Why I’m a Democrat

By Greg Lemke                                                                                      
Contributing Writer

When looking back on how I developed my political beliefs and philosophies, I have to start with my childhood. I, like most people, was influenced by the people around me- in particular my mom and her parents.

My mom is someone who is very civic minded and a regular, informed, voter, and her ideals were no doubt shaped by her parents. I recall as a young person growing up, hearing my mom, and in particular her father, talking about politics all the time. They talked about the Democrats being the party that cared about people, cared about the poor, the workers, and the environment.

This appealed to me for many reasons, and at age twelve I volunteered for the McGovern for President Campaign. Thus began my interest in politics.
As I grew older and hopefully wiser, I of course took a deeper look at the political parties and formed my own beliefs and opinions. I still consider myself a Democrat, but an Independent Democrat- I don’t vote strictly party line.

Over the years I have supported and worked for mostly Democrats because I support the party platform on many issues. But I have also voted for Republicans in the past. In fact, the first time I was eligible to vote in a presidential election I voted for Ronald Reagan.

I identify with the Democrats because at the most basic level I do think that the party as a whole
is more concerned with the well-being of individuals instead of the financial bottom line. In
simplistic terms, one could say it’s people vs. money, and I will always come down on the side
of people.
We respect all people’s rights, we fight for equality for all, we make sure there is a safety net for the unfortunate in our society and we don’t believe that government is bad or evil. I think we look at issues in the long term, what is best for people, for our planet, etc. instead of trying to see how we can save the most money, or earn more money for those who already have a lot.

Another reason I like being a Democrat is that we can truly disagree with one another and
we aren’t driven out of the party. Our elected officials can vote against the party and not be
banished or threatened; we don’t expect everyone to march in lockstep on every issue. Being a
Democrat is kind of like herding cats, most of the time you can get them all in together, but there
are still going to be a few strays, myself included at times.

It is important to welcome differing opinions, have discussions and be respectful of those
who may disagree. While it can be frustrating at times, to be a member of the Democrat Party,
I keep in mind the quote from Will Rogers, “I am not a member of any organized party—I am a
Democrat” and I am proud to be a Democrat and support most of the party platform, but I am
not a rubber stamp. I do my research, listen to people and support candidates based on the
issues; and most of the time, it’s the Democrat.

For further information, please visit http://www.Democrats.org