We Believe

SPEECH
to Marion County Democratic Executive Committee Awards Dinner
29 March 2008

Fellow Democrats, Fellow Floridians, Fellow Americans:

Our current 6th district congressman does not represent that vast majority of us who live in “the middle”, that everyday world of practical possibility between the ultra extreme left and the arrogant radical right.
He is locked into an allegiance to the very-rich, the very privileged, the very few.
He obstructs every effort at progress and saddles the middle class with increasingly greater burdens, while making the super-rich even richer.
And he ignores the many crucial issues on which the vast majority of Americans agree
But, let’s not debate about left and right,
rather let’s talk about what is right and wrong.

In that vein, let’s look at just a few “highlights” of our congressman’s recent record:
As a member of the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee, he should be a vocal national leader in sponsoring and supporting the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, the new GI Bill.
He is not such a sponsor, not a supporter … and that is wrong.

He voted against renewable energy and energy conservation and energy independence and energy security…
and, that is wrong.

He voted against the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, and the Affordable Housing Act of 2007…
and, that is wrong.

He voted against improving HeadStart…
and, that is wrong.

He voted to take health insurance away from millions of American children,
then he voted to uphold George Bush’s veto,
—that is doubly wrong!

He had the audacity to vote against
requiring the government to bargain for lower prescription prices for every American on Medicare;
that vote is also wrong.

And, he refuses to demand that we end this war,
and, that is very wrong.

Our congressman just votes wrong
on every decision that’s right for America!

So, what is the alternative?

Well, gathered here tonight are two hundred or so Marion County Democrats.
So, we’re Democrats.
So what?
Well, what makes us Democrats and
why does it matter?

We are Democrats because we believe!
We, too, are people of faith—our beliefs are profound and are rooted in the value and dignity of each and every human being.

We believe that government exists to assure a just economy and a free society, allowing each one of us to achieve every bit of our God-given potential.
We believe, in the words of the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, that “an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
We believe that the root of peace is not war and aggression, but is justice, and, fundamentally, that justice is about making God’s love manifest in the world.

We believe, in the words of Hubert Humphrey, that the moral measure of our government is how we treat those “in the dawn of life,” those “in the twilight of life,” and those “in the shadows of life.”

We believe that we must invest in our young, those in the dawn of life, for they are America’s future.
Not just our own kids and grandkids, or the kids and grandkids we may hope someday to have, but everybody’s kids.
They are all our children, they are all our grandchildren;
and, for any of them to inherit a world
sharing in harmony, justice, and prosperity,
they must all inherit such a world.

We believe that nearly 9 million American children without health insurance and 13 million American children living in poverty is shameful and intolerable

We believe that “no child left behind” should not mean just preparing students for excellent scores on tests, but rather should mean preparing our children for excellence in life.

We believe in alternatives for secondary education so that every American child earns a high school diploma; and, in the opportunity for every young American to pursue the higher education of their choice, regardless of their financial resources.

We believe that every neglected or abused child
is everybody’s child;
We believe that every hungry or illiterate child
is everybody’s child;
We believe that every ill, injured, or disabled child
is everybody’s child.
And we believe that everybody’s child should
thrive, and prosper, and experience the fullness of life..

We believe that seniors, those in the twilight of life, should live in dignity with affordable and accessible healthcare, including prescription drug benefits without a “donut hole,”
We believe that seniors should live without fear of losing their social security, their pensions, their very homes.

We believe that those who have given the fullest measure of devotion to America are those who have risked their lives in our defense, the men and women who now serve and have served in our armed forces.
Therefore, no family of an active service member and no family of a veteran should live in poverty; and, no veteran should be homeless, or hungry, or uncared for.

We believe that not just individuals but our society as a whole is judged by how we treat “the least of our brethren”, those in the shadows of life.
Therefore, everyone who wants to work should have a job, without exception;
and, everyone who cannot work because of disability or illness
should have the means to live lives of dignity and substance;
and that all Americans should be have affordable, comprehensive,
quality health insurance:
and, no one who works a full-time job in America
should live in poverty in America.

We believe that no American employer should be rewarded for sending a job overseas, without first providing for a new job, of equal or greater value, here at home.

We believe that government of, by, and for the people, does not mean
government of the ultra rich, by the special interest lobbies, for the privileged elite.

We believe that government must protect people from the heavy-handed, deceitful financial practices that are robbing so many Americans of their homes and threatening their financial security.

We believe that young families should be able to raise their children in decent homes, with reasonable and secure mortgages, and the ability to save and invest for their futures.

We believe that it is our moral imperative to act as faithful stewards of the environment it, protecting and preserving it for the benefit of all peoples and for all generations.
By utilizing renewable, sustainable, ecologically-sound resources, we should be totally independent of all foreign energy sources as soon as humanly possible, certainly no later than the year 2020.

To those who say that the ultra-rich are taxed too much, we say:
we believe that much more is required from those to whom much more has been given.
For too long too many have toiled too much for the financial gain of too few, and
we believe that tax give-aways for the super-rich are unfair and are un-American.

We believe that America should be protected by a military that is prepared and trained, equipped and vigilant, … and second to none; a military that is always ready … and a military that is rarely used.
We are now stuck in the midst of a foreign civil war which has
diverted our resources from real threats,
destroyed countless lives,
decimated our foreign policy,
brought us to the brink of financial chaos,
and demoralized our nation.
Certain in our conviction,
steadast in our purpose,
it is time to demand in one clear concerted voice:
“Mr. Bush, bring our troops home!”

We believe that ours is an awesome nation with great promise that can transform the world for the better.
While we certainly need always to defend ourselves from all enemies,
nevertheless, we believe that the hearts, minds, and souls of the world will not be transfigured at the end of a gun barrel and by the intimidation of force,
but rather will be transformed at the end of an outstretched open generous hand
and by our demonstration of decency and justice for all.

We believe that America’s finest hour is yet to come,
that this best democracy in the history of the world can and must be made even better.
And we believe that we are up to that challenge.

These beliefs are why we are Democrats.
They are our view of the world, our intrinsic values, and our vision for the future.

However, these are not just the views, the values, the vision of Democrats alone.
These beliefs are shared by the great majority of Americans who live in “the middle”.
Democrats, independents, and, yes, many Republicans as well.
These beliefs, more than anything else, unite us as Americans.

And in the 6th Congressional District of Florida that great middle majority is not being served, is not being represented. Our views, values, and vision are not being respected. What most of us believe to be right is not what our congressman represents … and that is wrong.

He’s part of the failed politics of the past … and it’s time for him to retire.

However, as John F. Kennedy said: "Our task now is not to fix the blame for the past, but to fix the course for the future."
Well, my friends, the wind is changing, and America is setting a new course for this ship of state, heading toward a boundless horizon of renewed hope and confidence and inspiration.

Let us end what is wrong, and
let us do what is right for north central Florida, what’s right for America.

Together, let us imagine a better world … and let us—together— make it real.

Let us give voice to these views, these values, this vision …
… and in November, let us be victorious.