Why I am a Democrat

Why I am a Democrat
     Recently, I have been asked by several people why I am a democrat and why I support Barack Obama. I have thought a lot about it and had to search back to the root of my values. I have had to work through the feelings of discrimination I have felt for the past 8 years and gather my voice to speak strongly about what lives so passionately in my heart. I love this country. I love the principles this country was founded on. And I am proud to be an American.
     I am a democrat because I believe people should have universally regulated health care. I believe Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are necessary. That every person should be afforded a world class public education whether elementary or secondary so that American workers can compete in the global marketplace. That government should not deny civil unions based on sexual orientation because I do not believe homosexuality is a choice. I believe in the FDA, SEC, USDA, FDIC, EPA, OSHA and NREL. And although I believe in these instrumental divisions of government, I believe they need to be tempered with fiscal responsibility. I believe that all three branches of government should share the balance of power equally.
     I believe we need to get people back to work for sustainable wages, stop looking at the bottom line and start looking at the unemployment line. CEO’s making millions of dollars in bonuses to cut or outsource hundreds of American jobs doesn’t make sense to me. We need a thriving middle class to sustain our economy and cut the huge tax breaks for the wealthy. Warren Buffett, recently listed as the richest man in America, said it best. “I did the calculation the other day,” he said. “Though I have never used tax shelters or have a tax planner, after including the payroll taxes we each pay, I’ll pay a lower effective tax rate this year than my receptionist. In fact, I’m pretty sure I will pay a lower rate than the average American.” He continued, “Some of that wealth has to be plowed back into education, so that the next generation has fair chance, and to maintain our infrastructure, and to provide some sort of safety net for those who lose out in a market economy. And it just makes sense that those of us who’ve benefited most from the market should pay a bigger share.” Greed too often trumps logic and social responsibility.
     I believe that we have to be a leader in medical technology including stem cell research. We are on the cusp of huge scientific breakthroughs in the areas of Cancer, Parkinson’s and Diabetes. Without Federal and state grants, medical and scientific research moves at a crawl while other countries surpass us. I believe in renewable energy solutions outside of biodiesel. Solar, wind and hydrogen technology can sustain new job growth while not affecting our food supply. Diesel gas prices concern me more than the price of unleaded because it fuels the trucks that deliver to clothing and grocery stores. Diesel is the force that is driving prices up on literally EVERYTHING else we buy.
    I believe we need to exit Iraq. We need to bring our troops home to their families. My short answer is that we are in an unwinnable position in a country that has been in conflict for thousands of years. We are the third superpower to try this in Iraq and the third to fail. (England, Russia, US) We cannot unite these factions of Islam as we cannot unite Israel and Palestine. The people of the Middle East have a passion and religious belief they are willing to die for and will be long after we are gone. As with the birth of this nation, we had to persevere through several wars to become the United States of America that we are today. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to WWII and beyond, this nation was formed from those conflicts. Our policies and laws, each growing and developing with every battle fought. We have had 230 years to perfect our government and still we fall short. How, in our arrogance, can we possibly believe we can transform Iraq in a mere few years? We can’t and we can’t commit this nation to the debt associated with it. Not to mention, the American lives which have a greater price than any budget could afford.
    And although, I do not support abortion as a personal choice, I do believe it should be legal to those who chose it. However, I believe that the number of abortions could be dramatically reduced by sexual education, a reformed adoption system, neutral counseling and banning of third trimester abortions. 1. Sex education should be taught at home but because it isn’t in all cases, it needs to be taught in our schools. Those believing in teaching abstinence should do so. But we have to be realistic. Abstinence asks teenagers to self discipline in an instant gratification world. Cell phones and computers, microwaves and DVR’s have made patience obsolete. If abstinence should fail and their emotions or hormones tempt them, they are still informed about protection and consequence.  2.  Adoption MUST be accessible to the middle class. We have thousands of Americans going to foreign countries to adopt children because the system is more cumbersome and expensive here. This absolutely needs to be revamped.  3.  Neural counseling would provide a forum for discussion about choice and the emotional implications of abortions. Not to persuade but to explore all options that suits the mother and her individual circumstance. 4.  Finally, Banning third trimester abortions. We all know this is wrong in our heart but are afraid if it is banned, that it opens a gateway for which to ban abortion altogether. We can have a moderate policy on abortion that bans that which is unnecessary and preserves the right of the woman. Abortion in general poses a fundamental problem in that if you uphold the rights of the mother, you impede on the rights of the child and vice versa. Whose rights are right? If you preserve the right of the mother, you have to allow abortion. If you preserve the right f the child, how do you make the mother care for herself and the baby? Is it punishable? There is no great answer other than prevention and that isn’t easy either.
   Finally, Why Barack? I believe Barack Obama has the conviction to change the old style political machine. To put the people back in the government created “for the people, by the people”. In reading his book, The Audacity of Hope, you get a real sense of logic and forethought. His values and convictions appear genuine and pure. He walks you through the tough choices and temptations that confront a politician, while trying to walk the higher ground and sometimes slipping. He is candid and forthright when it might not serve his best political interests. As a nation, we have become complacent in our politicians. We have abused our privilege of involvement in this country by ignoring it. In turn, we find ourselves with a system that no one feels they have a voice in. That disenfranchisement has created an environment riddled with corruption and scandal, back room deals and unorthodox contributions on both sides of the aisle. We, the people, need to take it back. This is OUR government, OUR Declaration of Independence, OUR Constitution. We have traded the outrage of the sixties for indifference in the nineties while Politicians continue to disappoint us. It is time, at least for me, to get up, get out and make a difference. I need to believe in the process again. I need to believe that politicians will be held accountable for their actions, promises and word. And that is why I am supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. Each one of us has a voice to be heard and we deserve candidates that are listening. We can make a change in this country. Yes, We Can!
Liz