What do democrats stand for?

[Jaged]

I am 15 years old and trying to figure out what each side stands for. With all the mud slinging and name calling it is difficult to find out what republicans and democrats really stand for. I have already found a few republicans who have explained their party to me. They also explained their view of the democrats. I would like some of you democrats to explain what your party stands for and what the Democrats stand for. Please try to refrain from bashing republicans. More mud slinging will just turn me off and (gasp!) make it more tempting to vote republican in a few years when I am able to vote. I appreciate all your replies.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Here are 4 things

Robert Reich says that America was founded on liberal principles, including:

1) The Separation of Church and State- no theocracy, don't impose religious view on anyone


2) No Concentration of Wealth- it can undermine democracy. There shouldn't be a small group of people who own 95% of this nation.


3) Social Insurance- anyone can fall in this economy, and we're all in this together.


4) Rule of International Law- no pre-emptive warfare. .


Reich says the Bush Administration is violating all of these principles.

You can listen to the Robert Reich interview by going to:
http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_06_20_janeane_garofalo_and_al_franken_each_interview_economic.asp

[Name removed]

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[salib]

8. Give me a break!

Lame question if this is what you call "bashing." There is a democratic party platform, which will also be wrangled over at the convention in a couple of months. Take a look there.

[Borknagar]

9. well

I'm not sure he is bashing Bush. Bush bashes himself on a lot of things. There is a difference between pointing out facts and bashing.

[Name removed]

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[Cleita]

32. I think a statement that the Bush administration is

violating Democratic principles is a statement of fact and not bashing. Now calling Bush a chimp is bashing.

[Cleita]

I prefer to call our principles liberal rather than Democratic

principles. We feel that we are in this boat of government together, which means we do what needs to be done to benefit all of us, not just some of us. Republicans believe that if you work hard enough and honestly enough you will be rewarded and if you aren't then it's your fault. If this were true Paris and Nickie Hilton would be working at SevenEleven, and the underclasses that pick your food twelve hours a day under the climatic conditions that they do would be going home to mansions.

[formernaderite]

57. This is actually a fairly good excercise....

...no one's asked me in a long time what the democrats stand for. I think Kery may want to look at publicly defining the differences for all Americans to hear.

[meow mix]

2. they (repubs) explained dem views?

and they explained the democrat views without bashing?
right uhuh sure...

[Name removed]

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[salin]

18. Curious how they defined Dems

most of what I have read by repubs about dems (or heard on talk tv and talk radio) are really gross charicatures. Like - supporting a safety net, not because we believe that in a wealthy society - having starving elderly who have worked all their lives be thrown out on the street is not a good thing, but instead because we are self-serving and want people to be dependent so we can keep our jobs (with a big assumption that we all work for the government - otherwise the whole rush definitions makes no sense.)

[sangha]

5. I was gonna ask

if he accused the Republicans who described Democrats of "bashing". But then again, those Republicans might have been very flattering.

Stranger things have happened!

:shrug:

[Name removed]

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[meow mix]

19. how about labor unions (also known as communism to the rw)

i love em.
and i love people.
big business does not love people (it just wants them as slaves)

attacking unions is wrong, and i would like to elaborate but then i would probally be bashing. eeps

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. For most politicians (D) or (R) - whatever the polls tell 'em to stand for

In the eyes of most (some notable exceptions) their very first duty is to get reelected.

As a rule of thumb - don't trust any of them. Most of them will abandon ethics and principles at the drop of a poll.

In evidence I give you the IWR vote when allegedly liberal Democrats abandoned whatever few scruples they had and voted to invade and subjugate another country.

[Cyrano]

7. Try reading this article

http://commondreams.org/views04/0618-03.htm

It's on the long side, but I think it will answer your question and then some. If you're really serious about learning, take some time to read it, reflect upon it and then make up your own mind. And after that, ask some more questions. Good for you for asking questions like this in the first place.

[Zookeeper]

21. Great article!

Thanks for the link.

[Bluebear]

11. My you speak,er, so mature for 15!

"More mud slinging will just turn me off and (gasp!)..."

Wow, that sounds like an adult who has been interested in politics for a long, long time! You certainly have a great head start!

