Gun
Issue:
We believe that it is the Constitutional right of private citizens
to own firearms, and that no action can or should be taken that will deny this right.
We believe that a waiting period for the purchase of hand
guns and the use of trigger
locks does not infringe on this right, and are reasonable
safety measures. Strict enforcement of present gun laws should be implemented to curb violence so rampant
in many of our large cities.
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While the law has for the past 31 years held that it is
the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion, we feel that this procedure should never be used as strictly a method
of birth control. It is a very serious decision, and should be made by the woman only after careful consideration of the after
effects, and thoughtful consultation with her conscience, her doctor, and her God, and it should be rare.
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We believe in the right of every individual to have an
equal opportunity to share in the benefits, opportunities, and responsibilities afforded to us by the Constitution, without
regard to race or gender.
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We believe that the direction the current
administration in Washington is taking whereby tax cuts are given primarily to the wealthiest Americans and large Corporations
is a giant step in the wrong direction, leading to larger and larger deficits, and has done little or nothing to revitalize
the economy. While it is very questionable whether tax cuts of any sort should be made during this military invasion
and its attendant costs which at this time cannot be determined, it seems that if
tax cuts are made they should be directed to Americans of lower and middle income and to small businesses. Small businesses
employ local people, the money is kept locally, and they don't move their operations off shore to avoid taxes.
We do not prescribe to the Republican trickle down theory which says
that if you make the rich richer they will take care of the rest of us. In other words, they feel that "the best way to get
more food to the birds is to feed the horse more oats."
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Compassion is a very laudable characteristic of Americans
in general. We feel that
this Nation should have a firm commitment to helping those
among us who are
not in position
to help themselves........... children, the infirm, the aged and others who by | some
circumstance are unable to find work. No able bodied American should feel that he/she has a right to compensation without
working for it. In the same vein, we feel that jobs should be available that pay a fair wage for a fair day's work.
We are
one of a very few industrialized nations in the world that does not provide health care for it's citizens. We feel that this
richest nation in the world should be able to provide affordable health care for everyone, offering choice of Doctor to the
individual. Bright minds should be able to find a way for us to do this.
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We believe that public education is an extremely important
ingredient in the advancement of any progressive society. We believe in providing adequate funding for all needed facilities
and programs, and in providing teacher's salaries necessary to attract and hold the best and brightest in the teaching field.
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We believe it imperative that we provide funding necessary
to allow us to always have the best equipped and best trained fighting forces in the world. We also believe that commitments
to our veterans must be kept once they have left service.
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Throughout history, the Democratic Party has truly been the party
of the people, fighting for fair wages, protection ofworker's rights, advancement and protection of individual rights, for
a clean environment, for better pay and benefits for teachers, and strong public schools, for veterans and a strong military,
for law enforcement, and for those most likely to be left behind: the sick, the young, and the elderly.
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In Summary, we believe that while no one agrees entirely with everything
either party supports, the Democratic party more nearly reflects the needs of average Americans. Below are listed some of
the accomplishments of Democratic administrations of the past that are worthy of consideration:
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- Federal
Deposit Insurance (Protects your deposits)
- Social
Security Act
- Unemployment Relief Act
- Fair
Labor Standards Act (Minimum wage & overtime pay over 40 hours/week)
- Rural
Electrification Act (Promoted getting electricity to rural areas)
- Aid
to Dependent Children
- Small
Business Investment Act
- Equal
Pay Act
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- Medicare
& Medicaid
- Research
Program for Alternative Energy Sources
- Largest
deficit-cutting economic package in history ( 1993...Not a single Republican voted for the bill!)
- Reduced
huge deficits left by Reagan & Bush
- Brought
the Nation from the largest deficits to largest surpluses four years in a row, 1997-2000
- Family
Medical Leave Act
- Created
22.5 million new jobs, 1993-2000 (By contrast, the present administration has
LOST 2.5 million job since March 2001)
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