The definition according to Mirriam Webster of Democratic is:

1: of, relating to, or favoring democracy
2often capitalized : of or relating to one of the two major political parties in the United States evolving in the early 19th century from the anti-federalists and the Democratic-Republican party and associated in modern times with policies of broad social reform and internationalism
3: relating to, appealing to, or available to the broad masses of the people <democratic art>
4: favoring social equality : not snobbish

Democracy is defined by Mirriam Webster as:

1 a: government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections
2: a political unit that has a democratic government
3capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States <from emancipation Republicanism to New Deal Democracy— C. M. Roberts>
4: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority
5: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges

What does it mean to me to be a member of the Democratic Party?

It means caring about our fellow men and women. Not just in lip service, but in action. It means catching a glimpse of a person in need and reaching out to that person and lending a hand, shoulder or crutch to help them get by. It means working toward making our country a better place. It means caring about our environment, about our members of the military, about our economy and about our government. This caring is not just a passing thought, but with me in every breath I take.

Because I am a Democratic person, I care about reducing pollution so if I am lucky enough to have grandchildren, I can watch them breath fresh air, run barefoot through the grass, and teach them to respect Mother Earth. I care about the members of the military enough that I do not want leaders, Presidential and Congressional that would lead our nation to war unless there were no other options. I want our veterans to have the health care they need, mental and physical. I want them to have protection when they are fighting battles, whether those battles are justified or not. I also care about their well being upon the return.

Because I am Democratic I not only care about the economy but I care about the negative affect of a poor economy. I care there are families within our borders who are hungry. I care about the families who have been forced into living homeless because of job loss or from health problems. I care that the food lines are becoming longer with each passing day. I care about the hunger after the food line closes. I care about those who are falling further behind because of inflation. I care about those who have lost homes due to the reasons no one seems to be reporting on: the job loss, the inflation, the health care crisis (it isn't all related to bad loans). I care about people who turn to crime and drugs because they just can't cope with life in the USA 2008.

Because I am Democratic I care about the poor and middle class becoming poorer while the wealthy become wealthier. The wealth is coming at the expense of the poor and middle class. I care about the people who have lost jobs due to NAFTA. I felt their pain as they were told their jobs were moving overseas. I felt their pain when their unemployment ran out. I felt their pain when they realized welfare reform meant less than 90 per person per month to feed their families. I felt their pain as they tried to keep the car running long enough to make it to their minimum wage job and back home. I see and feel that pain every day when I look at my friends, neighbors, and the strangers on the street.

Because I am a member of the Democratic Party, I believe it is better to spend a billion on our society providing health care, food, shelter and a chance to rise above poverty than to spend trillions on an unjust war. I also believe it is of utmost importance to look for traits in our candidates that would be resistant to pressure from the corporate giants that profit from war. I believe it is just as equally important to look for traits in our candidates that would indicate they would use diplomacy rather than bombs. I believe it is important to look for traits in our candidates that would indicate they would favor growing the economy while maintaining and improving the environment. I believe it is important to support a leader that understands the role Unions play in our workplace. It is also of utmost importance I seek out candidates to support that are also Democratic in their beliefs and they not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.

Because I am a member of the Democratic Party, I believe in honesty and fairness. I believe in people. To be honest and true to all people in general. I believe you get what you give. I believe if you are good to others it will be returned to you in some way, shape, or form. I believe if you are bad, eventually it (bad) will come back to you.

I learned very early in life the truth about our political system. My father sat me down at a very young age to explain the differences between being Republican and being Democratic. He explained Republicans were for the wealthy and the Democratic Party was for the poor and middle class. He explained the corruption of politics and taught me to look beyond the headline to figure out the real truth behind the message.

He gave me the definition of propaganda and showed me how our country utilized it in controlling the masses. He explained there was corruption in both parties and explained America wouldn't ever have a successful third party because both political parties wouldn't ever let it happen. He also explained there would always be more corruption in the Republican Party because it was their nature to be deceitful. He also taught me to always strive to research each candidate I support and to choose the one who not only appears to be forthright and honest, but has shown they were beyond the headline. It was and is his dream that we could truly have a non-corrupt system and we could find a way to have honest, true elections without propaganda, without negative campaigning. I also respect a candidate that will only turn to negative campaigning to defend constant negative attacks.

