Why I am a Democrat

While we're having our very own Reichstag moment over on the Senate floor, I thought today would be a good day to reaffirm my commitment to the ideals of democracy - you know, freedom, justice, liberty for all, and stuff like that. And as I pondered those ideals, I saw that they dovetailed neatly with another list that I've been compiling for some time. Here it is.

I am a Democrat because...

• I love my country. I cherish the Constitution and the freedoms enshrined within it.
  
• I care about jobs and the economy as a whole, not just the people at the top.
  
• I know that freedom isn’t free. I am willing to pay my fair share of taxes.
• I support a strong national defense.
• I support the troops. I stand in awe and gratitude that people put their lives on the line for my country. I want to equip them properly, send the right numbers to do the job, bring them home on time, take care of the wounded, their families, our veterans - and never send them into harm's way unless it is necessary.
• I know that commerce and capitalism are the engine of American prosperity. I support small business, fair trade, and adequate oversight to protect workers and consumers from the abuses of power.
• I believe in free enterprise, not corporate welfare.
• I believe in the essential decency of all people. I know that if I want to be free to live my life to its fullest, I must want and expect that same freedom for every other person.
• I know that no one man or group is good enough to hold uncontrolled power over all the rest of us.
• I support science over ideology and personal faith over public religion.
• I support investment in our common wealth, like local fire and police departments, libraries, public education, public health, public spaces and national parks.
• I know that the more we invest in schools, the more we'll save on prisons.
• I want my country to be a land of opportunity.
• I believe in enterprise and merit, not entitlement and privilege.
• I believe in investing in the next generation, not piling debt upon them.
• I believe that laws should be drafted in the interests of all citizens, not just for corporations willing to pay the most money.
• I believe that nothing justifies torture.
• I believe that when a government goes to war, it should tell the truth about it to its citizens.
• I believe that power without principle is not worth having.

I'll keep this list around, tinkering and adding as I see fit. Why are you a Democrat?
UPDATE: Frameshop has a relevant piece called How Are the Democrats Different?