Why we are Democrats

[kpete]

Why we are Democrats, FDR's Second Inaugural Address:

But here is the challenge to our democracy: In this nation I see tens of millions of its citizens—a substantial part of its whole population—who at this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest standards of today call the necessities of life.

I see millions of families trying to live on incomes so meager that the pall of family disaster hangs over them day by day.

I see millions whose daily lives in city and on farm continue under conditions labeled indecent by a so-called polite society half a century ago.

I see millions denied education, recreation, and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children.

I see millions lacking the means to buy the products of farm and factory and by their poverty denying work and productiveness to many other millions.

I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.

But it is not in despair that I paint you that picture. I paint it for you in hope—because the nation, seeing and understanding the injustice in it, proposes to paint it out. We are determined to make every American citizen the subject of his country’s interest and concern; and we will never regard any faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5105/

[Autumn]

1. Thanks for the reminder

but where has that gone to? Because I really don't see the Democrats holding to that today.

[YoungDemCA]

4. The Democrats of today are scared to be Democrats

In today's world of Super PACs, the parties worry more about losing the dollars of millionaires and billionaires than about losing the votes of ordinary Americans.

[patrice]

2. K&R for the difference between us and Republicans . . .

We are determined to make EVERY American citizen the subject of his country’s interest and concern; and we will never regard ANY faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous.

Democrats actually really mean "EVERY" and "ANY" and that fact is used against us. It's why fascists hate Democrats.

[freshwest]

3. +1,000. Thanks for that.

[patrice]

5. There's "magic" in Us. That's why some mistakenly fear Us and think Us dangerous.

~

And I know that you know that Dr. King knew that.

[ashling]

6. I was just going to comment on the same passage.

No one is superfluous

[patrice]

12. 1+++ Sounds crazy to some people I bet, but there IS "magic" in it if we can STAND by it. nt

[Scuba]

7. If we can't afford to educate our children, heal our sick or care for our elderly...

... just what the hell is the defense budget defending? A few fantastically wealthy families that hoard a vast portion of our national assets?

We're the richest country on earth. There is plenty of money to deal with the needs of our People.

[turtlerescue1]

8. Thankyou kpete.

We need to see and read this at least weekly.

[JDPriestly]

9. K&R

[WinstonSmith4740]

10. Just got back from a re-union with my sisters in D.C.

We were raised in South Jersey, but I had never visited D.C. and I was blown away. Besides the "big" attractions, we went to the FDR memorial. Flat out awesome. Took pictures of a lot of his quotes that are carved in stone there (his "I hate war" should be required reading), but the part of his speech that you put in bold struck me so much, I added it as my signature line as soon as I got home! Made sure my conservative sister saw it also.

[pampango]

11. "For “each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth.” Thanks for the OP, kpete.

"Instinctively we recognized a deeper need—the need to find through government the instrument of our united purpose to solve for the individual the ever-rising problems of a complex civilization. Repeated attempts at their solution without the aid of government had left us baffled and bewildered."