[Name removed]

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[Blue-Jay]

12. Riiiiight.

and I just fell off a turnip truck. :eyes:

[Name removed]

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[sangha]

33. DU has a lot of experience

with Republicans coming here and pretending to be Democrats or children, and using that as a cover to ask disruptive and leading questions. Since you claim to be familiar with political debate, I wonder if you have ever heard Republicans accuse the Democrats of not having any ideas?

I ask because you question implies that you may have heard that.

[meow mix]

22. lol

wool seems pretty well colored to me i know =)

[sangha]

13. Democrats believe in

Equal Rights for all

Equal Opportunity for all

Checks and Balances

Keeping the government out of our private lives

Regulating the economy and corporations in the interests of promoting the General Welfare of the People, including protecting the environment and worker safety, fair pay, child labor laws, etc..

Progressive tax system

Equal Representation and Access to all govt services and benefits.

Freedom of thought and speech

The Seperation of Church and State

[salin]

28. Belief in the free market system

which thus is against huge government handouts to selected businesses (usually large) which gives a huge advantage to already large companies, and prevents competition from midsized and larger companies. We refer to this practice as corporate welfare, and recognize (as do the libertarians) that this works against efficient markets.

At the same time, based on historic examples, there is a belief that completely unregulated markets tend to work towards monopoly and against the public interest (follow the recent Enron stories for a great example of this - they manipulated the market and made the cost of electricity (illegally) increase by more than 300% - the costs to california citizens and businesses are assumed by many economists - to have been what pushed a weak economy into recession (because California's economy is so huge and connected to the rest of the country's economy). So in order to go from being a healthy company making money - into a HUGELY SUCCESSFUL company - making TONS of money ... they were willing to break the laws and skirt the laws at the great detriment to their customers (Californians) and the entire country's economy. In short, we learned going back to the days just after the industrial revolution that unchecked - huge corporate interests will work against the good of the country. Thus democrats believe (this time in opposition to the libertarians) that some limited regulation - for the good of our country, our economy and our citizens - is needed on business.

We believe in meritocracy - that those who work hard - at school and in the workplace - should have the ability to move ahead and succeed. That this allows for upward mobility in the country. However we also believe that there is no meritocracy when certain barriers are put up to certain citizens - such that regardless of how hard they work - in school or in the workplace there is NO opportunity for advancement. Sadly we have been moving away from a meritocracy for the past 20 years. We are to a point where it is harder for children of middle and lower classes to work hard and excel at a higher rate than their parents (eg get more education, better jobs, etc.). We are now more replicating the status that we are born into - rather than allowing those who have the most merit to rise to become our business and civic leaders. In the long term (over generations) this will stifle the ability of the US to be competitive as the best people will no longer be getting the best education and preparation to lead us - while other countries will. In short it isn't just that we believe that a meritocracy is fair (most Americans regardless of party - at least on the surface like "fairness") - but we believe that for the long-term continued success of our country that it is important.

[SEpatriot]

16. Democrats at their core...

believe in government which helps ensure fairness for all people in the U.S. Democrats believe that government can be used to help people through public works and public responsibility. A Democrat believes that government should help people through opportunity - things like college loans, housing programs, social security, unemployment benefits, etc. Democrats view government as a friend to the people and a tool of the people, not simply a "necessary evil" or a conduit for corporate power. Democrats also believe in individual liberties and equality of opportunity regardless of race, sex or national origin. That's why Democrats have led the way in civil rights, anti-discrimination and gender equality legislation.

I realize that oversimplifies things a bit. Not all Democrats agree. The Democratic Party does not demand uniformity of beliefs - you will find that the Democratic Party embraces a lot of divergent views, but holds fast to those basic principles.

FDR outlined what I believe are the best basic principles of Democrats and, for that matter America:

In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look
forward to a world founded upon four essential human
freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression --everywhere
in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his
own way-- everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world
terms, means economic understandings which will secure to
every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants
--everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into
world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to
such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation
will be in a position to commit an act of physical
aggression against any neighbor --anywhere in the world.

Read the whole speech: http://www.libertynet.org/~edcivic/fdr.html

[Name removed]

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[meow mix]

25. money. throwing grammas in the garbage if it makes a buck

and also they want religion to govern america, then we can be just like iran.. or someplace. or like spain during the inquistion, thats pretty much what they want.

