Posted on 03/28/2003 8:08:12 AM PST by chambley1
In his March 17 opinion column, Mr. Ralph Sorrell gave several reasons ``Why I Am Not a Democrat."
The real reason is obvious. As a child, he did not listen to his parents. Consequently, his judgments are wrong - and most of his ``histories" could only have been written by Republicans.
For example, he might have noted that his mother voted during her lifetime because Democrats fought for - and gained - enfranchisement of women, and both his parents receive Social Security benefits because Democrats fought for - and established - the Social Security system.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, established by Democrats during the Roosevelt administration, safeguards the capital markets of this country, so Mr. Sorrell can invest with confidence.
Prior to, and during, World War II, President Harry S. Truman acknowledged the terrible inequities that segregation imposed, and took the first step to change this system.
Truman acknowledged that Democrats in the South, to their disgrace, had long supported segregation. Over a decade later, President John F. Kennedy and the Democratic Party acted to completely end it.
Though strongly opposed by southern Democrats, civil rights legislation - enacted and enforced by a Democratic administration - produced integrated schools and started the process of equalizing opportunities for all races.
Many Democrats who supported segregation switched parties. Subsequently, most have voted as Republicans.
Communism dominated foreign policy for nearly 50 years after World War II. Mr. Sorrell does not appear to be aware that during the Truman administration, the United Nations brought together the forces that resisted - and in the end defeated - the North Korean and Chinese armies that attacked South Korea.
He also fails to recall that during President Kennedy's term, the Soviet Union threatened the U.S. with over 40 nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles in Cuba. In a tense and daring confrontation, Kennedy forced Khrushchev to back down.
Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson responded when Communist attacks led to the division of Vietnam. The vicious war that followed, and the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces, was unfortunately marked by major missteps by both Johnson and President Richard Nixon.
The Watergate debacle led to Nixon's resignation. Economic decline was reversed and the economy stabilized as a result of the aggressive fiscal and monetary policies initiated by the Democrats.
President Jimmy Carter's foreign policy initiatives formed the basis for early agreements between Israel and the Arab nations, and he would later receive the Nobel Peace award. Mr. Sorrell calls this ``peace at any cost."
Carter directed a daring raid deep into Iran in an attempt to rescue the embassy hostages, which failed after the loss of two large helicopters. But Carter continued negotiations with Iran, which resulted in the hostages' release on President Ronald Reagan's inauguration day.
The Republican administrations of Reagan and Bush were marked by grossly increasing deficits. Reagan's tax cuts and failed ``trickle down" economic policies lead to serious recession. Republican foreign policy was marked by the illegal dealings by Oliver North involving Iran and the ``contras."
Misguided arrangements with Saddam Hussein allowed his evil regime to flourish unchecked. An international alliance supported by the U.N. under President Bush I defeated Iraq in the Gulf War, but failed to depose Hussein and establish a democratic Iraq.
Democratic monetary and economic policies of the Clinton administration produced an amazingly productive and vibrant economy. Inflation was reined in, deficits became surpluses, and social needs were addressed, although a much-needed expansion of health services was blocked by a Republican Congress.
The Republicans continued their aggressive partisan attacks against President Clinton who, perhaps suffering from an overactive libido, did not act wisely.
But instead of ``appeasement, passivity and isolationism" as Mr. Sorrell claims, the Clinton administration acted in alliance with Europeans to defeat ``ethnic cleansing" and restore peace in the Balkans.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the current administration acted to destroy the al-Qaida organization and, supported by nearly every country in the world and all Democrats, took effective military action against the Taliban. Continuing police action to run down and destroy the remnants of this organization is essential.
We have also gone to war with Iraq. Everyone supports our armed forces, but a final judgment is yet to be made.
Clearly Mr. Sorrell has not made his case. There is every reason to be a Democrat.
The Democratic Party is now composed of sixties radicals, whose most salient characteristic is that they eschewed every value their parents held.
Though strongly opposed by southern Democrats, civil rights legislation - enacted and enforced by a Democratic administration - produced integrated schools and started the process of equalizing opportunities for all races.
Affirmative action is not about equalizing opportunities, it is about making opportunities unequal, in the name of equalizing outcomes.
This whole thing is just lies, revisionist history. I tire.
Haha.
Carter deserves full credit for the hostages release. 8 years after he left office, Carter's foreign policy also led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Amazingly, 23 years after he left office, Carter still deserves credit for the sun rising every morning, also, puppies, bunnies and babies are cute and cuddly thanks to Jimmy Carter.
Oh, gee, thanks RATS, I appreciate you developing the "entitlement" system that has served this country so well.
Gotta rest, now!
Dan
ROTFL!
<- FReeper 
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