what this indecrat believes

I have christened myself an Indecrat, because I am registered as an Independent but have always voted Democrat. There are Indepublicans in the world, too. Recently I read a blog post with a bulleted list of the differences the author perceived between Republicans and Democrats. Here’s what it said:

Republican – The Red Team

  1. Conservative
  2. Family is important part of your life
  3. Opposed to abortion
  4. Married or expect to be
  5. Own a business or would like to
  6. Save, invest in the stock market
  7. Support tax cuts
  8. Strong support of the military
  9. Believe in peace through strength
  10. Long sentences for convicts
  11. Religious faith
  12. Sports, particularly Nascar, baseball
  13. Against drug legalization
  14. Don’t swear or use profanity

Democrat – The Blue Team

  1. Liberal
  2. Support gay rights
  3. Support for abortion
  4. Marriage isn’t important
  5. Anti-business
  6. Favor government financial assistance
  7. Support tax increases
  8. Distrust of the US military
  9. Wanting peace through appeasement
  10. Believe in second chances for convicts
  11. Secular, religion isn’t important
  12. Movies, particularly adult rated
  13. Use of illegal drugs acceptable
  14. Use of swearing and profanity acceptable

I can usually just ignore this stuff, but I felt compelled to respond this time. So here’s what I wrote:

I’m afraid I have to take issue with the characterizations on this thing. It’s a fallacy for conservatives or anyone else to characterize Democrats/liberals/progressives in this way. We believe in equality for all people, including gay people. When the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, we take that to mean all people are created equal – not just white people or straight people or Christian people or people who are like us.

We support a woman’s right to make medical decisions about her own body without governmental interference. That doesn’t mean we think abortion is awesome, a quick fix, or something everyone should rush out and do. Most of us would love nothing better than to see the number of abortions reduced dramatically, but we don’t think making abortion a crime is the way to get this done. Instead, we’d rather see the government spend its time and money helping us to educate young, poor, minority women – by far the largest group of those receiving abortions – so that they realize they have a variety of options, from birth control to adoption, that will keep them from having to make that heartbreaking decision.

We support business – particularly small business – but we believe that regulation is important so as to keep trade fair and to provide the maximum number of options in the marketplace. This helps keep companies like Comcast from becoming so large that they can hold their customers hostage to any price they want to charge for their services.

We do not believe in handouts, but we believe one role of government is to help people get back on their feet when circumstances have knocked them flat. We believe in tax increases for the wealthy, who in large part pay a tiny fraction of the taxes they should owe due to loopholes and credits unavailable to others, and tax cuts for the poor.

We trust and support our troops but believe military force should be a last resort after diplomacy has failed. We do not believe diplomacy and appeasement are synonymous. We remember the lessons we learned in elementary school about trying to work out a conflict through mediation before getting into a fistfight.

We believe the justice system requires us to evaluate each criminal on a case-by-case basis and to know that judges – just like criminals – sometimes make mistakes.

Many if not most of us are Christians, but believe that since our country was founded on the principle that we should be free to worship in whatever manner we choose, we must extend this right to our fellow citizens, even if we do not like or agree with their religious views.

We believe adult citizens have the right to decide what forms of entertainment (movies, music, etc.) are appropriate for them and their families, and that our opinion of what constitutes profanity or adult content should not be the measure by which others live.

Many, but certainly not all or even most of us, believe that most illegal drugs should stay illegal, but that putting someone in jail for life for marijuana use may not be the best match between crime and punishment.

In addition to all that…many of us are married or would like to be. We do not believe being a heterosexual couple makes you more qualified or more likely to have a healthy adult relationship, or to be a good parent. Family is not just important to us – for many of us, it’s of paramount importance, and drives the majority of our major life decisions. We frequently own or run small businesses of our own. We save our money and invest in the stock market. And when we’re not busy out ruining America with our dirty heathen ways, we enjoy watching and participating in sports. Hell, we might even watch a NASCAR race.

If belief in equal rights, in talking before fighting, in letting people make their own decisions, and in helping those less fortunate than myself makes me a bad, immoral person, then sign me up. But if you know who stole my Obama magnet, feel free to kick him/her in the face before chatting.

8 Replies to “what this indecrat believes”

  1. Very well stated and I am an Indecrat also. Most people don’t understand that so most of the time I just end up telling people I’m a Democrat. But this what you’ve said here is the best explanation and understanding of the term a person could give!

  2. Amen. Also, that’s why I love this quote from JFK:

    What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label “Liberal?” If by “Liberal” they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer’s dollar, then … we are not that kind of “Liberal.” But if by a “Liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal.” – John F. Kennedy

  3. great response. the anti-business thing makes me laugh. as if the conservative government of the last 8 years has done great things for businesses and the economy.

  4. nice. I like the idea of Indecrat, but I guess I’ve been saying im more of a “moderate liberal” thsan anything else.

    maybe an “ideacrat”… thinking generates ideas which lead to opportunities for improvement. i never stop thinking. i think about all kinds of things, some may seem inane or silly, but i always think. even when i try to relax and “veg-out” i end up thinking some of my best thoughts. how one thing impacts or is connected to another, how doing the same task a different way may gebnerate a better outcome.

    this is what i believe in: do not be satisfied with the way things are. see the way to improve them, and if you are talking government, you must take into account the whole *and* the individual. no easy task, but that is why someone who can see the bigger picture will get my vote even if they have less expereince. anyone can tap advisors who have expereince, but if you cannot see the forest for the trees, then you probably won’t have great advisors, either.

    glad things turned out the way they did. now i hope he does not let us down. time to walk the talk.

  5. Lorie,

    You produced a thoughtful, reasoned response that would make your former teachers proud. People should link to this post in the future when such a list shows up.

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