Decatur, Ala. | Thursday, May 23, 2013
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Editorial
'Equality of opportunity'

As a storm-delayed Republican National Convention begins in earnest today, we hope the GOP acknowledges the social storms brewing in America.

The party's unofficial motto in recent months has been "Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome."

The implicit charge in the slogan is that Democrats have embraced a socialist goal of equal outcomes for all Americans.

We hope that Republicans will use the slogan not merely as a way to bash opponents but as a call for national reform.

The fact is that America is nowhere close to enjoying equality of opportunity. A growing segment of our population is trapped in generational poverty, while a much smaller segment enjoys the privilege of generational wealth.

Public education — once a cornerstone of America's commitment to equal opportunity — is under attack. An expanding class of poor Americans increasingly struggle to find safe housing, adequate nutrition and minimal health care. By hacking away at the safety net, elected officials are destroying the equal opportunity for capitalist success they claim to celebrate.

Our hope for the Republican National Convention is that candidates will take a break from calling their opponents socialists, and instead focus on the need to bridge the opportunity gap that increasingly separates Americans.

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9 comments on this item

Who are all these people with no opportunities?

dd you crack me up!

And who has been in charge of congress for most of the past century? Who speaks of lifting people out of poverty but keeps them there by telling them "vote for us, we will keep giving you things"? Half of this country no longer even pays taxes yet we are called mean-spirited and uncaring if we dare ask what our money (taxes) are used for by the government. We are on an unsustainable path and it MUST change.

Most of the poor remain poor because democrats make it easy for illegals to live here and have 10 children whom will get welfare, housing, while the men get paid cash to dig your ditches and not pay anything into the system. They make it easy for people to live in free housing and them get money and more money, the more babies they can pop out like popcorn. It seems the demos are the only ones holding back (the none equal opportunities) . I'd rather someone show me how to fish and a lifetime than depend on someone to feed me. Have a great day and get out and vote republican.

Taken straight from the communist manifesto. This sounds like it was written by commi Eric.

Who are all these people with no opportunities? They are new "poor" that look just like you and me and they want to work. They are middle-aged, educated and out of a job through no fault of their own. While they appear as normal middle class people, they aren't. They still wear the same "middle class" clothes and drive the same "middle class" cars, but once you engage them, you will detect an underlying level of stress. That stress comes from the loss steady income, the loss of medical insurance, the deterioration of their life savings with no hope of retirement. They won't ask for help because it's just something a middle class, educated person should not have to do in this country. They will soon lose their friends, then the house, then the marriage. It's happening all across the country.... everyday. The new poor are all around you. They are the former middle class that is now eating one meal a day because no educated, middle class person should have to ask for help. If you don't know these people with no opportunities, you are either lucky or just not paying attention.

By the way... the new poor (the people with no opportunities) don't want to hear about your new car, your latest beach vacation, or drama at the office. That's not their reality anymore.

I say this as an independent, not a Republican, concerned about the state of affairs in this country, there is no doubt in my mind that the Daily and the Democratic party are "Socialists".....who have run off in the ditch on both moral and economic issues and would have us write off personal responsibility and turn us into something the Founding Fathers would not even recognize....In fact if Obama is re-elected, we will become to many a "foreign" nation.....

The tremendous amount of time and money spent bad mouthing the opposite party is ridiculous. If you are so uncertain of your vision/plan that you attempt to gain support by bad mouthing the opposition, you have no business in a leadership role. When you are confident in your platform, your vision, and believe it to be superior, it isn't necessary to atttempt to hurt your competition. Not to mention that doing so displays an utter lack of class.

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