The Day I became a Democrat.
I guess that header is kind of misleading. I don't consider myself to be aligned with either party. But for most of my adult life I supported mostly republican candidates and conservative causes. So what changed?
Anyone who wants to see the effects of policy first-hand should work in state-run psychiatric facility. It is very eye-opening. Large state hospitals often serve clients who can't afford the cost of going to a private facility. These folks are "the least of these". They are very sick and can't afford to pay for treatment. After just a few weeks of working at one of the largest psych hospitals in the nation, it was very clear which party cared what happened to these people and which did not. The republican contingent wanted to make massive budget cuts to mental health resources. This caused hiring freezes, which in turn affected the care of clients in state facilities. Many of these facilities are finding themselves woefully short-staffed. This puts the safety of clients, staff, and the community at risk. Some clients may end up on the street, and will probably end up in jail, or dead.
It would be nice if everyone with a mental illness could afford treatment. But due to the nature of their illness, lack of family support, and economic background, that just isn't possible. So someone has to take up the slack. It comes down to this: we can either treat persons with mental illness, or we can house them in the prison system. If they go untreated, that is where many of them end up. Unfortunately, policy makers and taxpayers are pretty short-sighted. I hate to admit it, but the Democratic party is more likely to come through with the funding. I wish more Republicans would make the connection that they can pay for sick people to be treated, or they can pay to build more jails.
The other reason I have "switched sides" is the quagmire we are in Iraq. And we have made a bad situation worse. Even as I am writing this, Iraq is on the verge of civil war, and their new government may collapse. It breaks my heart to think of the innocent people who die every day. And I am sick of seeing Americans come home maimed or in body bags. Have we helped the war on terror? And if we give up more of our civil liberties, will we be safer? Ben Franklin once said that those who choose safety over freedom don't deserve either safety or freedom.
There are other issues that play into my decision as well, from immigration issues to the environment. But I am still far from calling myself a liberal. I am pro-life (I don't understand how you can be against abortion and for the death penalty), feel marriage is between a man and woman, and support choice in education. And I am an evangelical (for the record, and evangelical and a fundamentalist are NOT the same thing. Look them up)Christian. This decision didn't come all at once or easily. I just know I have to do what my conscience and the tenets of my faith tell me. Yours, Fannie Ryan