Why I’m a Democrat

I believe that the wealthy have a responsibility to share their wealth with the less fortunate.

I believe that the government is in a unique position to manage the collection and redistribution of wealth to the less fortunate.

I believe the government has a responsibility to protect the vulnerable from the powerful.

I believe the government is in a unique position to regulate big businesses and keep them from becoming too powerful.

I believe the decision about birth control and abortion should be made between a woman and her doctor, because it is first of all a medical issue and until a baby is born it is part of a woman’s body.

I believe the government is in a unique position to protect nature and creatures, regulate big businesses use of natural resources and protect endangered species from the abuse of the greedy, powerful and wealthy.

I believe in diversity, equality and inclusion with regard to race, religion, sex, gender, nationality, ethnicity and age. I believe that these differences should be protected by the government and helped to thrive and multiply.

I believe the government has a right to tax its citizens to provide the services it provides, and that everyone should pay their fair share to make sure the government has the funds it needs to work the way it should.

I believe the government should provide medical care free of charge to everyone.

I believe the government should care for the elderly when they reach fifty years of age. The government should provide a pension and unlimited medical care to the elderly.

I believe education by schools, colleges and universities should be provided by the government for free. I believe health care and education are human rights that should be supported and protected by the government.

Pro-Choice Battles

March for Women's Lives, 2004
Image via Wikipedia

One day I joined up with some ultra religious

types like myself to join a demonstration in

hopes of “glorifying God” and “witnessing to some

sinners”. The pastors signs said “God is Love.”

” Most of our signs said “Abortion Kills”.  It was

these signs, along with our very self-righteous

presence that brought upon the angry looks,

shouts and screams, and vicious insults from the

members of the pro-choice parade to which we

were protesting.  I held up my sign because i

believed that abortion was wrong, but I was

watching and listening to the message beimg

given by the other side.  They were more

passionate, more painful, more desperate. I

walked away from that protest a changed man.

I still felt strongly about the right-to-life, but my

lot lay with those suffering women. I would go on

to refer to myself as “pro-choice”, and those are

fightin’ words in the Bible Belt.

Tuesday Tryouts: Epiphany Poems