Friday, October 26, 2018

No. 292: The Time To Vote Is Now

Blogger's note: Jay Kayne and Stephan R. Leimberg said they were submitting the material below to their local newspaper. However, they invited me to circulate it to my readers, with or without their names. I have not edited the material in any way. Please vote!

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WHAT WE BELIEVE

The mid-term election is much more than a contest among individuals seeking office.  It is nothing less than a referendum on what America represents.  As with any decision, personal choices are influenced by one’s priorities and value system.

We do not represent and therefore cannot speak for any political party. However, we do have a strong feeling about what makes the United States exceptional and a model for other nations.

We ask you to think carefully about what you want! That is why, we the undersigned, felt it was important to share why, regardless of past party affiliation, we are voting for Democrats this year.

WE BELIEVE:
Access to affordable health care for all Americans is a human right.  And while the Affordable Care Act can be improved upon, it should not be repealed without a viable alternative which provides similar benefits and guarantees rights such as coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Climate change and human contribution to it are real and only immediate national and international cooperation and action can slow or reverse this catastrophic trend.
Neither our federal nor state government should be the arbiter of a woman’s reproductive rights.
Rather than being “the enemy of people,” a free press is a cornerstone of and essential to American democracy.
Accepting the word of an autocrat or dictator over that of the U.S. intelligence community is an affront to the dedicated men and women who keep us safe and protect our homeland.
We should distance ourselves from governments that torture and murder its own or citizens of any country and that the benefits of breaking ties with or sanctioning such countries far out-weigh any possible profits to be gained from any military weapons sale or other economic trade.
It is wrong to provide huge tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent of our population at the cost of significantly increased federal deficits and deep reductions in our social safety network and educational system.
In cases of sexual abuse or harassment, both the accused and accuser should have the right to a thorough, independent, and unbiased investigation of the charges.
The speed, pricing, or access to the internet should not be controlled by a relatively few giant media corporations.
America is large and strong enough to be a refuge for reasonable numbers of individuals who are politically persecuted or are subject to violence within their native countries.
It is both constitutional and reasonable to demand that all gun buyers qualify to purchase through a universal federal background check and that non-police civilians be denied access to military level assault weapons.
Every American, regardless of sexual orientation or national origin, should be welcomed to serve their country as a member of the armed services.
Americans of any color or sexual orientation or national origin have a right (and as we all do, a responsibility) to vote and the facilities and mechanisms to encourage and enable everyone’s vote should be protected and expanded.
The American public has a right to review the tax returns of candidates for senior national offices due to the potential for financial conflicts of interests affecting both foreign and domestic policy decisions.
Our elected government officials should be role-models of integrity, dignity, character, compassion and tolerance.
If you share these beliefs, now through November 6 you have the opportunity to take America in a more fair and compassionate direction by exercising your right to vote.

Thank you!

Jay Kayne
Stephan R. Leimberg

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