Charles Shiflett Column October 31, 2004

Dear Democrat Party,

We've been through a lot together over these many decades we've shared. Through wars, recessions,
the Great Depression, civil unrest, and more - we've faced a lot. And despite thoughtful differences,
you and the Republican Party always came together for our collective betterment when called.

Because of our shared history, it's difficult for me to write this letter. Sadly, things have changed over
the past few years and we've grown apart. Your values are no longer those of the men who founded
me. When I look at the platform of the modern Democrat Party, I don't see anything closely
resembling the principles reflected in my Constitution.

Instead of striving to protect the weak, feeble, and innocent among us - you work instead to legalize
the shedding of innocent blood through the murder of the unborn solely for convenience sake. The
ground at my feet cries out with the blood of millions of aborted babies.

You attack the institution of marriage by your efforts to grant homosexuals the right to marry or form
same sex unions. You push to have taxpayers fund domestic partner benefits for homosexual
“partners”. In your eyes, sexual perversion should be accepted as an alternative lifestyle and those
opposed are referred to as homophobes or narrow-minded.

You attack the family through tax rates so high that mothers are forced to work outside the home,
thereby leaving our most precious resource - our children, to be raised by strangers. Then you seek
additional funds to provide after school government care for the latchkey kids you've created.

You destroy our healthcare system by your refusal to help enact meaningful tort reform measures, and
then use rising healthcare costs as an excuse to expand government control of our medical system.

You undermine society through your various attempts at creating class warfare, just so you can
maintain political power. You scare the elderly by falsely telling them Republicans want to take away
their Social Security checks or kick them out of nursing homes.

You mislead the poor and middle class by cultivating anger at the successful members of our land.
You seek power by division. You promote an attitude of “it's not my fault” among my citizens instead
of teaching self-reliance.

It's not enough to provide and guarantee equal opportunity to all. You woefully want government to
guarantee equal results, even if that means restraining our top achievers and artificially rewarding
those who don't deserve it.

According to your platform, more and bigger government is the answer to every problem. I hate to say
this, but I'm already tremendously overweight and risk developing serious health problems unless I'm
placed on a diet. My budget is bloated and I don't feel too well.

You feel ashamed that I am the preeminent world superpower and protector of liberty around the globe.
You work to undermine our military. You preach American independence while working to bring me
under the domain of the United Nations and our socialist friends in Europe.

You oppose judges who believe in adhering to the articles upon which I was founded. You seek to
thwart the will of the people through liberal judicial activism. Though my laws are based upon the Ten
Commandments, you seek to strip all references to them from public life.

You believe God should be kept upon some high shelf, only to be trotted out on Sunday by the more
devout among my citizens. Elected officials who publicly profess their faith are ridiculed and berated
by many of your members as religious zealots. I doubt you've read the speeches or writings of my
early Presidents, legislators, or judiciary.

These men lived much closer in time to and understood the mindset and intentions of those who wrote
my founding documents. You probably view them now as being too dogmatic, too religious, and out of
touch with your vision of modern society.

Yes my dear Democrat Party, we've grown apart and I no longer feel I can trust you to look out for my
best interests or those of my citizens. Thanks for the memories, but the time has come for us to part
ways.

Sincerely,

The United States of America