[Name removed]

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[meow mix]

31. attacking and destroying unions, people dont matter as much as money

plain and simple.

[sangha]

38. By Republicans, do you mean Republican voters

or the Republican Party, because the Republican Party claims to be in favor of free enterprise, liberty, equal rights, and a number of other policies, but IMO they are only pretending to believe in those thing in order to get the votes of Republican (and independent) voters who DO believe in those things.

What the RNC believes in is stealing from the poor to give to the rich, cheap labor, religious doctrine made into law, racism, and anything else that will turn a buck.

[LoZoccolo]

20. Tell you what. Go listen to a half-hour of right-wing talk radio.

If your modus operandi when you hear bashing is to run to the other side and stay there, as you say, you will safely be put in the Democratic column when you're old enough to vote.

[Trajan]

23. Why dont you just ask your true blue Democrat Mom ...

and your die-hard Republican Dad what EACH of their parties believes in ? .... WHy come here and ask ? ...

Im sorry if I dont necessarily believe that this is legitimate: tis my cross to bear, I suppose ....

[Name removed]

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[freetobegay]

29. Thats politics, you might as well get used to it.

[Name removed]

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[freetobegay]

35. To define the two in the most simplistic terms for you

Republicans will fight for Cooperations & the elite, Democrats will fight for the Poor & middle class.

Liberals, look to the future, conservatives look to the past.

Basically that what it all boils down to. Just my two cents.

[Cyrano]

37. Okay, Jaged, let me try this one more time.

http://commondreams.org/views04/0618-03.htm

Assuming you really want answers, go read this article. It's long, but it defines what the current day Republican agenda is really about. And if you don't agree with the article, fine. Let's discuss it further. But stop responding to bumper sticker slogans, READ, and come back at us with rebuttals.

I, for one, will be here to discuss it further.

[Trajan]

46. Yes .... We sling mud ....

Otherwise: we just catch mud with our faces ...

Mudslinging is an age old sport, or didnt you know ? ...

Politics is ugly ... REAL ugly .... it almost always has been, and it almost always will be .... But it doesnt have to be all the time ...

See: The Democrats have been REALLY REALLY nice, and they keep trying to work together with the Republicans, thinking that the nation would benefit from good Bipartisanship and a national dialogue to develop a 'consensus' .... Yes; MOST Democrats have tried VERY hard to do this ...

But: unfortunately: the Republicans are VERY mean .... they are VERY mean and nasty people (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) .... The Republicans do NOT want to work with the Democrats, but they instead call them bad names .... (JUST like in post 36 where that bad republican called us "Godless Communists", which is a false assertion and an ad hominem, more about them later) ...

They call us 'communists' .... they call us 'socialists': if only to try to insult us, because THAT is the way they are (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) ...

But: WE arent communists, and WE arent Socialists: Those claims are silly attempts to besmirch our names with false associations: We are DEMOCRATS: Proud members of the Democratic Party of the United States of America .... we ARENT communists or socialists ...

They call us names only to insult us .... Even as we try to work together with them for the benefit of the ENTIRE nation ...

When we try to work together ? : they instead shutdown debate ...

When we try to build consensus ? : they create legislation behand closed doors, and pass it by twisting arms and making threats ...

When WE try to be bipartsian for the benefit of the ENTIRE country: they instead crawl into their own little rooms, and deny access to the opposition party by enacting ridiculous little rules to deflect ANY and ALL attempts to build a consensus that would benefit the ENTIRE country ...

This is because: The Republicans (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) are actually rather selfish, and do not want to ask anyone what they think if THEY are not also republican, because they dont care about what anyone who is not a republican thinks, because they do not intend to let anyone who is not a republican have a say in what happens in our great nation, which I love, because I am a proud member of the Democratic Party of the United States of America ...

So: when WE Democrats, being ready to attack the nations problems in a bipartisan effort to build a national consensus with which to do the BEST things for the MOST people in our country: when WE try to do those things: The Republicans, thinking that THEIR viewpoint is all that matters, reject these attempts to build consensus ...

Do you know what they do instead ? ...

They call us names ...

They insult us ...

They deny GOOD Democratic party men and women a voice in governance, because they think only THEIR viewpoint matters ...

(except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) ...

