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A Manifest for Four More Years

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Reed Barker

Democrats like me are at a crossroads. The election is over and I, for one, fear what the country is going to look like after four more years of Bush and the Neo-Cons. I have a 13-year-old daughter. In four years, she will be a 17-year-old driver. I understand the implications of what can happen in only four years.

We Democrats have a choice to make at this crossroad. We can either emulate Robert Johnson and sell our collective souls to win or find the strength from within our wreckage to build a party that we can love.

Over the next four years we can get back to the basics of what makes us strong as a people.

Sure, I know it’s easy to want to fight fire with fire and adopt their tactics of fear and smear. My role model is Andy Griffith. When Barney Fife came to Andy and demanded that he fight fire with fire, Andy countered, "No Barney, you fight fire with water."

Let our water be actions to fight the fire of their words. Let’s build, not destroy.
Here are 5 things I think we can do.

1. Define, not redefine, Democratic Party values

Democrats must make clear who we are and what we stand for.

• We are all in this together.
• We should help one another where we can.
• Every person deserves to be treated with basic human dignity.
• Every person deserves basic food, shelter, health care and education.
• We don't need the government to impose morals or religion on us in exchange for these basic human rights.
• We believe in openness in the way we deal with others and privacy in how we deal with ourselves.
• We believe that helping each other makes everyone safer and better people.
• We are better together than apart.

2. Protest with Actions

Democrats must not only visibly protest, but visibly make changes for the better.
Protests show our resolve, but often are seen as destructive displays. Marches in the streets scare people who live in rural areas. People see memories of the 60's or see images of the Middle East.

Let's use our combined manpower to make a difference.

• The next time we march on Washington, let's set some time to clean up parks with our massed selves.
• Let's spend our weekends in local communities building homes, playgrounds and clearing vacant lots.
• Let's work in community shelters to make them better.
• Let’s work for adoption groups that discourage abortion but provide a loving environment to take care of women.
• Let's encourage our local churches to reach out to prisoners and the less fortunate.
• Let's teach classes to those who can't read.
• Let's get together and hold drives to send walkie-talkies and body armor for our troops in Iraq. We are the people.
• Let's do it under our common banner.

3. Define ourselves Locally

Democrats need to look for the next leaders, not from great speechmakers, not from great party operatives, but from those people who make a difference in our daily lives.

Democrats should be leaders in the community, whether through churches, businesses or civic groups.

Who says we can’t mass in urban areas and drive out drug dealers thought community action? Who says we can’t bring the light of day on the lives of common people who are already acting in their communities to make life better. We need to recruit leaders to who hold our values, but are afraid to align with a political party. We need to make loyalty come from within, from a commitment of keeping promises and supporting our friends and fighting our enemies. We can show what it means to build coalitions. If we do good locally, we can affect change for the nation.

4. Someone's got to do it

Democrats have been defined as a paternal group that wants government to solve problems without getting our hands dirty. That’s not right. Yes, we believe that everyone deserves dignity and government is one place where people should look for justice, but it’s not the end-all be-all.

We need to organize to bring services to people who are no longer going to get them from the government. Weekend health clinics, birth control counseling, after school programs, childcare: these are the stepping stones to building a better community. Republicans can block off public funding, but they can’t keep us from helping each other. Let’s go out and coordinate volunteer groups to provide for those who the government is not going to help. Let’s create successful pilot programs run by volunteers and show what works to legislators and communities of every stripe.

5. Remember, we aren't them

We aren’t the elite. We are the people. Our differences make us stronger. We don't have to fall lock step in with the party line. We feel free enough and confident enough to debate ideas with facts and opinions. We feel brave enough to say the wrong thing, not worrying about it being taken out of context. We feel smart enough to know that everyone can get on board. It’s not just about winning; it’s about how you play the game. It’s our values that make us special.

Democrats shouldn’t be intimidated. We shouldn’t be cowed. We need to put plans in action. We need to execute these plans. We need to organize now. We can make a difference every day we wake up.

We are the people.

I’m Reed Barker
Peachtree City, Georgia
www.Reedyb.com

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION