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What a Democrat Believes
You may call the following my personal manifesto. You may disagree with some or all of what I'm about to reveal about my beliefs. They are personal, but my hope is to describe here something universal, so that you, gentle reader, might believe also.
Few things in my life have affected me as deeply as being a Democrat. The convictions I hold most dear find resonance in the Democratic Party's core values. I am proud that my party responds to our changing world, reinvents itself with the times, and yet remains a source of inspiration for me, if not always a perfect touchstone for truth.
I am 48 years old, the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family that struggled for a meaningful and decent life when the great river city of St. Louis was bustling with progress, wealth and people.
My father's side of the family was Irish, having arrived in the U.S. after the great Potato Famine of the 1840s. By the early 20th Century, my father's side of the family had established itself in St. Louis, mostly in the saloon business. In the early 1960s, my grandfather was appointed by John F. Kennedy to be assistant postmaster of St. Louis. My father, who served in the Pacific during WWII but will never discuss it, went to work for the post office, too, so our family moved a lot as he rose up the ladder.
My mother worked for the state unemployment section, summoning strength to read to us, to console our skinned knees and bruised hearts, and to tuck us into bed with a kiss goodnight. Her mother, a woman of gentle affection and stern sensibilities, had met her husband while he was serving in Europe during WWI. He returned to France soon after the armistice was signed to retrieve his love and make her an honest American woman. A man of great intelligence, humor and stern morals, my mother's father had also been in the Merchant Marines, where he acquired a respectable fluency with eight languages.
My brothers and sisters are dispersed across the country now, most getting used to their children having left the nest, some still struggling like me to overcome or endure a disproportionate share of whimsical fate. My parents divorced after 25 years, and my father is coping with the loss, just a month ago, of his second wife to a lingering and painful cancer.
I am downsizing, moving my household this week to an efficiency just across the street. My wife, whom I have loved and admired for nearly 13 years, left me almost two months ago for another man -- a convicted felon who enjoys sketching pornography and is writing a first-person novel about a serial killer.
Last year, I became disabled as the result of a surgery that accelerated the obscure but relatively common genetic disease that renders my dominant hand almost useless now and will take my other hand in due time. To say I am distressed by the confluence of these tragic events would be like saying the ocean is a little moist. I am starting over and taking on the challenge of life one day at a time.
Yet against all the odds I face, there is something in my mind and heart that will not surrender to despair. I have the hope of a Democrat.
My education, my work as a journalist and publisher, tells me that life goes on in this big world of ours. My upbringing reminds me that life is worth the struggle to leave the world better than you found it. And my own soul-searching has led me to accept that I am as imperfect as the world around me, and just as rare and precious.
These observations are part of what a Democrat -- this Democrat, anyway -- believes and holds dear.
And here I will list other things that I believe the party stands for and has held to over the years like a compass always pointing to true north.
A Democrat believes that all men and women really are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights, and granted the same birthright to political power as our most fortunate citizens.
A Democrat believes in the imperative of time's arrow, which points forward only, to the future. It is there that we must live, work and succeed so that we and those who follow us may enjoy the fruition of our ideals at the earliest possible onset of the present.
A Democrat values diversity in all manifestations of creation. Whether it is the diversity of life on planet Earth, the racial or religious diversity of the nation, or the diversity of opinion among ourselves, a Democrat welcomes the kaleidoscope of life and delights in its infinite possibilities.
A Democrat is not afraid to speak his mind, help his neighbor or fight for the long-term good of the nation. We believe in a strong and complete interpretation of the Bill of Rights, construing those rights for the greatest possible liberty of the individual. We are not afraid of good government or fair taxation for good cause. We are not afraid to go to war if our cause is necessary and the danger grave and immediate. Nor are we afraid to secure peace wherever peace is possible.
A Democrat reveres the rights of the individual above the interests of commercial enterprise; above governmental intrusion, abuse and fraud; and above all limitations that would coerce, degrade or demoralize the person of a citizen for ideological reasons alone or purposes without substantial public benefit.
A Democrat believes in one person, one vote; that all eligible voters have the duty to shape their government; that no eligible voter should be coerced or denied the expression of their desires through the ballot or in petitioning their government for a redress of grievances.
A Democrat believes in a clean environment that promotes a healthy planet and the diversity of life on Earth. We cannot settle for delay or half-measures at a time when the resources of our government and those of other nations must be focused to preserve the planet. Economic displacement and socio-political disruption must be important but secondary considerations in the goal of ensuring our planet is whole and hospitable for future generations.
A Democrat believes the poor, the sick, the homeless, the uneducated and the oppressed are due special respect and consideration among our citizens. There can be no tolerance of social and economic disparity brought about, or contributed to, by governmental or societal barriers to a decent standard of living. We believe it is our duty to strive for a fairer, more equitable, more perfect union. And we will let no citizen starve of famine, malnutrition or lack of work. We believe in people pulling themselves up from their circumstance, but we also believe in granting bootstraps where bootstraps are needed and knocking down barriers where barriers serve to hinder rather than protect.
