, people have lost the ability to see the earth as a source for sustaining life.

 

I am against the World Bank and interfering with the economies of other countries in order to open more markets for our companies. We are not the only people on this world, and God doesn't love us more than he loves other countries. We have no right to destroy small cotton farmers in India just to sell more pesticide. I am against our government rewarding companies for taking jobs overseas. I am against the government supporting agri-businesses that raise corn, corn and nothing but seas of corn. This artificially deflates the price of corn and results in high-fructose corn syrup in everything and results in small, family farmers being forced out of business.

 

I am for a strong military. I am also for supporting veterans when they return from service. I am against paying mercenaries huge salaries to do the jobs that our soldiers should do. That money could be better spent supporting our troops and their families. Supporting the troops is more than just being willing to deploy them. It is honoring their service, equipping them properly, and taking care of their families when they don't come home.

 

There are many points in which I disagree with both parties. My deal-breaker issues are abortion and the environment.

 

-

[Sunkirst]

Aly, Mungo and now Karen,

 

You are all so eloquent. Well said! You have reminded me of why I chose to be a dem so long ago (in a family of republicans).

 

Today, all I could think of is, "I'm a Democrat because chants of 'Drill, baby, drill' make me physically sick."

 

-Kirsten