I am a Democrat because I believe in social justice. And when at it best, the Democratic Party is a voice for social justice.
I was raised to believe in the little guy; to stand up for a fair shake for hard working ordinary people who struggle to share in the America dream. In my gut, compassion for those who struggle and those at risk of being left behind is simply right. It’s a belief I draw from my Christian faith and the Biblical tradition – which is in large measure a story of oppressed and enslaved people in search justice.
But social justice is not only a matter of fairness to individuals. It is a matter of utmost importance to the overall well being of society, the strength of America and the common good.
History teaches us that society is weakened when wealth and opportunity are confined to a privileged few. The more of our people who have access to genuine opportunity; the more who gain a stake in the future of their community and our nation. The more who gain a stake; the more who gain a reason and the capacity to take responsibility for sustaining their communities and our nation into the future.
If we want to make America as strong as it can be, we must work to make America as just as it can be.
But social justice is at risk in America. Many are losing their stake. We see it in the WalMarting of our economy, the loss of family farms and small businesses, the growing gap between the incomes of the upper and lower middle classes and the growing cost of higher education for modest income working families.
We must confront this challenge on several fronts. We must confront it in education policy, because in the 21st century access to education is access to a better life.
We must ensure that no person who makes the commitment to prepare him/herself and do the work, is denied access to higher education due to inability to pay the growing cost. We must restrain tuition increases and increase financial aid for low and modest income families.
Chuck Hassebrook
University of Nebraska Regent
I was very impressed with Hassebrook’s comments at last Monday night’s meeting. If only more regents were like him! He has a great outlook on social justice. I am very happy to hear that he supports stem cell research at UNMC. It can save lives but does NOT cause abortions and that is the bottom line.
I am a Democrat because of my belief in activist government. Our society needs a social safety net and regulation of the marketplace to protect workers and consumers. Government can play a role in solving problems. Democrats believe in helping working families and support the right of workers to bargain collectively. If we focused more on our traditional Democratic values of being an advocate for working people - I think that our party would regain its majority status.
Ok, does this piss anyone else off except for me….This article was on the Omaha World Herald today, and one line in it caught me off guard.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1640&u_sid=2064352
They had a line that mentions Hassebrook…
“UNO Chancellor Nancy Belck said tentative plans would add housing for up to 400 students on the main campus on Dodge Street by the fall of 2007. Housing for another 800 students would follow on the south campus.
The two proposals would double on-campus residence space at the urban campus, which had no student housing until 1999.
Regents Chuck Wilson of Lincoln and Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons said they were concerned that expanded housing at UNO would draw students who might otherwise go to other NU campuses.”
He sounded positive about UNO at the meeting, sounds like a double standard to me….
Thats what I’ve been saying!
I don’t think Hassebrook really supports growth of UNO.
Maybe you should ask Chuck what he meant. Sometimes we can not
believe what we see either. You heard the saying “don’t believe anything you read and half of what you see.” With special effects maybe we shouldn’t believe what we see either. What he said is basically true. More students would come to UNO if we had expanded housing and it would draw student away from other NU campuses. From the comment it sounds like he thinks that would be a bad thing but I am not totally sure he meant it in that context. I don’t trust the Omaha Wierd Herald much anyway. Okay, it is three o’clock in the morning and maybe I am not thinking to good.