Democrats will hopefully bring positive change to our government. This is a crucial time in American politics, and the decisions made by this congress and president should focus on foreign and domestic issues that affect our society. After 9/11, I thought the Democrats, in my lifetime, would never win a majority in the house and senate. The republican trend after 9/11 seemed strong and enduring. An opposing voice to republican policy did not exist and I thought it was because Americans agreed with the GOP. I was afraid that Americans were more conservative than I once assumed. On Tuesday Americans proved me wrong by voicing their opposition to GOP policy. The democrats, if they wish to maintain control of congress, need to learn from republican mistakes and maintain a moderate stance on issues.

The question that I pose is whether this election was won because of voter disapproval of President Bush or because the republicans have alienated moderate voters. It is probably a combination of many factors, but I think that it was mostly the fault of President Bush’s policy. If the democrats wish to maintain power they must create a clear message and agenda. They should not be afraid to oppose the president. It is clear that the American people are dissatisfied with his job performance, so I think the democrats should put pressure on him, which is something they have not done since he has been president. They need to press the issues and force the president to either cooperate or defend his unpopular decisions. Congress needs to focus on uniting issues instead of divisive ones; issues such as, the budget deficit, minimum wage, the war in Iraq, and alternative energy. Issues such as gay marriage, prayer in school, and flag burning should take a back seat to the more important issues.

I recently read an article about a class action suite of Blind people against Target. The party was suing because Target’s web site made it nearly impossible for the Blind to use. In order for blind people to use the internet the must use programs specially designed to turn text into speech. Companies such as Best Buy and Amazon, aware of the potential for a larger costumer base, have designed their websites to be compatible with the text to speech programs. The blind are suing under the people with disabilities act; they claim Target has an obligation to make their website accessible to the Blind.
I think that Target as a business has a duty to satisfy all of its costumers; however, they should not have a legal obligation to create a website that is ‘Blind friendly’. I think Target will eventually create a website that is better suited to incorporate Blind users who operate text to speech programs, but they should do so willingly. The government should not play a role in this decision, because lazier fare will fix the discrepancy. Let the record show that I am not against government intervention; I have a moderate political and economic ideology. In this situation, if Target does not make their website blind friendly they will lose potential costumers to competitors such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart. I doubt that Target is intentionally discriminating against blind people. The Internet is vast and products sold at Target can be found elsewhere with the click of a button. Inhibited mobility is not the issue at hand, as it was when the people with disabilities act was passed. I hope I do not come off as being against blind people and their causes. They are valuable members of our society who deserve to be treated with respect.