Democrats: Fair-minded Americans

From Chairman Vandett, February and March 2020

Primary elections, caucuses, and debates are in full bloom, and we Democrats have to get serious about the decisions we will make in the coming months. Meanwhile, Republicans are directing a barrage of negativity portraying Democrats – you and me - as evil, godless, and un-American.

Now, more than ever, is a time for us all to be proud that we are Democrats. In a message to those who planned to attend Governor Cooper’s visit to Hickory in January, here’s how Mitchell Gold shared his view of Democratic values. I asked if I could share his comments in my bi-monthly message, and he said, “of course.”

Here are his words:

As I’ve seen many of you in the past few weeks at either the inspiring Kim Bost or AG Josh Stein events, one of the common things is people have big smiles and tell me they appreciate me taking the time articulating what our values are.  Our shared values are truly family values.

As I’ve said, simply put, Democrats are the party of ‘fair minded people.’  We want to:

• Treat everyone fairly…with respect and dignity.  Gay, straight, transgender or anywhere on the spectrum of whatever, women, men, kids, people with different abilities (my way of saying disabilities).  In our eyes, color of skin is simply that.

• Make sure everyone gets a shot at a fair education. This is where REAL opportunity enables every kid to get a chance at a good life.

• Make sure everyone gets a fair shot at the best job they are qualified for.

• Have religion treat people fairly…..not as a sword to harm marginalized or ‘different than themselves’…..but as a guide to live life according to the good golden rules. And certainly not to justify dominating women or restricting their privacy. Perhaps Pete Buttigieg is rising so quickly because he so eloquently talks about how his faith guides him to feed the poor, welcome the stranger, heal the sick….and how different that is from the likes of Mike Pence and too many Republicans.  Just this morning he was on CBS talking about all “our shared values.”

And, unfortunately, Republican’s actions are completely different. Gov. McCrory proved that in his actions along with Republicans controlling both legislative bodies. I’m not trying to be hostile and I certainly treat others with differing views respectfully, but we need to be clear: the Republican agenda perpetuates systemic racism and poverty and more mean spirited, greedy policies. And that is not what nice people do.

I hope Mitchell’s words resonate with you and you realize what Democratic values truly are. We should all say, “I am a Democrat and an American, and I’m proud to be both.”

Now, let’s get to work. This year, more than ever, we need all hands on deck. Organizing ALL our county’s 40 precincts is essential to successful results in the 2020 election- at the local, state, and national levels.