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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy we are Democrats
Why we are Democrats, FDR's Second Inaugural Address:
But here is the challenge to our democracy: In this nation I see tens of millions of its citizensa substantial part of its whole populationwho at this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest standards of today call the necessities of life.
I see millions of families trying to live on incomes so meager that the pall of family disaster hangs over them day by day.
I see millions whose daily lives in city and on farm continue under conditions labeled indecent by a so-called polite society half a century ago.
I see millions denied education, recreation, and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children.
I see millions lacking the means to buy the products of farm and factory and by their poverty denying work and productiveness to many other millions.
I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.
But it is not in despair that I paint you that picture. I paint it for you in hopebecause the nation, seeing and understanding the injustice in it, proposes to paint it out. We are determined to make every American citizen the subject of his countrys interest and concern; and we will never regard any faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5105/
Autumn
(45,082 posts)but where has that gone to? Because I really don't see the Democrats holding to that today.
YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)In today's world of Super PACs, the parties worry more about losing the dollars of millionaires and billionaires than about losing the votes of ordinary Americans.
patrice
(47,992 posts)We are determined to make EVERY American citizen the subject of his countrys interest and concern; and we will never regard ANY faithful law-abiding group within our borders as superfluous.
Democrats actually really mean "EVERY" and "ANY" and that fact is used against us. It's why fascists hate Democrats.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)patrice
(47,992 posts)And I know that you know that Dr. King knew that.
ashling
(25,771 posts)patrice
(47,992 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)... just what the hell is the defense budget defending? A few fantastically wealthy families that hoard a vast portion of our national assets?
We're the richest country on earth. There is plenty of money to deal with the needs of our People.
turtlerescue1
(1,013 posts)We need to see and read this at least weekly.
WinstonSmith4740
(3,056 posts)We were raised in South Jersey, but I had never visited D.C. and I was blown away. Besides the "big" attractions, we went to the FDR memorial. Flat out awesome. Took pictures of a lot of his quotes that are carved in stone there (his "I hate war" should be required reading), but the part of his speech that you put in bold struck me so much, I added it as my signature line as soon as I got home! Made sure my conservative sister saw it also.
pampango
(24,692 posts)"Instinctively we recognized a deeper needthe need to find through government the instrument of our united purpose to solve for the individual the ever-rising problems of a complex civilization. Repeated attempts at their solution without the aid of government had left us baffled and bewildered."