Valueless Democrats - not

This page was last updated on December 4, 2004.

Leaders don’t reflect values; Robin Cox; Beaver County Times; December 1, 2004.

Along with several other letters to the editor published in the print edition of the Times, this letter didn’t make it to the online version.

Below is how I submitted the letter I entitled “Valueless Democrats - not.” As usually happens, the Times provided its own title as shown above. The letter was printed as I submitted it except that the Times incorrectly changed “Democrat” to “Democratic” in a few places.

Regarding the recent “Democrats have no values” letters, it occurred to me that both sides are right – ignoring the name-calling – and both sides are wrong.

Though I believe I’m a true conservative – not a Rockefeller Republican, I tend to agree with some of the offended Democrats who wrote letters defending themselves.

The source of the problem is that the values of many rank and file Democrats and those of Democrat leadership are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Though there are a few exceptions, Democrat leadership tends to support contraceptive abortion (including partial-birth abortion), redefining marriage, Marxism (calling it “progressivism”), increasingly intrusive government (even more than most elected Republicans), effective repeal of the Second Amendment, special treatment for politically correct “victim” groups, legislation by the bench, a blame America first philosophy, and so on. After a hate- and obscenity-laced campaign fundraiser by Hollywood celebrities, John Kerry said the performers “conveyed the heart and soul of America.” At the Democrat convention, Michael Moore sat in the presidential box along side Jimmy Carter.

When letters decry Democrat values, these tend to be among the beliefs the authors find offensive.

Perhaps I hang out with the wrong crowd, but my Democrat friends also tend to find these “values” offensive. I don’t believe they are the exceptions.

Polls indicate a majority of Democrats believe there should be stricter limits on abortion or abortion should be illegal. In the 2004 election, 11 states had “defense of marriage” amendments on the ballot. All 11 amendments passed with significant majorities (maximum of 86%, minimum of 57%, 8 passed with 66% or greater), even in “blue” states. Amendments don’t pass with these majorities without significant Democrat voter support.

Now if only someone can explain why so many people vote for candidates whose values they don’t share.