To the editor:

Dear friends in Shelby County

I hear some of my Republican friends say that Democrats do not appreciate the working men and women. I am not sure how anyone could arrive at this conclusion. I have been a democrat most of my adult life. My Father was a factory worker. My Mother owned and operated a small business. She worked a typical 16-hour day. My husband was a lineman for a public utility. “Who works harder than those guys.” I was a Mom raising my four children much of my adult

life.

At age 40, when my youngest was 13, I opted to go to college. I became a registered nurse at 42. Much of my career was working with students at a vocational school. There again, it is easy to see that I appreciate and value the skills of those hardworking people who fill the positions of bank teller, auto mechanic, secretary, hair stylist, auto body repair, carpenter, brick mason and electrician. I have always championed all contributing citizens of our country.

If I hear anyone laugh at a misspelled word written on a friend’s paper, I always point out that we all have strengths and weaknesses. Spelling is not the most important knowledge for some jobs. The ability to work with tools and analyze problems may be far more important. Would you rather your plumber was a good speller or an accomplished trouble shooter.

My experience, as I talk with fellow Democrats, boils down to these issues. We want to restore our country to a prevailing attitude of mutual respect. We want to share good times with our friends and neighbors regardless of political affiliation. We want our children to grow up in a world that is protecting their environment. We want higher education that is affordable. We want our children to be safe at school, as well as, all citizens to be safe when at leisure activities. We want healthcare to be available to all.

When it comes to Right to Life, we want our Republican friends to view this issue with a wider lens. We want all children to be welcome and loved by their parents. We do not want a child to be brought into a world of cruelty, uncertainty, pain, and even violent death.

We want to help every individual to reach their goals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

J. Kathryn Lukey