According to dictionary.com, the technical definition of Democrat is “a member of the Democratic party.” This is not exactly helpful, especially if you are new to politics and trying to figure out where you fit in the political spectrum. At the risk of sounding partisan and getting the political bloggers on my back, the basic difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats want bigger government while Republicans want smaller government. Obviously there are plenty of ways to incorporate both philosophies into a political belief system, so don’t think that this article is going to favor the Democrats over the Republicans. We only want to explore what makes Democrats…well, Democrats!
It might be hard to believe with all of the partisan bickering happening in Congress, but Democrats were, once upon a time, members of a party called the Democratic – Republican Party, which was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The Democratic Party officially separated from the Republican Party when Andrew Jackson was elected.
That’s all fine and good, but what do Democrats really believe? We can’t speak for individuals within the Democratic Party, but the party defines itself as believing in the following:
Raising the minimum wage
Investing in and favoring renewable energy over oil
Lower taxes for the middle class
Higher taxes for the wealthy (currently defined as those who make more than $250,000 per year)
Public funding for Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security
National/Universal health care
Lower pharmaceutical costs
Protection of the environment
Lower costs for Higher Education
North American Free Trade Agreement
Central American Free Trade Agreement
Adjusting the Alternative Minimum Tax
Equal Opportunity regardless of gender, age, race, orientation, nationality or religion
Making gay marriage legal
Pro-Choice legislation
Stem cell research
Ending the war in Iraq
Reversing Unilateralism
Decolonization of Puerto Rico (if Puerto Rican citizens want that)
This is simply a quick laundry list of what Democrats believe in as a party. All of these points have paragraphs of complicated policy behind their headlines (which we do not have time to explore in this article). Within both political parties there are members who do not agree with every facet of a party’s political platform.
The 2008 election has caused the balance in Washington to tip toward the Democrats’ side of the aisle. Americans have elected a Democratic President and both the House of Representatives and the Senate will have Democratic majorities when everyone has been sworn in to session. Many Republicans worry about how this will shift the balance for laws and policy in the United States. It is important to remember that you cannot paint all Democrats (or all Republicans) with the same brush. It is also important to remember that being “liberal” and being “a democrat” do not always mean the same thing. In the last few decades the “liberal” brush has been used against Democrats and it is important to remember that liberals can be found in the Republican, Constitution, Green and Libertarian parties as well!
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Category Archives: News And Society
Gang Etiquette
Today I’ll just talk a little bit about the basics of gangs and their signs and symbols. Gangs are everywhere in our nation and are a growing problem. Almost every police department has a unit dedicated to this cause.
So what really is a gang? It’s a its an organized group of three or more people with common names, signs, colors, symbols and who engage in violent and/or illegal behavior. Many of these members have a past of troubled family life. They’ve often been abused and have not been taught the value of human life. These individuals find acceptance and support in the gangs they join.
Here are some warning signs you know someone that may be in a gang…
- change in hair/dress new friends with same hair/dress
- secretive behavior about friends/activities new interest in graffiti symbols
- no explanation for routine changes change in frequented places
- suspected drug use by changes in mood new discipline problems
- increase of possessions such as money, hats and cloths
- phone threats to family new fear of police new sense of bravery
You can, however, do some prevention work in order to keep it from going that far with your child. Here are a few tips…
- Insist on meeting their friends and parents
- Know where they’re going, who with, where to and when they’ll be back
- Set rules and enforce them
- Encourage out of school legitimate interests
So what are some of these gangs? We’ll start with the Almighty Latin King Nation. They appeared in Chicago in the 1940′s to support each other against racism and other social issues of that time. They’re still Chicago’s largest gang. Original members were Puerto Rican but now it has evolved to all races to join but are mostly made up on Spanish, Latvian, Italian, Portuguese, Mexican and South American.
What separates this group is that they preach Latin pride and some chapters have made a religion called Kingdism. They have meetings to recite their gang pledge and pray to rise to the call of Inca. They also use these meetings to discuss gang retaliation, drugs or breaking gang rules. This gang is more structured and organized than most other gangs. They also celebrate January 6th as “Kings Holy Day” and the first week in March as “Kings Week”. In their gang symbol, the five points on the crown stand for love, respect, sacrifice, honor and obedience. This group identifies with the colors yellow or gold. The Chicago Police Department estimates about 25,000 members in Chicago alone.
Bloods:
This gang is based primarily in Los Angeles. They are one of the most widely known gangs due to wide media exposure in the 1980s. This gang is no longer racially specific. They usually align themselves with the People Nation. They’re a rival of the Crips and often refuse to use the letter C in their writings. This gang began in 1971 and wear their colors (red) on the right side, such as red shoelaces, red belt or a red bandana in their back right pocket.
Crips:
This gang originated in Los Angeles in 1969. Crips are established in 199 areas of LA. This gang aligns themselves with the Folk Nation. This gang has also spread throughout the US and are multiracial and extremely violent. They associate themselves with the color blue and refuse to use the letter B in their writings. They also call each other “cuzz” and call themselves “blood killas”. They also wear British Knight (BK) tennis shoes.
MS-13 or Mara Salvatrucha originated in El Salvador but migrated to Southern California. This is one of the largest, most known gangs in the US today. They added the 13 to pay homage to California prison gang, the Mexican Mafia. They quickly became the most violent gang because their originating members had experience in training for guerilla warfare. They can also be found in Honduras and Guatemala. In 2002, gang members boarded a public bus and executed 28 people, including children. Due to their homeland, they often have access to high tech weapons and firearms and often engage in firearms trafficking. Many of these members cover themselves in tattoos. Members also wear blue Dodgers baseball caps with tan or blue Dickies and long sleeve shirts with the top button fastened. They were also deemed the Worlds Most Dangerous Gang by National Geographic.
Gangs in today’s society are growing, even though some cells are declining in certain georgraphic areas due to changes in economy and other social matters. Some gangs are worldwide and some are focus in the US. All gangs are violent and involved in illegal activities. If you suspect gang activity in your area, contact 911 or your local police department.
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