The Democratic Party
November 12, 2016
Yesterday I wrote the following:
Today the Republican Party is the party of Donald Trump. The party of Mike Pence. The party of blood coming out of her wherevers. The party of grab her by the… The party of travel bans for members of some faiths.
The Democratic Party nobly fights for many causes with which some will reasonably disagree. It fights for gun control in an effort to stop the wave of mass shootings that has plagued this country, but some believe that strict gun laws create an environment where only criminals have guns. It fights for a system in which health care is available to everyone regardless of his or her ability to pay, but some believe that government-managed health care creates so much bureaucracy that it reduces the quality of available health care while also increasing the cost. It fights for a progressive tax system so that the government can afford to provide services without straining those with low income, but some believe that this creates a system where the financially successful are unfairly penalized.
I have immense respect for third parties, but let's face it: the Democratic Party is the only party with a prayer of getting us out of this mess within the next four years. In order to do so it needs to quickly become the party behind which we can unite.
It needs to simplify the platform. It needs to become a single-issue party. It needs to become the party against fascism, against bigotry, against misogyny, against hatred, against discrimination. It needs to fight for the members of all races, all religions, all sexual orientations, and all gender identities.
Debates about gun control, health care, taxes, and many other issues should be had but they are trivial in the context of this country's crisis. As it stands today, there are many good reasons for someone to have reservations about getting behind the platform of the Democratic Party. This is healthy in a democracy in which both major parties have great intentions but different opinions. Sadly that no longer describes this country.