I have watched the past several elections becoming more negative each passing season. I have watched the corporations become mega wealthy at the expense of our young men and women in Iraq. I have watched as they have turned a blind eye to our election system become more and more corrupt. I have watched and questioned our own Democratic leaders as to their actions or inactions of fixing the rigged system. I have had them explain our election system is fine when I saw evidence with my own eyes that it wasn't. I have had them refuse to answer my questions and turn away. This all while hundreds were being killed fighting a battle that shouldn't have been waged. Our system has become much more corrupt, much more greed is into play all while people hunger, while our bombs kill innocent people, while our innocent young men and women come home in bags.

Yes, I am a Democrat. Yes, it is in my blood. It pulses in my veins while the images of all those who have fallen in vain are burned into my soul.

It is for all the reasons above I have been and will continue to support the candidate I believe is also a true Democratic member, Barack Obama. From the research I have done on this candidate I believe he is the one who isn't corrupt, who truly wants to rid DC of the corruption, the one who hears the cries of the distant pain and will not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.




Edit: sp.

I can only imagine the offers our representatives must be receiving. Thinking about the billions made from the no bid contracts and the billions made by the drug and insurance industries, I would imagine they would have a lot to present.

Do you honestly believe your representative will turn down their offers? We hope so and some may pray they resist the temptation, but doesn’t every man (or woman) have a price?

I believe I would resist, but my faith in others is not as great. What do they have to gain by resisting? Another term in office? Self Respect? The knowledge they helped save America? A potential attempt at becoming President?

If you were offered a billion dollars to vote Republican could you turn it down? If you or the lives of your family members were threatened, would you vote their way?

Does being Democratic preclude one from accepting bribes? I do believe it is in our nature to do the right thing, but we certainly have had members of our party who have been corrupt.

What recourse do we have against those who accept the bribes? What plan do we have to prohibit it from happening? What transparency can we enact to prohibit it? Should the first acts of Congress be to completely reform the system to stop the potential acceptance of bribes from occurring?

This should be our focus right now before it is too late.

The other night I turned on the tube to watch the nightly news. It was the evening they spoke of the Pentagon looking at three options regarding the Iraq War. The method in which the news anchor and the graphics were being presented, led me to believe they were going to announce the Pentagon had determined it was best to LEAVE IRAQ. Before they disappointed me, my whole body and entire being began to cry from deep within my soul. Of course shortly after the commercial break, they proclaimed the Pentagon didn't want to leave Iraq. My tears stopped and anger and dread returned.

I had no idea until those tears rolled just how bad this damn war has affected me. I can only imagine just how bad this is affecting those who are in the war or have loved ones who are there or those who have already lost them. I almost feel guilty for feeling so much pain. I realize though, the pain I feel is pain for them. There are those of us who are able to feel pain other people are experiencing. Not to the same degree, of course, but we internalize and can "feel it". No I am not talking paranormal here, that would be another topic. The name for the phenomena is Democratic or Liberal.

Just as our nation is at a breaking point with this war, I believe we are all at a breaking point with the toll it is taken upon our bodies and souls. I watched 41's Iraq War until I had pains shooting down my arm and heaviness in my chest. When just watching the news about the war causes a mild heart attack, what does this stress do to the families and the ones who are in the midst of the shooting?

I believe I received an email recently announcing an anti-war rally in DC in January. I believe we owe it to all who are experiencing worse stress to attend this rally and put the pressure on to BRING THE TROOPS HOME! We need to show this cabal that we not only speak with our votes, we speak by numbers. We should be organizing buses and calling friends to ask them to go to DC from ALL of our cities and towns across the nation.

I also read somewhere that the cabal is planning to put a different spin on the war so more people support it and less people protest it (sorry no link). Please keep this in mind and be ready to educate those that may be on the fence regarding the war.

I want to experience that big, hard, deep cry I began earlier this week. I need that cry from deep within my gut. There are many others who need it worse than me. Let's do all we can so they may come home and begin to put together what is left of their lives.