A Commentary
by
Terry P Rodriguez
PCDCC Legislation Committee Chair
Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” paintings illustrate an American working-class citizens exercising the rights created and enshrined by our country’s founders. The citizens knew and appreciated their freedom of assembly, speech, religion, and freedom from want. These were the freedoms orated by President Roosevelt in 1941 during his “Four Freedoms” State of the Union address, stressing that every American has a right to those freedom as written in our U.S. Constitution and supported by the legislation enacted into law by our Federal and State government institutions.
My wife told me when she was a little girl, she was in awe of her grandfather, a one-time Democratic State Chairman. The story went that he sat this little girl on his lap and told her why he was a Democrat. I can imagine her looking at her grandfather with an admiring gaze, anxious to hear the answer. He said to her that every American deserves rights, and that the Democratic Party was the only party that guaranteed those rights.
The Placer County Democratic Central Committee Legislation Committee stands like that working-class American with members of our organization presenting legislation they deem important to endorse, or not endorse. It is an important responsibility. The committee’s recommendations for a decisive vote of approval, or disapproval, must explain our request to enact, or not enact, laws representing our support of those Four Freedoms of American citizens. Our Freedom of Speech allows our members to freely speak on legislation that will fulfill these rights. But the PCDCC Legislation Committee needs an earnest effort of Freedom and help from those who sympathize with our positions. There are those who endeavor to take away our Right of Freedom to protect our nation from internal and external threats, the Freedom to live in a moral society, to have equal access to opportunity, or the right to voice our choice in representation. To hold those freedoms that guarantee our rights for us and following generations, one must elect representatives who will legislate to preserve those rights as law.
As Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” illustrate, President Roosevelt reminded us that all American citizens should enjoy and protect those Four Freedoms. Following his lead, we as fellow Democrats must stand among our neighbors to exercise our Freedom to elect Democrats and empower those who will enact guarantees to those rights. With the election season well underway, our PCDCC Legislation Committee is again active for the year 2022, and the election season is well underway. And now is the time for all good Democrats to become active electing Democrats who will pass legislations our Placer County Democratic Central Committee members endorse, and which would represent our party as the only party that guarantees those rights.