Add your "Statement of Principle" for the Democratic Party....

[kentuck]

#1. The Democratic Party believes in the separation of church and state. We believe it is a dangerous trend to try and interpret the Constitution from Biblical perspective. The Constitution of our nation was created to defend the rights of the minority as well as the rights of the majority. We are not just a Christian nation - we are a nation of many religions. It is only by adhering to our Constituion that we can continue to live in freedom and liberty. The intrusion of religion into our politics and our Constitutional rights is a threat to our democracy.

[intheflow]

1. As Democrats,

we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each individual and also in the interconnected web of existence that binds humanity together and to our planet. We believe these two opposites must be held in creative balance for the health and well-being of our country.

[acmavm]

2. It is not the policy of the Democratic party to 'spread' democracy

to any other nation by attacking it and killing their citizens. Democracy is an ideal that cannot be 'forced' on people. The position of the Democratic Party is that it is not only immoral, but illegal, to deceive the people of this country with false reasons for going to war. We value the lives of our citizens and in order to protect them, we will not twist the truth in order to justify an invasion of another country. That being said, we will never hesitate to defend our country from an imminent threat by a foreign nation. We will use the full force of our military without hesitation if it is justified and necessary.

[kentuck]

3. How about the 2nd Amendment ?

That the Democratic Party reaffirms its belief and support in the right of the people to bear arms. However, we do not believe that any citizen should possess any tanks, shoulder-fired missiles, or explosives that can potentially be used for terrorist purposes, and that all weapons, and especially automatic weapons, should be kept out of the hands of young children and street gangs. We reaffirm our support for hunters rights and the rights of the individual to defend his home and country.

[kentuck]

4. That we believe in the sacred right to vote and to have your vote counted

And with the questions that have arisen from the last 3 national elections, that we support a paper trail backup for every vote that is cast, and that the suppression of voting by prohibiting people from voting in a timely and thorough manner creates the need to make election day a national holiday.

[Ima]

5. Liberty and Justice for All.

[kentuck]

6. That our Party believes in the equal rights of all our citizens....

That women are equal citizens under the Constitution of the United States and that they have the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion and that it is not the right of any individual or state or religion to deny her that right. We believe it is a Constitutional matter and not a religious matter and as equal US citizens, women alone have the right to determine what choice they should make in regards to childbirth or abortion.

[intheflow]

12. "That our Party believes in the equal rights of all our citizens...."

That gays, lesbians, transgendered, bisexual and queer people are equal citizens under the Constitution of the United States and that they have the right to choose whether or not to get married to whoever they choose and that it is not the right of any individual or state or religion to deny her that right. We believe it is a Constitutional matter and not a religious matter and as equal US citizens, the GBLTQ community alone has the right to determine what choice they should make in regards to marriage or relationship within the privacy of their own homes.

[welshTerrier2]

7. democracy: going once, going twice, SOLD !!!

Each and every year, we've seen the rich get richer and the poor get poorer ... and each and every year, we've seen the power and influence of the monied classes grow greater and greater in our halls of government ...

dealing with lobbyists has become a full-time job for our elected representatives ... one must rightfully question just who it is who is being represented ... are the interests of each and every citizen being promoted or just the interests of those who can afford hired guns to lobby on their behalf?

and what independence exists in our electoral process when, at the national level, costs can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars ?? equal time laws have been erased ... fairness doctrines no longer apply ... mass media is increasingly centralized in the hands of the very wealthiest ...

the Democratic Party does not need to be the party of large, expensive, centralized social programs ... but it does need to protect the rights of each and every citizen ... and it needs to ensure that our democratic institutions are respected by those in power ... it is time to put an end to the Halliburton war in Iraq; it is time to squash the new Merck-Pfeizer Medicare Bill; it is time to destroy the recent giveaway tax bill that values capital over work ...

it is time to call for an end to all corporate lobbying ... it is time to force big money out of the political process ... it is time to give at least some voice to minor parties ...

America is involved in a deadly class war ... and the battlefield goes far beyond economic issues ... our democracy is on the line ... we cannot continue to allow large corporate interests and their elite shareholders to direct national policy ... it's time to make our government serve the needs of all its people once again ...

[gulliver]

8. An equal, high quality education for all, consistent with ability.

Sort of like no child left behind only without the winking and betrayal from the Republicans. There should be no lack of funding for science, mathematics, the liberal arts, or athletics. Each child should be given every opportunity to reach his/her potential. To that end, every child should be guaranteed three squares a day, including on weekends. Also, the food should be both nutritious and tasty. I.e., the school board members should be required to eat the cafeteria food at least twice a week on random days.

[journalist3072]

9. My Statement of Principle for the DNC

As Democrats, we believe in lifting up all Americans. We believe that America cannot prosper, unless all of its citizentry have well paying jobs, can afford decent housing, and have access to a quality education. We believe in rising together as Americans.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. We believe that people working full time should be able to

afford housing, higher education and healthcare. If we can not provide a living wage then we much use the social safety net to provide decent housing and healthcare to all people.

[sangh0]

11. We should be careful to distinguish between principles and policies

"We support the right to xyz" is a policy, while things like "equal rights" are principles.

"One person, one vote" is a principle that leads some to support the policy of "making voter registration more accessible" while that same principle leads some to support the policy of "suppressing voter fraud".

I believe that if we were to identify the principles that support our policies, we'd find that many of them were the same ones the radicals claim for themselves. In those circumstances, the debate will be one by those who can show that their policies are a more accurate and valid expression of their values. In those circumstances, I think we win.

[kentuck]

14. Good point, sangh0...

well said.

[GettysbergII]

13. Excellent, Kentuck !!

Well said, particularly with HR 1399 'The Constitution Restoration Act of 2004'in both the House and Senate.