Newsletter #33 - August, 30 2023

In December, 2021, the Huron County Democratic Party .. a rural county in northern Ohio .. gathered for their annual holiday party and meeting. During the event, several persons spoke. The last person, the chairwoman announced, would speak about a book, Democrats 101, by J. M. Purvis. What follows are the words that Tim used:

“In 1776, American patriots gathered in taverns to hear the reading of “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine. “Common Sense” was, and still is, the most widely circulated publication in American history. It laid down all the facts and reasoning for overthrowing the British monarchy and gaining independence and self rule.

Like the patriots in 1776, we are gathered here tonight at a time of peril. Where their fight was to overthrow monarchy, ours is to save democracy. And the way we do that is by getting more people to identify as Democrats, and more to vote Democratic. And to do that we must state our identity. What is a Democrat? What do we all agree with?

The author of Democrats 101 brought together a group of people from all corners of the Democratic big tent to answer those questions. They realized that agreement among Democrats was to be found on values and beliefs, not on policy. The group hammered out the Democratic Creed, which forms the core of the book. I think they did a concise and thorough job of it.

So now, I’m going to read the Democratic Creed. You can follow along on the handout, or if you have a book, you can follow along on page 127. I hope we can officially adopt this creed at our next meeting, so think about it.

The Democratic Creed

• We believe all people are created equal, that this is America’s fundamental ideal.

• We believe that America is a democratic republic, by and for the people: ruled by the Constitution and its interpretations, protected by the Bill of Rights, and inspired by the Declaration of Independence.

• We believe these founding documents demand Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity for all Americans, in full and equal measure .. regardless of who you are, what you believe, or where you live.

• We believe that the Duty of government is to strive endlessly to make the ideals of Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity a reality for all.

• We believe that the Purpose of government is to protect our nation, defend our democracy, and to endlessly promote the welfare of each and every one of us.

• We believe that fighting for these ideals is our purpose as a political party.

Tim went on to read the descriptions of Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity, things like:

• The right of every citizen to shape their own life, and their beliefs — so long as it does not infringe on the rights or safety of others.

• A society where every citizen is treated with dignity, regardless of race, creed, or personal difference of any kind.

• Every American deserves an equal chance to pursue their dreams, to be judged on their ability and their effort alone.

When Tim finished, the crowd applauded vigorously, and, just as you might have heard in the American taverns in 1776, a shout of “Hear, hear!” rang out.

One man asked, “How can we get people to believe our message over what they hear on Fox News?”

Tim replied, “By using it everywhere, and by repetition.”

There was a box of “Democrats 101” books on a table, and every household went home with one.

At their next meeting, the Huron County Democratic Party officially adopted the Democratic Creed, and founded a movement. Since that moment, Democrats 101 and the Democratic Creed have spread to eight states, and growing. More than twenty-five Democratic county parties and clubs have joined the movement and adopted the Democratic Creed as their stated core beliefs.

That’s our story in Huron County. We hope it will become yours.

Flash! Cheboygan County Dems in Michigan and Wyoming County Dems in Pennsylvania adopted the Democratic Creed. They become the 22nd and 23rd group to do so. Join the movement and a community! Full list here.

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