Knowing who your friends are

Knowing who your friends are  

Ted Folkert

October 28, 2014

Bill Moyers tells us what his dad said about Franklin Roosevelt – he said: Roosevelt is my friend. My mom and dad lived through the Great Depression and they felt the same way. They thought Roosevelt was their friend. They always voted for Democrats because they thought Democratic candidates were their friends. They thought Democratic candidates had their best interest in mind, that their hearts were in the right place, and that they believed in the common good of all the people.

I wonder how many of us now know who our friends are.

Our only chance to express our opinion and have it counted is upon us. What is it we want from government? A strong economy with jobs for everyone who wants one? A job with a living wage? A safety net for those of us who need a helping hand, to help us through catastrophic events that we can’t handle? A government that assures a safe and beneficial infrastructure for transportation, utilities, and protection from catastrophes? National defense? Police protection? Flood protection? Disaster relief?

The Social Security Act was signed into law by Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt. All Republicans voted against it. All attempts to end it, reduce benefits, or hand the fund over to Wall Street to gamble with the money have been promoted by Republicans and denied by Democrats.

Medicare was signed into law in 1965 by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. Since then Republicans have relentlessly attempted to reduce it and eliminate it many times.

The Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1964 by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. The Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965 by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. The Southern States then became heavily Republican because of the widespread racial discrimination in those states.

Universal health care has been a goal of Democrats for more than fifty years. It was defeated by Republicans many times until 2010 when the Democrats passed and Democratic President Barack Obama signed into law, the Affordable Care Act. Since then the Republican congress has voted 50 times to repeal this law, a law which has enabled thousands, perhaps millions, of uninsured people to have health insurance.

For many years Republicans have tried to eliminate or reduce unemployment benefit programs. All attempts have been prevented by Democrats.

When we go to vote we must remember who our friends are.

Our friends are the Democratic candidates, the candidates who represent the working class as well as the privileged class, the proletariat as well as the plutocrats.

Vote Democratic. Vote for the people, all of the people.

Please help us elect better leaders!

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