Why I am a Democrat Retrospective

Quotes from our previously published standing feature:

Brad Kent

"Although I firmly sided with Al Gore in the 2000 general election, I voted for John McCain in that year's Republican primary. I was 19. But then I met Mark Schauer, who has been a major influence. More important, I began to see the Republicans' rhetoric of 'personal responsibility' doesn't ring true, and our Democratic answer to it has served as my most important moral compass."

"This is the wisdom of the Democratic position: by sharing generously with those in need, we are all enriched."

John Curran

"I grew up in a Republican household in the Republican stronghold of St. Joseph, MI. Despite this, spending my formative years two blocks from the longest bridge in Michigan – the one that divides St. Joe and Benton Harbor – opened my eyes to the great inequalities that exist in our society… A couple of great public school teachers introduced me to writers like Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, whose A People's History of the United States should be required reading for everyone."

"The constant effort to fulfill the dreams that our founders set on paper is what makes me proud to call myself a Democrat, and is what should drive each of us to never give up the struggle for justice."

Val Wright

"I joined the College Republicans and went to one meeting. It hit me between the eyes that these folks were not worried about other people and their problems on a local, national or global scale. I was physically uncomfortable at the meeting. That was an epiphany moment if there ever was one."

Scott Whitman

"My parents were Democrats and John and Bobby Kennedy were my heroes, but I am of that generation that was cynical of all political parties and for a long time I considered myself independent. I guess it comes down to observation as I grew older. Which party \offered the most Hope? Which party was open to true diversity? Which supported Human Rights over Property rights? Which party represents the best chance for workers to share in the American Dream of economic opportunity, and which party protects those who are the more vulnerable in our society?"

Jessie & Mollie Clements

"We came to realize that the Democrats are clearly the party for 'we-the-people'. We strongly believe in equal justice for all, not privilege for an elite. Societies work best when they work for the good of all. In America, this ideal characterizes the Democratic Party."

Jim Houston

"I equate the Democratic party with helping those who cannot help themselves; those that find it difficult to get justice in our country; those who because of some disability are excluded from full participation in what this country has to offer. I am a Democrat because Democrats respect the privacy of individuals by staying out of their bedrooms, and believe that women should decide what is in the best interest of their bodies and their lives. I am a Democrat because Democrats believe that we should all share in the bounty of this country not only if we are rich, but even if we come from the most impoverished environment."

This article appears in the January 2012 newsletter.