By Don C. Reed
What a grand old town Berkeley is, full of bookstores and pizza shops, and people who love America enough to stand up for its values.
It’s not always easy to get Democrats on the same page. But still there are beliefs we all share.
For instance, everyone should pitch in their fair share of taxes. How unpatriotic the opposite would be — to not want to help your country?
As Democrats too, we support unions, and collective bargaining which won the right to overtime pay, and many other benefits.
We cherish our religious faiths, but will not impose them on others.
We provide for the needs of veterans, especially our wounded warriors.
We support equal rights for women — and a Constitutional Amendment, to make that an unquestionable law.
We honor public education: but believe private schools should be funded privately; not paid for by subtractions from the budgets of the poor.
We back stem cell research, to challenge “incurable” chronic disease;
We love the Statue of Liberty, and support a path to earned citizenship.
We want minority history taught in school — how else can we learn from racist errors of the past?
We believe in Roe v. Wade: the responsible position on reproductive rights.
We cherish the environment: of which every living thing is a contributory part.
We oppose laws which place obstacles on voting.
We support the freedom to write citizens’ initiatives — so ordinary people can pass extraordinary laws.
We stand for Food Stamps, Medicaid, Social Security and other positive programs, which short-sighted legislators would weaken, or destroy.
We support due process of law, and workers’ rights of legal redress; no one should lose their job without a chance in court to win it back.
We treasure National Public Radio (NPR), which works so hard to tell both sides.
Remember Merle Haggard’s great old song, “”Proud to be an Okie from Muskogee”? I feel just as strong — because the red, white and blue is my flag too.
I’m proud to be a Democrat from Berkeley!
Don C. Reed was born and raised in Berkeley, California.