Democratic Creed

WHEREAS Americans are more and more looking to the Democratic Party to take care of the nation’s problems, and

WHEREAS To take care of those problems, we need many more Americans of goodwill to join Democrats in our big tent, and

WHEREAS To get that, Americans must know what the Democratic Party stands for, and

WHEREAS To answer that, we must distill what is common to all Democrats, and

WHEREAS Policy choices are not common to all Democrats, but core values are common to all Democrats, and

WHEREAS Those values must be American values that are universal and timeless, and

WHEREAS Those values must come to define and identify the Democratic Party, and must be widely known across the county, state and nation, and

WHEREAS People must be able to see those values written as a concise, thorough creed, and

WHEREAS We have found such a creed in the book “Democrats 101” by J.M. Purvis,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The people of the Huron County Democratic Party do ordain and establish as our own this 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.

We hold these things to be self-evident:

Freedom means ...

• 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.
• The free flow of information and movement.
• The right to privacy.
• Free and fair elections, at every level, in every place in America:
  • Elections that are fully transparent.
  • Elections that are free of the role of wealth and the wealthy.
  • Elections that guarantee unlimited and easy access to voting for every American citizen.

Justice means ...

• A society where every citizen is safe in their person and their home, and their day-to-day lives.
• A society where every citizen is treated with dignity, regardless of race, creed, or personal difference of any kind.
• A society where every citizen is treated equally before the law, and by the law.
• A society where racism is wrong, where discrimination is wrong, where the government intervenes when racism or discrimination threatens a person’s basic rights.

Opportunity means ...

• Every American deserves an equal chance to pursue their dreams, to be judged on their ability and their effort alone.
• Every American, child and adult alike, deserves the education that gives them that chance.
• Every American adult deserves the chance to earn a living wage, and to work with dignity -- a job where pay, working conditions, and treatment are suitable reward for the effort and skill put in.
• Every American deserves to live without fear of hunger or homelessness or lack of medical care. These things are not only rights, they are America’s moral duty to provide.
• Every American deserves to live in a healthy environment that includes clean air, clean water, and safe food.
• Every American deserves the chance to move forward: no one left out by change, and no one left behind … no matter who they are or where they live.

We further believe that American democracy depends on ...

• A free and independent press, dedicated to truth and objectivity.
• An educated citizenry with free and easy access to information
• A nation that accepts and embraces diversity.
• Full financial transparency in election campaigns, in political office, and in government transactions.
• An American economy based on Free Enterprise, and protected by the government from the baser instincts of large corporations and the financially powerful.
• The continued existence of a strong military, free of political involvement and financial corruption, and dedicated to protecting us against all enemies foreign and domestic.
• Educators and law enforcement officers being treated as among the most important parts of society, highly paid and stringently selected, and meeting exacting national standards of professionalism, ethics and psychological motivation.
• American citizens who care. Without this, nothing is possible.

This is what we believe.

Adopted January 26, 2022

hurondems.org/creed

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To pledge your support for the Democratic Creed, please go to: dems101.org/the-creed#pledge.

For information on the Democrats 101 movement, and to get the book, please see: dems101.org".