A Democrat believes in the promise of the American Dream. It is not a chicken in every pot or two cars in every garage. Rather, it is the right to find a degree of happiness, dignity and meaning in one's life.
Lastly, a Democrat believes in the idealism of youth, the wisdom of age and the value of citizenship. When, as a child, I read the words of John F. Kennedy's first Inaugural Address, I caught my first glimpse of what a Democrat is. Among the busts and framed speeches that lined the downstairs room where my grandfather had created a modest shrine to our slain first Irish Catholic president, I read this:
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.A Democrat might very well shed his cynicism to find inspiration in JFK's words. Because a Democrat believes in the possibility of change for the better, the need for all to prosper and none to suffer, and in the power of his own efforts to make a difference.
Comments (29)
Ripper, I hope you find solace in the days ahead. You have a hard road, but I wish you the best on it. However:
Sloganeering: much of this is from the Constitution and to claim the Dems have a lock on it falls into demonization. On top of that, many Dems don't believe the equality of the genders and have little regard to a set of principles that are becoming known as "men's rights". (Much of these rights are associated with divorce and abortion issues, particularly the fiscal issues which have tended to favor women.)
Not represented on TPM regarding impeachment. A number of people here can't seem to get their heads wrapped around, what you call "time's arrow".
Not true:
a) how much did we hear of racism affecting the Dem race in WV, IN, and PA?
b) religious tolerance? Jesse Jackson and Hymietown? The Irish Catholics and the Protestants in MA?
Most firefighters and police that I know are GOPers. The Dems should ponder as to why. (Hint: the Dems have let these communities down.)
A whole litany of quality characteristics is then presented. Sorry, to canonize Dems and demonize GOPers on this is to fall into the stereotypes that Dems are patricians with a sense of noblesse oblige and GOP are the cigar smoking, corporate men.
Like Vietnam?
Wonderful. But the middle class is resentful that it gets left behind. And this is where the Dems repeatedly fail. Obama is the first person in quite a while from the Dem side to try to reach out to the middle class with his donut taxation -- and people are responding. See the correlation there.
The middle class is the class that does most of the economic driving in this country -- and that includes the people who put on a suit and tie to the office as well. After all, it is their money you are asking to re-appropriate -- the rich have it all sheltered.
All in all, some nice lofty ideals, but to ascribe them to the Dems alone (which is as ridiculous as denying them of the GOP) only breeds more of the same divisive name-calling politics that has disrupted the political process for the past 15 years or so.
Democrats are not better people. They are people with a different set of priorities to solve the same issues that others are looking to solve. Many of the working-class GOP that I know resent the "elitism" of the Dem Party and this post could easily show why.
June 30, 2008 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
What a wet blanket you are. This post was clearly an expression of the ideals I -- first-person personal pronoun -- find in the Democratic Party. To some extent, it is an expression of what I think are the best ideals of the party.
"Sloganeering"? WTF do you want -- a 100-page thesis?
"Like Vietnam"? Uh, no. I said "...if our cause is necessary and the danger grave and immediate." Does that really describe Vietnam for you?
As for the Dem/GOP analysis, I'm not saying Dems love their country more than Republicans. But yeah, I'm proud to be a Dem. Damn proud. Sorry you have to over-analyze that.
June 30, 2008 3:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think if you are going to really try to redefine the political map this season, you will need a better line than "Us good, them bad".
You miss my point about Vietnam: it was significantly widened by the Dems (JFK followed by LBJ who continued the policy of the JFK cabinet members). So the point is that Vietnam was folly -- and it was a folly perpetrated by the Dems. Not a proud moment for the Dems if you ask me.
Sorry that's how looked like it was written. Perhaps if you wrote it along the lines of "I have a dream" rather than the "Dems have a dream" it wouldn't have come off that way.
As I said, best in getting back onto the road to recovery.
June 30, 2008 3:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
CT,
Sometimes you need to communicate (both giving and receiving) in a more emotional, rather than intellectual frame. (And no, I don't mean that embracing one automatically excludes the other.)
I think this is one of those times.
June 30, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
LJ: First, thanks for the measured response. I just found this post to be jingo-istic. Imagine, if you will, if you found the equivalent post "What a Republican Believes" on a right-of-center website. It would be torn to shreds by some here or set up as an object of humor. I have found from my experience that neither party has all the answers and both parties have some of the answers. I understand rallying the troops -- and wanting to beat McCain. That's easy to do: just roll your eyes and ask are you better off now or 8 years ago. And I'm all for promotion of that message.
I just felt it might be worthwhile to give a reaction to what I saw as the equivalent of blind patriotism.
