Democrats post 9/11 and Katrina
ILLUSTRATED: "At home and abroad, government is for the public interest, not special interests."
OK Democrats, 9/11 woke us up to the realization that, for federal offices, National Security is at the top of the agenda. Even the locals better be competent on homeland security.
With Hurricane Katrina, we must resist the temptation to call the troops home and focus inward. I fear that some in our party will resort to focusing only on Health, Education, and Welfare. That would be a mistake.
What 9/11 and Katrina have in common is that they are both about the governemnt failing to physically protect people. Emergency services and the military were the central players in the recoveries. We must become, in the public's perception, identified with both the military and the emergency services.
Most conservatives and believe in the "Night Watchman Theory" that government only exists to protect. Liberals usually are "Nanny Staters" who mostly think about spending tax money educating and medicating. Either way, you can agree with this slogan:
"At home and abroad, government is for the public interest, not special interests."
A Democrat who runs on that theme can win. It envolopes 1) an integrated homeland security, 2) quality public education, 3) stewardship of nature, 4) access to justice, 5) equal economic opportunity, 6) and most importantly the ethic that government is supposed to take care of its most vulnerable.
OK Democrats, 9/11 woke us up to the realization that, for federal offices, National Security is at the top of the agenda. Even the locals better be competent on homeland security.
With Hurricane Katrina, we must resist the temptation to call the troops home and focus inward. I fear that some in our party will resort to focusing only on Health, Education, and Welfare. That would be a mistake.
What 9/11 and Katrina have in common is that they are both about the governemnt failing to physically protect people. Emergency services and the military were the central players in the recoveries. We must become, in the public's perception, identified with both the military and the emergency services.
Most conservatives and believe in the "Night Watchman Theory" that government only exists to protect. Liberals usually are "Nanny Staters" who mostly think about spending tax money educating and medicating. Either way, you can agree with this slogan:
"At home and abroad, government is for the public interest, not special interests."
A Democrat who runs on that theme can win. It envolopes 1) an integrated homeland security, 2) quality public education, 3) stewardship of nature, 4) access to justice, 5) equal economic opportunity, 6) and most importantly the ethic that government is supposed to take care of its most vulnerable.
posted by Teka Thomas at 11:43 PM
1 Comments:
I am tremendously disappointed with the lack of news coverage and virtually non-existent rescue efforts (with the exception of a few animal groups) to help dogs, cats and other animals trapped in homes, apartments and backyards in the Katrina-affected areas.
"Officials" are disregarding the barks / cries of tens of thousands of trapped animals; in fact, it was reported yesterday that they are intentionally shooting dogs on the streets.
We have betrayed these animals and demonstrated our COMPLETE LACK OF COMPASSION AS A SPECIES!
I strongly encourage everyone to write letters to the press and politicians. We must rescue these helpless victims of this tragedy ... before it is too late! Thousands of boats and volunteers must be allowed into the area to assist with the effort.
In addition, the Democratic Party should do much more as a party to help animals -- companion animals, animals in agriculture, animals in research, and animals internationally.
Gregory Wright emailed me today about the DNC's recently-circulated 'Democratic Response to Katrina: the Democrats' Relief Plan'
(www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/senate_democrat_13.php).
Mr. Wright says that an additional paragraph should be included about Helping the Animal Companions of New Orleans -- because this is the decent thing to do for our non-human friends, and because a great many New Orleanians are refusing to evacuate the dangerous situation there because they refuse to abandon their pets. No one should be condemned to die from disease because of their commendable love for and loyalty to their pets.
This challenge needs to be addressed now -- and planned for and addressed in all future disasters.
Leaving the animals behind is what the broken-down Soviet Union forced on the residents of (what became) the Chernobyl Dead Zone in 1986. Right now, the U.S. is doing no better than that.
Animal Welfare must become a major new plank in Democratic Party domestic policy: it's the right thing to do, and something the voters of America will respond to!
I agree with Mr. Wright.
Thank you,
Charlotte Laws
http://charlottelaws.typepad.com
http://www.ValleyGlen.net
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