[ Note: A "bumpersticker" slogan refers to an organization's extremely
brief description of what they stand for. It should be just a few words
long, and structured so that if anyone is against it they look bad. For
example, the Republicans have gotten a lot of mileage out of the
bumpersticker “Less taxes / keep more of your paycheck”. Howard Dean,
the new chair of the DNC, has stated that Democrats need to have one. ]
Proposal for the DNC bumpersticker: Opportunity For Everyone
To me, this expresses everything that’s good about being a Democrat. We
believe there is nothing more important than helping people get a
better lot in life. We know that fundamentally people will work to
improve their lives and the only thing that holds them back is the
roadblocks that are put in their way.
We don’t believe in a handout, but a hand-up. We’re in favor of
anti-discrimination laws because they remove roadblocks to opportunity.
We hate to see people go hungry, homeless, or without medical attention
because that takes them out of the opportunity path. We want
poison-free neighborhoods because without health, they have no
opportunity. And of course, we want all Americans to get a quality
education, because it is the single most important key to assuring
opportunity.
To quote Billy Joel, I believe in a country where every child has a
pretty good shot to get at least as far as their old man got.
I’m waiting for a Democratic candidate to stand up and make the following point in one of their speeches:
“Would you like to predict how I’m going to vote on an issue once I’m
elected? It’s pretty simple. I believe in Opportunity for Everyone.
It’s that simple. If the bill creates opportunity for people, then I’m
for it. If it clears the roadblocks that prevent people from moving up
their lot in life, I’m for it. But if it restricts people’s ability to
do so, you can count on a “no” vote from me.”
There are second-tier issues that come to mind when talking about
“opportunity for everyone”. For example, why does the government build
highways? Because commerce depends on it and without commerce there is
little opportunity.
Etc.
Etc.
I need to work on this more, but I think this is the right direction
for finding our bumpersticker. In fact, I think we can even tie this
into why having an ethical government is important.
Thoughts? Opinions?
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