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I am a democrat. I believe in a woman’s right to choose, but I also understand the concerns of those who believe abortion is wrong. Therefore, I urge those who oppose abortion to try and affect change socially rather than legally. Those who seek to make abortion illegal are not truly interested in stopping abortions (for, legal or not, they will occur with some regularity). Those who seek to better educate young people about sex education, birth control, and the option of adoption will have far better success in reducing the number of abortions performed each year.
I am a democrat. From the release of greenhouse gases which destroy the ozone layer to the polluting of our streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater, environmental protection should be a top priority for all the citizens of earth. I believe the world should undertake an Apollo-like program of converting our reliance on fossil fuels to a new clean, efficient energy source. Solar power, wind power, tidal power – all of these hold promise. Some scientists are already experimenting with hydrogen and helium-three engines (both produce water as a bi-product). We should embrace this change now.
I am a democrat. I believe that the most vital investment we can make as citizens of a free society is in the education of our future generations. From daycare to advanced degrees, every person who wants to reap the fruits of education should be able to do so without question. I am often dismayed by conservative politicians who raise defense budgets so they can purchase the newest advanced planes, tanks, smart bombs, and missiles while – at the same time – reduce the budgets for education programs. I always wonder, who is going to conceive, design, and build the defense capabilities of the future when fewer and fewer people will be able to go to college?
I am a democrat. I believe that same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples. While some states have begun to allow same-sex couples to marry, others have taken the smaller step of allowing civil unions between same-sex couples. The federal government, however, is attempting to alter the U.S. constitution to prevent same-sex couples from ever marrying. I believe such couples should be able to marry if they so wish, but I see civil unions as an important first step toward acceptance nationwide. Often it is the next generation that enjoys the freedoms created from the groundwork of the previous generation.
I am a democrat. I believe that race, religion, or handicap should never be an issue under any circumstance. Diversity is a blessing, it’s what makes us strong. But some do not feel diversity is a blessing, and they believe that race, religion, and handicap are reasonable excuses for discrimination. This is why Affirmative Action and the Americans with Disabilities Act are important legal guidelines. It would be nice to live in a true free society, but there are still pockets of darkness in this great country. Affirmative Action and ADA are the lights that pierce these dark pockets.
I am a democrat. I believe workers have the right to form a union so that their rights and interests are protected. My grandfather marched in the streets of Oklahoma in the 1930s with a pitchfork in his hand demanding, with hundreds of other men, the right to form a union. Without unions, such terms as living wage, benefits, and pension plans would be unknown.
I am a democrat. My feelings about the war in Iraq have evolved from ambiguous uncertainty about whether or not Saddam possessed WMD to utter despair over the fact that I allowed myself to be fooled by this administration. The war was a costly mistake. We have lost nearly 1000 lives and thousands more have been severely wounded. This war has cost billions of dollars. The republicans like to argue that the war was worth it, that we have captured Saddam Hussein. Saddam, though an evil man with crazed ambition, is not worth the life of a single American soldier. All of us had different viewpoints during the war and each was -- and remains-- valid. All of us have differing viewpoints about what to do now in Iraq, and--again--each is valid. But we can’t pick each path. This is why electing John Kerry is so important. As President, John Kerry will lead us down the right path. There are many who still feel bitter after John Kerry answered the hypothetical question posed by President Bush…Knowing what you know now…by saying he still would have given the President the authority. Myself, I still do not have a problem with that vote or his recent admission. I do, however, believe it is never in the best interest of a candidate to ever answer hypothetical questions.
As a citizen, however, I can. In 2000, I voted for Ralph Nader. Knowing what I know now, I would not have voted for Ralph, but rather for Gore. Because of that one vote, I helped elect a man who has led a thousand young men and women to their deaths -- not to mention the countless Iraqi dead. I will not make this same mistake in 2004.
I am voting for John Kerry because I am a democrat.
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