Letter to the editor: Democracy for all people, not just the powerful

In the 1800s the Republican Party championed the democratic principles of freedom, liberty, justice and equality for all. The Democratic Party stood for the wealthy and powerful, the plantation owners, the captains of industry. It was a tug of war between democracy and oligarchy.

Today we are in that same tug of war. This time the Democrats espouse those principles, while the Republican legislators are in the pockets of the wealthy and powerful. It is evident in their refusal to increase the minimum wage, while endorsing huge tax cuts for the top 1%, reducing the inheritance tax, using taxpayer money to bail out bad acting, too big to fail banks and Wall Street — all actions that continue to redistribute money upwards. The list goes on, especially in the regulatory area by eliminating workers’ rights and reducing financial and environmental standards.

They have failed to hold the wealthy and powerful accountable for their criminal behavior. One standard of justice for the rich and powerful, another standard for everyone else.

Republican lawmakers believe that government should stay out of the way of business making money with no regulation, no social contract, no protection for workers. This type of government might work for the wealthy, but not for you and me. Who is going to protect us from domestic and foreign terrorists, pandemics, the ravages of climate change?

This is not an individual task, but together by pooling our resources, we can help one another. That is what democracy is all about, government of, by and for the people, not just for the wealthy and powerful.

Joanne Garing

North Huntingdon