I’ve been looking for Democratic descriptions of our ideals of Freedom. I’ve also been looking for definitions of what fairness means, in the conduct of Democratic campaigns and in the resolution of disputes between Democrats within our party process.
Part of this is because I made “Wild, Free and Fair” the tagline for my campaign for MN State House. On my own, I came up with some ideas of Freedom that were appropriate for our landscape and geographic isolation in MN House District 2A, and some of those concepts I incorporated into my one page sheet to distribute during our endorsing convention (see link: WildFreeAndFair.pdf ).
Now after looking into the Constitution and By-Laws of the MN Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the DNC Charter I am starting to find some very good descriptions of the Democratic Party’s vision of Freedom.
I am still looking for some sources for fairness. In particular my searches have left me wondering what has become of the “code” mentioned in Article Nine, Section 9:
Section 9. The Democratic National Committee shall maintain and publish a code of fair campaign practices, which shall be recommended for observance by all candidates campaigning as Democrats.
My searches point to an organ of the party that seems to have been disbanded, the Brown-Tully Institute.
Does anyone have a copy of the last published version of this code of fair campaign practices? Does anyone know the history of the Brown-Tully Institute?
I’ll close this story (diary?) with a gratuitous publication of the Democratic Party Credo:
Section 17. Democratic Party Credo.
We Democrats are the oldest political party in America and the youngest in spirit. We will remain so,because we enjoy the challenge of government. Time and again, for almost two centuries, the Democratic Party has made government work -- to build and defend a nation, to encourage commerce, to educate our children, to promote equal opportunity, to advance science and industry, to support the arts and humanities, to restore the land, to develop and conserve our human and natural resources, to preserve and enhance our built environment, to relieve poverty, to explore space. We have reached difficult and vital goals.
We recognize that the capacity of government is limited but we regard democratic government as a force for good and a source of hope.
At the heart of our party lies a fundamental conviction, that Americans must not only be free, but they must live in a fair society.
We believe it is the responsibility of government to help us achieve this fair society.
• a society where the elderly and the disabled can lead lives of dignity and where Social Security remains an unshakable commitment;
• a society where all people can find jobs in a growing full-employment economy;• a society where all workers are guaranteed without question the legal right to join unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively for decent wages and conditions of employment;
• a society where taxes are clearly based on ability to pay;
• a society where the equal rights of women are guaranteed in the Constitution;
• a society where the civil rights of minorities are fully secured and where no one is denied the opportunity for a better life;
• a society where both public and private discrimination based upon race, sex, age, color, creed,national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status, philosophical persuasion or physical disability are condemned and where our government moves aggressively to end such discrimination through lawful means;
• a society where we recognize that the strengthening of the family and the protection of children are essential to the health of the nation;
• a society where a sound education, proper nutrition, quality medical care, affordable housing, safe streets and a healthy environment are possible for every citizen
;• a society where the livelihoods of our family farmers are as stable as the values they instill in the American character;• a society where a strong national defense is a common effort, where promoting human rights is a basic value of our foreign policy, and where we ensure that future by ending the nuclear arms race.
This is our purpose and our promise.
So, what does it mean to you to be a Democrat? How do you express our values through your conduct on campaigns? What does fairness mean to you, in seeking resolution of conflict between Democrats, and in granting remedies and applying disciplinary measures to persons and party units with lapsed Democratic ethics?