Democratic Party Responds to the “Nine Principles”

The Transylvania County Republican Party last week laid out “nine foundational principles to help us get past the headlines, distortions, social media, and sound bites” as we approach next year’s election, possibly “the most important since the Civil War.”

Democrats agree with the first principle that America did indeed evolve from founding documents such as the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. We may disagree about the intent and meaning of our rights such as gun control but, we must talk with each other and find solutions together, not simply caricature the other’s position. 

The second principle is that our nation has moved on beyond its original “faults.” While much progress has been made to correct the “faults” in which this nation took root, Democrats understand that these “faults” are hardly behind us. They linger and require our attention. We need to pass national voting rights legislation, continue to vote to secure women’s reproductive freedom, be vigilant to rising tides of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and of our ongoing trivialization of Native American cultures. As President Kennedy said, “Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort.” 

The “dignity” of human life mentioned in the third principle is that we must always care for the family. If this is so, why do we still underfund essential medical care for mothers and infants, good public schools, nutrition programs, and public housing for everyone in America? Democrats believe in the dignity of every human being, we also believe that women can make informed moral decisions about their own bodies to bear and care for children without the intervention of the government. 

The fourth principle hints at the need for a comprehensive immigration policy. Our immigration history continues to be checkered with racist diatribes against particular nationalities. Democrats agree to an immigration policy from a Congress determined to forge laws that are just and fair, not based on class, race, or religious distinctions. 

The fifth principle that salutes “American capitalism” probably drives the deepest wedge between our two major parties. The moment any Democrat raises questions about the justice and fairness of our economic system, the “socialist” brand is attached. Democrats believe we need a strong economic system that serves us all, not just the most affluent. This requires the ongoing regulation and improvement of capitalism, not its elimination. Many Republicans favor “letting the market decide.” Big Pharma decided that opioids were good for profits. Health Insurers decided that denying claims was good for business. Gun Makers decided that production of military style weapons was good for their bottom line. None of these proved beneficial for our society. 

The sixth principle is “free and fair elections,” to which every Democrat  agrees. Today, the Republican Party is held captive to a man whose claim was and continues to be that, if and when he doesn’t win, the election is or will be rigged. As a result, 2020 marked the end of America’s 230-year tradition of peaceful transitions of presidential power and one of our most cherished claims to American exceptionalism.

The seventh principle, “fiscal conservatism,” is confounding. Our national debt soared under the former president’s massive tax cuts for the rich. While Democrats concur that the federal government is weighted down with inefficiency, we believe this can only be fairly remedied through a bipartisan process. We need everyone to pay their fair share. 

The eighth principle is about “equal rights and opportunity, self-reliance, work, achievement on merit, patriotism, and religion.” For Democrats this must also include strong moral commitments to the common good,  building justice and showing mercy, regardless of what religion (if any) we practice.

The ninth principle is about “parental control” over what kids learn in school. Public schools are state institutions; states accredit schools, certify teachers and approve curricula. Whether Heather Has Two Moms belongs in an elementary classroom, or The Diary of Anne Frank should be in a middle school curriculum, or Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s Beloved contributes to a high school English class, the decision to remove books should not be left to parents. Parents can express their concerns and request alternative materials but they should not be able to dictate what other children can and should read.

Will our democracy survive the beating by those who not only seem intent upon doing nothing to govern this nation but also are desperately trying to distract the public from the ninety-one felony charges facing the former President of the United States? The Republican Party quakes in allegiance to a madman willing to burn down our democracy so that its unaccountable benefactors can get richer and greedier.  

Benjamin Franklin actually expressed fear of such a national tragedy when he quipped about our having a republic, “if we can keep it.”