When they call us names and insult us: WE call this "Argumentum Ad Hominem", which is a fancy word that means "against the man", which is a fancy way of saying "insulting a person without arguing against the points that person is making" ...

We also call Ad hominem attacks "Mudslinging" ... which the Republicans (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) do with amazing regularity ....

Now: what shall we do when this happens ? ... what would YOU do if someone where to sling mud in YOUR face ?? ...

See what I mean ???

Would you run away ???

Would you call your mommy and say they were bad, please tell them to be nice ? ...

Well: the Democratic Party, against ALL logic, had, up until about 18 months ago, STILL acted as if they could develop a national consensus about government policies and such: they STILL thought that bipartisanship was a "GOOD IDEA" ... They have been running away from the mud being slung at them ... pretending it wasnt happening ... That was silly ....

But: ever since about 18 months ago, The Democrats now realize (we hope) that playing games with the lives of our sons and daughters was not in our best interest, nor in the nations best interest ...

They (The Democratic Party of the United States of America) STOPPED being such silly babies, and started to stand up for themsleves ...

They started to fling the mud back ...

They STOPPED trying to be so nice: .. and started to give back what they had received time in and time out for the last decade ....

The era of the pink-tutu Democrat is over ....

NO MORE Mister nice guy ...

Not when the very foundations of our great nation are at stake ...

No: we PROUD Democrats of the United States of America will NOT stand by and be cowed into submission by insulting, degrading rhetoric (otherwise known as mudslinging) by Republicans (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) anymore ...

Those days are OVER ... NO more mud-target-faces ....

The Republicans (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) have nearly destroyed our great nation, and have CERTAINLY ruined its reputation as a shining light of personal liberty for the world to admire ....

We wont allow it any longer ...

So: please step back, and protect yourself, because the mud is about to be slung, and slung widely ...

Bipartisanship is a dead end ....

Being nice only led to insulting rhetoric by the Republicans (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) ...

We wouldnt want you to get hurt .... so perhaps you should hide somewhere until the battle is over .... and be safe ...

Next to momma .... She isnt mean like a Republican (except for your Die-hard Republican dad, who is VERY VERY nice) ...

They ONLY want to promote THEIR view, no matter WHO it hurts or how many PROUD United States of America citizens do NOT agree with them ...

[Senior citizen]

34. Democrats stand for

government of the people, by the people and for the people.

But some democrats have sold out because they need campaign donations to get elected, so they vote for government of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations, just like Republicans do.

On the other hand, Senator Jeffords was a Republican before he became an Independent, so there can be Republicans who believe in democracy.

I recommend the book, "Indispensable Enemies," by Walter Karp, which shows how alike the two parties are. It is a problem with our 2-party system, and has been exacerbated by the lack of a Fairness Doctrine.

It usually isn't a good idea to lump people into categories. You have to look at individuals. I'm a registered Democrat, but if my choice were between a lying, warmongering, corrupt, low-I.Q. Democrat, and an honest, intelligent, humane Republican, I'd vote for the Republican. The thing is that certain types of people seem to do better with one party than with the other, so you tend to see a lot more of them there.

:hi:

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[formernaderite]

56. Listen kid, I haven't been here that long, but the season before a general

election just makes everyone a little touchy. One thing I've learned on the internet, is to not let your feelings get hurt....you don't know these people and they don't know you. So it really doesn't matter what someone says to you or calls you. If you're 15 you've got three years before you're elgible to vote on anything. Read, Read,and Read material from both sides of the political spectrum. Who knows, you might end up agreeing with a third party, like the Greens or the Libertarians.

[bleedingheart]

39. The Democratic Party represents the people

it is a party concerned about everyone, from the wealthiest business owner to the homeless fellow living under a bridge.

A real Democrat has true compassion for his/her fellow man. A Democrat will be the first to say that they don't mind paying taxes if the money is spent for the good of society.

A Democrat puts people before corporations.

A Democrat thinks people should be able to live their lives privately without the intrusion of the government unless some illegal issue is at work.

Will Rogers once stated that he didn't belong to any organized party...he was a Democrat... and that is because Democrats run the gamut from conservative to liberal.