I'm happy to play the whipping boy here to express that point of view... and much happier you didn't feel a need to use the whip.
June 30, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Heh. No, I've no interest in making anyone a whipping boy--especially not you. :-)
I just notice you are often fastidiously devoted to rational reasoning; so I wanted to point out that there are times when it's appropriate to suspend such scrupulously intellectual discussions and simply listen to the emotions underpinning a person's beliefs.
What I got from this piece was this writer's desire to express his vision for how to be a "good" Democrat. To me, his vision could just as easily describe how to be a "good" American citizen. Democrats haven't necessarily cornered the market on good citizenship, but this vision is certainly a worthy one for the Democratic Party to aspire to, and I'll stand behind Ripper's description of what being a Democrat means, even though I'm not inclined to be a group-joiner. :-)
What I've come to appreciate over the last few years (and admire about Obama's campaign), is that the organizing of the so-called grassroots "little people" is the most effective (and sometimes the only) way to ensure that this nation's people are truly self-determining. During my lifetime, the only party to consistently embrace the value of organizing (even though they've only paid lip service for a very long time) is the Democratic Party.
Perhaps Ripper is feeling what most of us feel as we get older: a hope that our lives will have meant something--a hope that our lives will have contributed to making the world better in some way. Perhaps for Ripper, the outlet for channeling that desire is to articulate his vision of being a good Democrat, and to work at making that vision exist in reality.
It's a worthwhile effort.
June 30, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign.
Call me a hopey idealistic jingoist.
And damned proud of it!
;-)
June 30, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper: Awesome post! I am also damn proud to be a Democrat. We're going to win this thing, and make some changes starting January 20th. Til then, I look forward to reading more of your great writing! :)
June 30, 2008 6:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Few posts, if any, have conveyed such emotion, truth and sense of fortitude so well.
I feel as if I've been given an amazing and beautiful gift for my heart, mind and soul.
Thank you seems such a paltry phrase as it really does not begin to express my gratitude and respect for your message(s)in this post.
It's a bit frightening, yet wonderful, how through this medium individuals that would otherwise never meet, come together and give so much of value to each other.
(The DNC should make your words about what being a Democrat means to you into a poster and/or handout for their convention. Beautifully written.)
I hope this makes some sense and you are able to comprehend the basis of what I'm trying to convey. It's very late and I'm tired plus my allergies much be acting up as my tear ducts seem to be leaking.
Again, sincere thanks and God Bless.
June 30, 2008 3:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Aunt Sam. I wanted to convey something beyond the typical unity post by telling in personal terms why I support the Democrats and Obama. What it has meant to me in my life. If that touched you, I'm very pleased. I hope others will be affected the same way and NOT try to read something more into it. ;)
June 30, 2008 3:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Not true" that Democrats value diversity? You cite examples where individuals have not valued it, yet overlook that only the Democratic Party has faced the choice of nominating either a black or a woman. When the GOP does half of that or when half the GOP votes for Obama, get back to me.
Sheltered under current tax law, which was written by Republicans and would be changed by a Democratic president.
Democrats are not better people as individuals, but their priorities do not include the entirely Republican priorities of preemptive war, regressive taxation, and discontinuing the social safety net and consumer protections. If that's "elitism," someone's sold them a load of unicorn manure.
June 30, 2008 3:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome post and highly recommended (if I could hit it twice I would!)
You are about the most loquacious, one-handed mofo on these boards. I am so sorry for your trials, but it appears you are handling them with grace and aplomb. No doubt leaning on the benefits of a solid upbringing, strong self-image and prodigious natural abilities.
Having said that, I hate to say "clearthinker" almost has a good point - not about you somehow implying everyone who isn't a dem doesn't believe the same things, because that is clearly stupid - just that we may be able to make the tent bigger this year.
Historically, the republican party has believed and done many progressive things as well. One of our most important task this year as progressives (or Democrats if that is your affiliation) is to remind the GOP of their noble past. We need to reintroduce them to Ike and Teddy and Abe and Tom.
We have a valuable opportunity to actually get a good chunk of the republican vote if the primaries are any indication. Given the last 40 years, I think a case can be made that the GOP's best interests for future success and continued life on this planet it to reconnect with their more progressive past.
The GOP hasn't always been run by neocon morons intent on dominating the world.
At any rate, always enjoy reading your blogs and comments. It is a testament to your childhood and your fortitude that I would never guess in a million years such life-changing events occupied your mind each and every day.
June 30, 2008 5:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Jason. I enjoy your passionate defenses of the party and clear points. I was hoping to express something universal, as I mentioned in my preface. I agree the big tent needs to expand. Just not at the expense of those core values. You're right, we need to remind the GOPers where their party once stood.
June 30, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
You definitely hit the universal truth mark with this post.
