On May 1 I had dinner with members of the Indiana Democratic Party, about 810 of them to be exact. It was their annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. It’s an event where party officials and the party faithful come together to raise money and rally the troops for the next election. In this case it was the 2015 municipal elections with an eye toward 2016.
Now I know you probably think it’s odd that of all the groups you would think I would have dinner with, the Indiana Democratic Party isn’t the first one to come to mind. (I know it surprised a few of them.) Let’s face it, we don’t always see eye to eye on things. Well, allow me to make another surprising statement. I know some of you may find it hard to believe, but I don’t think Democrats are bad people. I never have. I believe they love their cities, states and country as much as anyone of any political party.
I can appreciate their passion and empathy for those they perceive as less fortunate and disenfranchised. And I can understand why they believe as our society grows and prospers, a certain segment is being left behind. I agree with them. I agree with them that we need to ensure kids receive a quality education. And I agree that the lives of many young, African-American men are being wasted. And I agree with them when they say we cannot live up to our promise to be a great nation, if we purposely leave others behind.
I totally agree with their goals, in theory. Where I respectfully disagree with my Democratic friends is how to achieve those goals. I have always believed in the inherent power over the individual to make real change rather than the government.
Instead of raising the minimum wage, I would rather help an individual raise his or her skill sets. Instead of giving money directly to a school district, I would rather give it to parents so they can choose the best type of education for their children. Instead of compelling someone to join a union, I would rather let them have the choice of whether they want to participate in collective bargaining.
Although I am labelled a “conservative commentator” I don’t think Democrats are all bad. I also don’t think Republicans are all good. While I agree with my GOP friends on a lot of economic policies, I think they really need to work on this tendency they have to listen to people who want to regulate other people’s private parts. If you believe in less government, then that philosophy should apply to the bedroom as well as the boardroom.
As my mother would say, no one has a monopoly on good ideas or stupidity. And I want my Democratic friends to be able to compete with my Republican friends in the marketplace of ideas. So to my Democratic friends, I wish you luck as you go forward to rebuild and rebrand. And while it means we will still disagree, I know your hearts are in the right place. It’s just where your heads are sometimes that gives me a little bit of pause.
Abdul-Hakim Shabazz is an attorney, political commentator and publisher of IndyPolitics.org. You can email comments to him at abdul@indypolitics.org.
