DeLyle M. Evans: What Democrats stand for

Regarding Fredrik Deboer’s June 27 column “Glib Democrats ignoring their coming disaster” in which he asked, “What do liberal Democrats stand for?”:

As a lifetime liberal Democrat, I can say we stand for the following: Government should give priority to the needs of ordinary citizens, children, the elderly and the ill, and not to the needs of those already sufficiently affluent who need no assistance.

Government should work to assure equal opportunity to all Americans regardless of race or gender. We are pro-choice, but not mindlessly pro-abortion. Law and order require attacking not only crime but also its causes and strengthening gun control.

Balancing the budget on the backs of the young, poor, elderly and infirm is neither morally right nor fiscally necessary. Education and sufficient payment to our teachers cannot be overemphasized.

The federal government, used and run effectively, can help solve our nation’s major problems, including access to health care and the protection of our environment. The federal government, through education, job training, a sufficient minimum wage and other reforms, must address the growing gap between the rich and the rest of America, and the increasingly desperate condition of the poor.

This story was originally published July 10, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "DeLyle M. Evans: What Democrats stand for."