I am thinking that one could almost substitute the word American in the place of Democrat and offer it as our new pledge, no matter which party we belong to. I can cite as many republican politicians I admire as democratic ones, if I take a look across the entire history of the country, so I bet we can convince modern republicans to look a little deeper as well.
Maybe I'll switch to the republican party and try changing it from the inside. The progressive equivalent for the GOP that the DLC corporate-agenda had on the democrats.
Well, maybe not me, but I bet there is someone out there who could. {erhaps someone like Frank Schaeffer over at Huffington Post?
June 30, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rip, Thanks for a moving and very personal post. It is interesting how our experiences help mold our views of the world and impressive that out of those experiences - even the diffiuclt ones - you find resilience and hope.
On a separate note, I realize I may have been quite assacious myself when I made the unfortunate analogy of Obama and HRC supporters using TPM as marriage counseling. Obviously politics is politics and nowhere near as emotional as real marital difficulties (speaking from a child's perspective of my parents' divorce). So I just wanted to apologize for my assaciousness.
June 30, 2008 7:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Assaciousness redeemed. Thanks, dijamo.
June 30, 2008 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Rip - and take care of yourself! I'll look forward to reading your posts. No doubt I won't agree with most of them as much as this one and will return to my usual snarky form hopefully without the assassity. DIJAMO HAS NO MERCY :)
June 30, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
But you do have a sweet side. Shhhh. I won' tell.
June 30, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bless your heart, Rip. You are a big man, indeed. I, myself, am not a Democrat. I'm an Independent. But, I do support the Democrats, as they represent my values almost perfectly, and you've reflected that here beautifully.
Hope your move is going smoothly. Such transitions can be mighty trying. Can also be new beginnings, of course...
June 30, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Yet against all the odds I face, there is something in my mind and heart that will not surrender to despair..... life is worth the struggle to leave the world better than you found it."
Ripper, I wanted to thank you for so ably demonstrating that a mature person makes two fundamental decisions when he, or she is reeling from a confluence of nearly overwhelming circumstances. The first decision is to face the pain, head-on, by making unwelcome, but practical adjustments. And the second, despite the vulnerabilty risked, is to share the lessons learned in the service of others. The eventual bonus, in personal terms? Not only the certainty that you can deal with anything, but also that you can and will help others do the same; and, therefore, that you will "leave the world better than you found it."
June 30, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Practical note: you posted this during the predictable time suspension abyss that follows trauma like clockwork (pardon the pun). Because many of us have "been there, done that," we know how important it is to break, as quickly as possible, the almost inevitable 2am-5am sleep disruption that, over time, can turn one into a dysfunctional daytime zombie. So, whatever it takes: mindless reading, repetitive music, warm milk, camomille tea, extra pillows, or all of the above and then some. Just beware of medication, or a droning TV, which can exacerbate the problem.
June 30, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not to worry. I as just winding down after a hard day of moving. Thanks for the kind thoughts all around.
June 30, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a Democrat because when I was a wee tyke my mother always tried to make sure I gave a damn about other people. My altruism has basically matured into a political philosophy. As a polisci professor once told me, "you get off on helping others." That seemed to always align me as a Dem. However, I am always willing to hear what a republican has to say about a plan, and from time to time I will agree with them, but overall Democrats and Liberals have my interests at heart.
June 30, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper,
I am humbled by your post and have nothing to contribute.
Just thanks.
June 30, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
ARGH!
AHOY MATES!
THIS PIRATE'S BLUE
CAUSE YOU KNOW WHO'S
THE OBJECT OF HIS PASSES
ME WENCH! ME WENCH!
BUT SHE'S BEEN BENCHED
THE RACE WENT TO THE FASTEST
OBAM'S THE NOM
HIS SPEECH DOTH CALM
WHILE PREACHING TO THE MASSES
SO DO NOT FLEE
WE ALL AGREE
WE'RE PROUD TO BE JACK ASSES
LET WENCH HILLARY RUN THE TREASURY! MAKE IT EASY FOR CORPORATE RAIDERS! LET ME IN HER VAULTED VAULT!
ACQUIRE! MERGE! MARAUD! DILUTE! DILUTE!
ARGH!
June 30, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great credo Ripper.
good job.
June 30, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper, I remember you posting late one night about your wife a few weeks ago. I felt so badly for you then, when you didn't tell us about this awful additional news of your disease.
I'm humbled by your courage. I hope your 'grounded` friends will continue to sustain you and that when maybe they're not awake during the `nights of the long knives` you'll come online and draw on your TPM friends who've come to admire and care about you.
(I'm heartened that you no longer describe her as your best friend.)
June 30, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very moving, Ripper. I appreciate, very inarticulately, your sharing your perspective on being a Democrat.
June 30, 2008 9:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm glad you find comfort in our country and it's democratic ideals and wish you the best in your journey forward.
July 1, 2008 2:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
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