We are

1. Pro Public Education
2. Pro Choice
3. The Party that gave you Social Security
4. The Party that gave you GI Bill
5. The Party that backed Unions which helped to give us the 40 hour work week.
6. We are the social welfare party because we want to help extend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters who are not yet firmly rooted in the Middle Class.

There are many more things...and to be honest I think you should take some time out to read some history books. Read about FDR...now there is a true blue Democrat. He was a wealthy man who saw the suffering in this nation and did his best to level the playing field....

I also suggest that you read about the robber barons of the 19th and early 20th century so that you may draw analogies to the present corporate greed and power situation...you will see many similarities.

[salin]

40. Curious to me

the biggest difference is current... in the sense that the republican party has not always believed and worked in this way - but has increasingly shifted in this direction in the past 25+ years.

Democrats believe in little government interference in personal life. Government should be neutral in areas of religion, in areas of personal behavior directed towards self, in matters of property, etc. That issues of morality - are issues that should be dealt with through families, through local institutions like churches, and community (non government) organizations - that are created and run by local citizens. However (as I state elsewhere) that there is a role of the government when it comes to business - that a degree of regulation and taxation is needed to protect citizens and the economy of the country from monopolies (when one or two huge companies dominate a market such as... all gasoline - and can then set the price at whatever level they chose... say - 5$ a gallon - because without choice of other companies people HAVE to buy the gasoline so they will pay it - but that level of increase would have a lot of negative effects... in a way this is what ENRON did to California in 2001 - except the did the equivalent of raising gasoline to about 20$ a gallon.).

Conversely - Republicans tend to believe that no government should be involved in any form of regulation of business. That even if there is public harm in the business practice, that eventually the market place will correct the problem - so govt doesn't need to be involved. But - those currently in power in the GOP DO believe that the goverment should be involved in regulating personal lives - under the name of morality. The idea is to make the country better by making it more moral, as such support for religious institutions by the goverment - to help those institutions improve public morality (faith-based initiatives) ius good. In addition laws about abortion, laws about gays (beyond marraige - but also protecting the right to discriminate against gays has been pushed at the local and state levels in some parts of the country by republicans), laws denying privacy - in the name of legislating morality (eg even in their home consenting non married adults are prevented by law in some states from certain sexual behaviors in some states.)

SO oddly - the split simply put - more democrats believe in less legislative action/regulation of behavior of individual citizens (civil liberties) and the republicans (according to state and national GOP platforms) believe in more regulation of individual citizens; while democrats believe in more legislative action/regulation of some business practices for the public good, while the republicans believe in less legislative action/regulation of businesses.

It hasn't always been this way - and it shifts from party to party, but in current times the republicans are much more ideological (driven by certain ideology - even when the policies don't quite make sense) than the democrats. The flip would have been true (with dems being more ideological) about 35 years ago.

[ABB Texan]

41. A valid question.....

....deserving of a response-- but you seem to be teetering on the precipice of neo-conservatism already, if you construe criticism of the President or his policies as "bashing." Criticizing the Powers That Be is your birthright, son, and the right to do so is embodied in our Constitution! Fercryinoutloud, there are people in this country who have made a career of it. There are a lot of well-meaning but easily-led citizens in this country who have fallen in line with the semi-sacred status that our government has tried to adorn this President with, and that is NOT a black hole whose event horizon you want to cross. No matter how many people fervently worship George W. Bush, he was not appointed by God (unless "God" is Aramaic for "Supreme Court"), and just because he so often thrusts his religion into our collective faces for political gain does NOT mean that he is any closer to God's Wisdom than you or I.

If you're going to vote intelligently, you may wish to thoroughly acquaint yourself with the Constitution and American political history; and if, after having done so, you find that you have an opinion of your own about this and that, ask yourself WHY you feel this way. This is called "making an informed judgment." Only by thoroughly educating yourself can you make informed judgments; anything else is the difference between learning for yourself or simply having been told. You've got to have enough faith in your own convictions to not let your head be sold to the glibbest bidder, and if called upon to do so be able to defend them. You certainly seem articulate enough, and that's a good start. Listen to the most outrageous positions on both sides of an argument, temper it with your own knowledge and experience, and you'll be amazed at the way your own opinions will take shape. Above all it is important to have multiple sources of information flow, and it is very easy to do so in our digitally-wired world. Don't latch onto one source and then hold that as Gospel-- you might as well just be a FOX viewer. And don't believe this crap about the "liberal media"-- that's a lot of wingnut nonsense, having little if any factual basis.

