Our founding fathers created a form of government that facilitated debate. They wanted the issues fleshed out and positions clarified. They understood compromise  and respect for the other side’s opinions. 

Additionally, they wanted core values. They didn’t want a church sponsored state, but rather, they wanted church related ideals. They supported the sanctity of life, that one should not steal, equality, and that all citizens should be loyal to the new nation, and lastly that government was not to be oppressive to the populace. 

This novel form of government that they introduced to the world has become the envy of the world. Unfortunately many of today’s new left Democrats have simply become intoxicated with the quest for power and are trampling the rights of mainstream Americans, and we are letting them do it.

I came of political age, if you will, when Paul Simon was Illinois’ Democratic U. S. Senator and my state senator was Democrat Jim Rea. Both gentlemen could be described as mainstream left of center democrats. Both wanted more government action to support social programs, but both stressed the need for individuals to actively seek and maintain gainful employment. 

Many of us had political differences with both men, but both men were worthy of the public’s respect and trust. Both sought to represent their constituents and didn’t seek to limit open debate.

Today all is in a state of change on the left. We don’t seem to know who our citizens are. I am peeved that university students can choose to vote where they go to college and not their hometowns.  The U of I in Champaign has completely distorted the voting scene.  With 30,000 students, it is obvious that the students can have a deep, if not controlling, presence in local elections. This is flat out wrong. The students are essentially the consumers of local services, not the payors, commonly known as the local taxpayers. This situation simply cannot work. 

Then we have presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who in a town hall meeting in Iowa last week voiced his support for allowing incarcerated prisoners to vote in elections. Does the phrase, the inmates are running the asylum seem applicable? 

Our neighboring county to the west has two prisons in Lincoln for a combined inmate population in excess of 2500 inmates. This is in a county of less than 30,000 residents. If the inmates were granted the right to vote, they would have a greater impact on local elections than those students at the U of I. 

These far left proposals certainly do not reflect the mainline democrats I know. But the democratic party is being overtaken by its fringe on the left and the mainline party members are too fearful of the far left to voice their common sense opinions out loud.

Then look at abortion. The proponents of Roe v. Wade claimed abortion was to be a rarity. Abortion was to be performed only on a fetus that was not viable outside of the womb was the voiced thought. 

Modern medicine has made the fetus viable much earlier in the 9 month pregnancy. That hasn’t stopped the left from further advocating for late term abortions, or what is known as partial birth abortions. The fetus is certainly viable at late stages, but the proposed legislation in many states is now advancing  what amounts to unrestricted abortion on the demand of the mother.

The left has simply distorted and altered what for generations were the core values of this nation. The Democratic Party has much to be proud of in a historical perspective. That warranted pride is being challenged by a significant group on the left that has simply allowed core values to go by the wayside. It is time for the mainstream Democrats to reassert themselves and take back control of their party for the betterment of this nation.