The greatest thing about the Democratic Party; it truly is the big tent. Part of our identity is that we except everyone, and the b(g)lue that binds us is our idea that we are all in this grand experiment together.
Another diary was posted this morning that suggested that the Dems are the small tent, but anyone that has gone to a Dem meeting, Dem gathering, or a Dem tea and sympathy party can plainly see that we are far from it.
We Dems hold onto to simple tenets like; a government for the people by the people, and the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. We are tough on national security and we aren't afraid of war, we just prefer to do without it. We are for the little guys, but not against making money. We are for truth, not spin, even when it means we have to eat our own words. We stand for integrity, and fairness. We believe in every American having the fundamental right to a good education, and a level playing field. We believe in the right to worship in whatever way pleases your spirit, and we believe in the right to not have a different religion shoved in your face in the name of freedom. On that same note, we believe that morals and ethics are not mutually exclusive to a Christian god. We believe in the unalienable rights to life, liberty and property, and as such a fundamental right to privacy and a basic level of health care.
This isn't a suggestion that only Dems have these views and beliefs, but these are the commonalities within the Democratic Party. We have a tendency to debate to much, and work to little; as is evident in our fundraising and volunteering (but we are getting better at that, after all grassroots are more fickle than the Republican grass tops). And in our arm chair quarterbacking, we often tear down our own as well as our opponents. But we are a group of people who are deeply committed to an America that is full of possibility and progress; a place of opportunity where everyone has a chance.
I grew up in a Democratic household. But one thing my family did was expose me to both sides of the debate. I watched both the RNC and DNC conventions in 88. I remember in 1986 writing a letter to Reagan telling him how much I liked him, and by 88 having a home made Jesse Jackson sign I took to school with me. I've built my self-held foundations in the Democratic Party through trial and error and life experience. I'm not close minded, I love nothing more than a great debate, even when I'm wrong. I can freely admit our party is not perfect, but what separates us from the other party and from those that decide to be "better than the rest of us," is that we work everyday to make our Party better for all Americans, and to make our country better for all Americans. That's why I'm proud to be a LIBERAL and a Democrat.