When you do become old enough to exercise your franchise, if all else fails use what is known as the Heinlein Method: "Ask some well-meaning fool (there is always one around) for his advice-- then do just the opposite."

Here's a counter-proposal: Why don't you come back in about three years and tell us what label you've chosen for yourself, and why.

[salin]

45. Good post!

Nice to meet you ABB Texan! :hi:

[Name removed]

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[Trajan]

49. Well spoken ....

and welcome to DU ABB TExan ....

[debannbull]

43. "No child goes to bed hungry in Texas"

a quote from Bush when he was running for president.


This is a perfect example of how totally out of touch with reality the Governor of Texas was.

simpled, succinct. Republican.

[durutti]

44. Nothing.

They stand for bending over and taking it from whoever's willing to pay for the privilege. Just like the Republicans.

[Yupster]

50. Here's my try

Democrats believe that the government can do more to help people, and there is much good that can be done. Therefore, all of the government programs that have helped so many were started and supported by Democratic voters and politicians. Democrats assume that taxes will be needed to support the many important programs.

Republicans think people should do more to support themselves, rather than relying on government programs. They believe the programs can do more harm than good, and would rather keep their tax money in their own pockets. If help is needed, it would be better done by private and religious charities.

Neither side is completely right. It's a matter of degrees.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

52. And which one do you agree with?

:shrug:

[Yupster]

54. I fall more on the side that

if you see someone who needs help, you should help them, and in many places the only group that can provide that help is the government.

You can debate the psychology and sociology of it later, but in the meantime, help those who need the help.

[JI7]

51. HAHAHAHHAHAHA

yeah, right.

[realisticphish]

53. Neither us nor freepers

IMO, this is not a strictly Democrat website. We are PROGRESSIVE, which is different, for many reasons that I won't go into. Some of us are democrats, some are greens, some are socialists, etc. But all progressive. On the other hand, freepers are going to be the far right neocons, not the normal repubs. I'd advise just finding the party platforms and reading them; that is going to be a good indicator, though you should take it with a grain of salt. congrats for trying to figure things out for yourself.

ps. there have been problems with trolls here, which is the reason for the skepticism

pss. if you are a troll than go to hell

[Only Me]

55. Hello Jaged I have a 15 year old too. There are many reasons

I am a Democrat. I will be fairly brief(well i try).:)

My party and I believe that the people elect our government officials to run the government for the people. We do not believe in trickle down economics, it doesn't work. By the time profits get to the small person there is little left. We believe if the people profit the nation profits. Take care of the people and the people take care of the country. We believe in a strong nation and a strong military. But we believe that war and force should not be used unless all other options have been depleted and we have just cause to kill.

We believe that you make your own choices regarding your life, education, religion, etc.,. Government should not hinder you in your life and goals as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others or cause pain to anyone, etc.,. Democrats believe in upholding the Constitution and the bill of rights. We believe that every person has certain civil liberties granted to us by the constitution. We believe live and let live. We believe government should respond to the will of the people (collectively).

We believe in keeping our jobs in the United States of America.
We believe in Checks and Balances. We believe that certain parts of the Government should never have unilateral control over any one area. It is not healthy to have a government monopolized and it doesn't fully represent the people of the country. And that of course is who it is supposed to serve.

I believe you have the right to own fire arms....just not assault style weapons that are extremely destructive i.e., Armor piercing bullets, metal spraying type bullets, guns that shoot hundreds of rounds in seconds, etc.,.This is issue is currently being debated
with some members of our party.

We do not mind paying taxes if it benefits the people now or in the future. We take issues of health care, Social Security, Disability, prescription meds, human rights, education, national security, Living wages, Homeownership, social responsibility, Humanitarian causes, stronger Business (small and large), entrepreneurship,
Environmental awareness/responsibilty, etc.,. We take these issues very seriously. This party has fought for these things for many years. This party ranges from conservative to very, very liberal
and our personal beliefs vary just as widely. But we have many areas of common ground. Most are listed above.

I could go on, but I think you get the ideal. We believe in the American People as a whole. We feel if the playing field is even and fair, everyone will win.

I hope this helps some. Have a good night.