Democratic Party reflects ideals rooted in Bible

Karl Kimball’s letter of July 26 (“Happy to be on Pluto”) begs for an answer. While beautifully constructed, the letter reveals Kimball has not only drunk the Kool-Aid, he has also eaten the brownies. His demonstrated competence in letter writing only made the absurdity of his charges against the Democratic party all the more chilling. I fear his stated beliefs about the Democratic Party reveal that a steady diet of the Kool-Aid provided by ultra-right broadcasters and publishers has had a very deleterious effect on his reasoning ability. Each of his charges against the Democratic party is totally false, including calling it Brummett’s party. Brummett is not a Democrat as he has stated numerous times in his column. Brummett is instead a brilliant observer of the political scene and calls it as he sees it regardless of party.

As to his charges about the Democratic Party, instead of servitude for all, as Kimball claims, we Democrats work for freedom for all Americans in equal measures with no partiality for race, religion or sexual orientation. We want the FBI and the IRS to be impartial servants of all Americans. We want the election process to be open and easily available to all citizens, rich and poor, young and old. We want impartial judges who believe that the rights of citizens are truly guaranteed for all regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, and/or sexual orientation/identity. We want, indeed we cry for, a Congress not controlled by corporations, whose members will vote their consciences instead of what is dictated by the party or corporate special interests. We Democrats value individual property rights and individual liberty. We see many of these ideals threatened by the current tide of division and widely disseminated misinformation permeating some broadcast and journalistic reporting and by listeners and readers eager to believe the garbage in order to maintain their prejudices or hold on to their power.

The current occupant of the White House began his campaign by elevating prejudice and fear of anyone perceived as different and has continued to use rhetoric that divides, belittles, scorns and shows little or no understanding to the long-held values that form the very heart of Christianity: love of neighbor, concern for the less fortunate, humility and honesty. And, somehow, many sincerely religious people allow themselves to be taken in by this charlatan because he makes promises of values that his past life and his continued bullying sarcasm indicate he has no understanding of nor concern for.

My voting choices are largely shaped by values found in the book of Matthew, chapters 5, 6, 7, and 25, which I learned early in life. What has happened in the United States that has made these values of humility, compassion and generosity secondary to other concerns? To me, they are touchstones for right behavior and decision making. Only through reaching for these ideals, which not incidentally are found in all the world’s great religions, can we hope to pull ourselves from the current morass. GEORGIA ROSS

Fayetteville