Earlier this year I put up a post on the Bedford Democrats Facebook page asking, Why are you a Democrat? I never pulled together my own reasons – one of many things I intended to do but never got around to doing over the past n years. Coincidentally, a few weeks ago George Lakoff (retired UC-Berkeley cognitive scientist and author of “Moral Politics“) posed the same question on his blog and Facebook page. That was sufficient motivation for me to collect my thoughts:
Why I am a Democrat
My wife and I have two children. Our daughter is nine; our son is almost seven. She’s good at math, loves to draw, play with the dog and to dance. She has a part in The Nutcracker again this year and is looking forward to friends and family coming to see the show. She’s not sure what she wants to be when she grows up. Her vision changes from month-to-month – sometimes a scientist, once a waitress, even once a minister. Our son loves to read with us, build with Legos, and to play board games. He just joined Cub Scouts. He and his best friend like to play Matchbox cars and Pokemon before school. He likes school – all subjects – and has had great teachers. He absolutely adored his kindergarten teacher.
I am committed to the well-being of future generations. I want my kids and all of my fellow citizens to have safe housing, fresh air, healthy food, access to medical care and to well-stocked libraries open all week. I want everyone to have the opportunity for joy in their lives. Let us hold open a space in our hearts for the things that make life worth living.
Towards that end, we must stand for diplomacy over militarism and war. We must value the Earth as our common home and recognize the integrated ecology of people, plants, animals, air and water. We must not treat dominion as ownership of the natural world or as a right to extract resources simply as it pleases us.
Thomas Merton wrote: “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy.” Let us work to end racism, sexism, and homophobia. Let us treat all our brothers and sisters with respect. Let us ensure everyone receives a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. Let us not be estranged from our humanity.
Political action is how we translate vision into reality. The greatest problems we face as a society are collective action problems. No one is going to end the state of perpetual war on their own. No one is going stop climate change on their own. No one is going to raise wages or end racism through individual action. There is strength in numbers. There is strength in numbers and we need to legislate. I am a Democrat because the Democratic Party provides a means for me to work with people who share at least some of the vision above and because the Party knows how to legislate. While legislation alone won’t bring about a better society it is critical to doing so. Being a Democrat provides a mechanism for me to work with others to build a foundation for a better society.
CMG, 10/30/2017