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Edited on Thu Jul-22-04 01:32 AM by kurtyboy
Wow....
I just came home from a pot-luck dinner where I gave a speech on behalf of the Democratic Party. A Republican also spoke, and the contrast between us could not have been more clear.
First of all, the audience was a group of families living in transitional housing with a combination of public and private assistance. Some were recent immigrants, some have suffered layoffs, one just out of prison, some working poor—you get the picture. The other people in the room were the social workers, and while they can’t say it out loud, they were definite Kerry supporters. Several of the immigrants were from Ukraine, and I was told in advance that a translator would be unable to attend. No problem, I said, I’ll bring my own (he translated for both speeches.)
The Republican got to go first, and he spent the first 75% of his fifteen minutes explaining that there’s a war on, and that people want to kill Americans, and that the war is twelve years old—but we just didn’t know it until 9-11.
“We need strength and a proven record,” he said, “Not just good intentions.” I wish I had counted the number of times he mentioned the words war and kill and terror and fear. He then went on to (finally) acknowledge the fact that economic issues were probably more important (he assumed) to these folks than the war on terror, and began to address that.
“The boom of the nineties was Reagan’s, not Clinton’s. The Clinton tax increases were what killed the economy in 2000.” What makes the economy work is low taxes, and the lower taxes are, the more the economy grows, and, “the more money the government gets for the safety net.” He was met with quiet, cold stares—didn’t he have a clue? These people have been falling through the safety net for years! Their program for housing will die in the next few years unless federal funds are reinstated. Anyway, he wrapped up on the note I had planned to use. He said the Republicans are the party of “hope and strength.”
Then I stood up and began. “What’s most important of all, folks, is that you vote. I don’t care who you vote for, or how you vote, just vote; because the only wasted vote is the one that is never cast…Every vote has an impact, because the founders of this nation believed one thing if they believed anything—that the rule of the majority is meaningless without a deep regard and respect for the minority. Even if your side loses in this election, your beliefs will be respected.”
“Now, naturally I want you to vote for Democrats. Do you know why?” A woman interrupted, “Because you’re a Democrat!” We all chuckled.
“Yes, but I wasn’t always. I missed voting in 1980 by less than a month. In 1984 I voted for Mondale-Ferraro for one reason only,” I turned to the Republican, smiled and said sotto voce, “I was young.” He returned the smile and I turned back to the crowd and said, “I voted for the Democrats that year only because they had a woman on the ticket!” That broke the ice—a round of applause rang out, along with a few “right-ons”.
I explained that as my career in the federal government went on, I became more conservative, and by 1988, I voted for GHW Bush. I think the Republican was surprised to hear this. In 1992, I explained that I was disillusioned with both parties and voted for the Libertarians. But by 1996, I had finally figured out that the people who really cared about working American families were the Democrats, “And I’ve never gone back.”
I then started an energetic riff, quoting from the national platform I had in my hands. “I can’t talk about all of the issues and how the Democrats have a better plan, so I’ll just focus on one—health care. My brother is a non-union plumber and sheet-metal worker who works for a small local company. Two years ago, his employer told him that the Health insurance program, which the company had been contributing to, had become too expensive, and was being dropped. My brother now had to pay for his own insurance, with a one year-old daughter and one on the way. The expense was overwhelming, and my brother had to work harder than ever to buy his own insurance.”
“When my brother separated his shoulder working at home last month, he refused to see a doctor. He says the co-pay would be too high. You know, everything just keeps getting more expensive. Housing costs—and you know this better than anyone, are difficult. Health insurance is huge, gas is outta sight, groceries are going up—have you bought a gallon of milk lately? Since 2000, wages for working families have dropped by fifteen hundred dollars. Meanwhile, everything is getting more expensive. Wages aren’t keeping up.” The audience was clearly engaged, nodding affirmatively, whispering to each other.
“‘The co-pay would be too high,’ said my brother about his injury. He reasoned that he’d use the health insurance only for his daughters or for a catastrophic injury. Now the question to ask is, ‘Why are the premiums so high, why are the co-pays so high?’ Ironically, because insurance companies have to cover those catastrophic injuries. Wouldn’t it be better if the government covered the big hospitalizations and the insurance companies only had to worry about the usual costs? Then they could lower the premiums and my brother could get his shoulder fixed. That’s the kind of program the Democrats believe in—helping working-class families make a living.”
After a few minutes more, I began to conclude, “Now, what I think is most important, if you are going to choose between Democrats and Republicans, is to listen to the tone of the message they each provide. I agree with my colleague that the Republicans are a party of hope—but I wonder how they’ll make us believe it when I hear their message. Because the tone I hear, and the words I hear, are not of hope, but of despair; not of security, but of fear." I quoted the republicans, "‘The war on terror may last generations…Yellow alert…Orange alert…the elections may be disrupted…They want to kill Americans! You and me!’”
“Now, listen to the Democrats—look at John Kerry and John Edwards, listen to the tone, and the words. They are words of hope, of an America that is at its best when it feels optimistic. ‘Stronger at Home, Respected in the World.’ By gosh, that’s a positive message. And John Kerry adopted another positive slogan a few weeks ago, and it’s from a Langston Hughes poem written in 1938, and nothing gives the message of hope better then the first few verses of the poem." I recited:
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
“And folks, if our election in November is to mean anything, let it mean this—that hope lives on, and we can fulfill the promises of the founders—that America can be America again. Thank you.” A nice round of applause followed.
There were no questions from the audience (they were getting hungry for supper.) I walked toward the audience to meet and greet, and the Republican walked briskly past me, “You KNOW Langston Hughes was a Communist, right?”
“I am very well aware of Hughes’ politics—but I wouldn’t call him a Communist.” He was walking away before I could finish, “But it is a good poem, right?” He grabbed his wife and they walked past the organizers, pausing briefly to say something, then rapidly out the door of the church, looking back for just a moment as they exited.
The organizers came to me to apologize for his rudeness. “We’re so sorry you had to deal with that redneck.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I said. They explained that while I spoke he was making hand and facial gestures (Scowls, thumbs-down). I then realized why there were occasional surprised glances from the audiences when I was hitting my strong points—they were looking at him. “I don’t figure he’ll pick up many voters that way.” I smiled.
They said no, that when he left in such a hurry he grunted to them, “Might as well be talking to the socialists.”
I stayed and enjoyed fantastic Ukrainian, Mexican, American, and Guatemalan home cooking. When I sat down to supper with a working-poor family and some immigrants, a Mexican fellow said, “I guess the other guy’s too good to eat with us.”
“Maybe not,” I replied. “Perhaps he had some indigestion…”
I left with my translator after a great desert. He had the Republican handout in the car and explained how he had interpreted the handout for the Ukrainians (he’s Russian, but speaks both languages), “This party,” he had told them (referring to the GOP), “Just wants to help rich stay rich.”
“What else did you tell them?” I asked.
“That is all they need to know.”
Damned straight.
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