Reply #33: Here it is... [View All]

[qwlauren35]

TEN REASONS TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT JOHN KERRY
1. Kerry has a long record of public service to this country. He has extensive experience in both domestic and international affairs. He worked as a prosecutor for one of the country's largest counties, served as Lieutenant Governor for two years, and has served as a U.S. Senator since 1984. As Senator, he has served for 18 years on the Foreign Relations Committee, 6 years on the Intelligence Committee, and is the Ranking Democrat on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
2. On Education: For the past 8 years, John Kerry has received a 100% rating from the National Education Association <http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=001689W> .
3. On Civil Rights: The NAACP <http://www.naacp.org/work/washington_bureau/107thcongress.pdf> and the Human Rights Campaign <http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/HRC/Get_Informed/Campaigns_and_Elections/Presidential_Candidates/2004_Candidates.htm> gave Kerry a 100% rating.
4. On a Woman's Right to Choose: Planned Parenthood <http://www.ppaction.org/ppvotes/scorecard-results.html> and NARAL <http://www.naral.org/publications/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=11888> gave Kerry a 100% rating.
5. On Labor Rights: The AFL-CIO <http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/votes/vr_memb.cfm> has given John Kerry a 91% lifetime rating, including a 100% rating in 2003.
6. On the Environment: Kerry has a 96% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters <http://www.lcv.org/Campaigns/Campaigns.cfm?ID=241&c=4> based on his congressional voting record.
7. On Animal Rights: The Humane Society and Fund for Animals <http://www.saplonline.org/humanescorecard/107thcongressionalscores.pdf> reports that Kerry supported eight out of the nine most recent bills promoting animal welfare.
8. Kerry's "100 Days to Change America" <http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/100days/> plan, outlining what he will focus on in his first 100 days in office, is great.
9. Teresa Heinz-Kerry <http://www.johnkerry.com/about_teresa/> will also be a real asset to this country. She has been deeply involved with a number of progressive issues including the environment, children, women's issues, and health care and wellness. She has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and a strong supporter of the arts.
10. Kerry supports:
· Addressing the War on Terror and International Relations:
· Arms control and non-proliferation measures
1 Defining a global security strategy on terrorism that is "collective, not imperial, inclusive not exclusive, and cooperative not unilateralist"
2 Rejoining the international community
· Promoting American Safety and Security At Home
· Strengthening Homeland Security
1 Strongly enforcing federal gun laws and improving and expanding the background check program
2 Expanding the Community Oriented Policing program (COPS)
· Comprehensive election reform
1 Strengthening the US Economy: A strong agricultural economy based on family-owned producers and sustainable practices
2 Supporting Americans in the Workplace:
· Strong job creation including creating 500,000 jobs by investing in renewable energy sources, such as ethanol, solar, and wind
1 Protecting workers' rights to organize and join a union
2 Raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation
3 Improving workplace health and safety
4 Improving opportunities for small businesses
5 Closing the pay gap between men and women
· Rolling back Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and re-investing in education and healthcare.
· Fully funding our public education system
1 Creating programs to increase access to a college education for more Americans
2 Providing services to children such as Head Start and child care
3 Expanding health care coverage to nearly 95 percent of Americans - including nearly all children
4 Assuring high quality health care by including a strong enforceable patients' bill of rights, reducing medical errors, and ensuring safe staffing levels for nurses
5 Protecting Medicare and Social Security
6 Improving child abuse prevention and treatment programs
7 Providing sufficient funding for drug prevention and treatment programs
8 Expanding funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs
9
· Maintaining Civil and Human Rights:
· Programs that promote democracy and respect for human rights
1 Expanding our nation's hate crime law
2 The Employment Nondiscrimination Act
3 Affirmative Action
4 The Equal Rights Amendment
5 Title IX
6 Ending the practice of racial profiling
7 Creating immigration policies that are fair and safe
8 The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act
· Partnering with Native American tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts
1 Addressing Farmers Issues:
· Making sure that farmers have the support they need and that rural communities have the capital, infrastructure, and technology they need to be safe and prosperous
1 Truth in labeling and country of origin labeling to give consumers the information they need to support American farmers
2 Renewable fuels, such as ethanol, grown on America's farms and produced in producer-owned facilities
· Addressing Environmental and Animal Safety Issues:
· Aggressively promoting conservation, renewable energy sources, and increased energy efficiency to reduce both global warming emissions and our dependence on foreign oil
1 Reducing toxics in our communities
2 Reinvigorating the Superfund cleanup program
3 Improving our parks and protecting our public lands
4 Protecting low income communities from environmental hazards
5 Strengthening and enforcing our Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act
6 Addressing global warming emissions through a combination of innovative programs that will drive technology change and create jobs
7 Addressing the exploitation of marine resources around the globe
8 Addressing the growing crisis of fresh water shortages around the globe
9 Reducing traffic congestion and sprawl
10 Partnering with Native American tribes to improve access to health care, provide more educational opportunities, and strengthen economic development efforts
11 A strong agricultural economy based on family-owned producers and sustainable practices
12 Limiting the proliferation of animal confinements