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It's time for a change
To the editor:
I was elected to serve in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1969. I had filed as a Democrat because I felt the Democratic Party was more concerned for the underprivileged than were those of the other party.
While serving, I usually voted for what I thought was best for Arkansas and America, regardless of which party sponsored the legislation.
Today, voting in the Arkansas Legislature, and especially in our U.S. Congress, is along party lines, regardless of the benefits of the legislation. This is done to ensure party support come election time. And this is one of the major wrongs in our system today.
I always figured Franklin D. Roosevelt as the symbol of the Democratic Party. His leadership started much improvement in our country during trying times. In 1939, when it appeared America may be threatened by war with Germany, he changed his position to business, and with help of industrial leaders, was successful in building one of the largest war machines ever known. His change to a pro-business stance was opposed by the Democratic Party. By 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, America had a war machine almost equal to that of Germany. Roosevelt's willingness to change made it possible to furnish the free world with enough machinery to stop Hitler and eventually get Japan to surrender.
In the last few years, the Democratic Party has changed drastically. They now cater to the labor unions as well as gays and lesbians, both of which now appear to be the vocal spokesman for the party.
The morals exhibited by the leaders of the Democratic Party today do not resemble those of the Roosevelt years, when both the president and Vice President Biden endorse recognition of same-sex marriages. I felt it was time for me to change my support. There is no law against same-sex couples living together, but to declare them legally married is too much.
As for labor unions, they were needed when they were formed, but their demands now threaten many European countries as well as the economy of the world.
America has always been known for its tolerance and becoming aggressive only when the welfare of the people of other countries appears to be threatened by ruthless oppressors. A prior president and kin to FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, established the philosophy of the USA, "Walk softly but carry a big stick." When FDR endorsed the building of a big military in 1939, he fulfilled that philosophy. Since that time, our country has been one of the superior military powers in the world. Today, cuts in their budgets threaten their strength. Most of these cuts are pushed by a Democratic congress.
In his last year in office, President Clinton drastically cut the military budget. The present Democratic administration has farther cut that budget and our military power continues to diminish.
America is a great nation because of the past leaders we have chosen to lead us. Our president and vice president now do not represent what people across the planet admire and wish to become a citizen of as they did a few years ago.
The morals of the Democratic Party continue to deteriorate. Now is the time to change leadership.