political ramblings

With this blog, I am committing one of the great crimes of expressing one’s opinion: I’m going to talk about my current view on what’s going on politically. It’s been a journey for me and I’m sure that it will continue to be, but I am going to tell you what my little mind is thinking.

First off, I have always been a professed Republican. I grew up in a Republican household mainly because my father was well off and his views stemmed from what was best for his income bracket. Then when I became a Christian, the church that I attended made it very clear that as a Christian you must be a Republican and anyone who claimed to be liberal or a Democrat needed someone to throw some holy water in their face and then lay hands on them immediately. I didn’t really question this too much because it seemed right. As a Christian I didn’t believe in abortion, homosexual marriage or taking prayer out of schools and that seemed to line up with the Republican state of mind. I mean, in the first election I voted in George W. Bush said he consulted God for his decisions and prayed. Perfect!

For many years I did not question this. I believed as I was told a Christian should believe. I voted as I was told that a Christian should vote. True, this was my own ignorance and stupidity to just believe whatever I was told and not research for myself what I actually believed. But today I have. Yes, I have married a man that is a professed “Independent with Liberal Leanings”, but more than that, he is a very educated many who spends a lot of time reading and studying politics. So, while some of you are thinking, “she only feels this way because Jeremy believes this way,” I want to let you know that is not true in anyway. (Those of you who really know me know how utterly stubborn I am and that I won’t agree to something unless I truly agree to it.) But, he has educated me on some things.

First and foremost, as a Christian, I am concerned about the welfare of people…human beings who have a right to a good life…a fair life. I believe that everyone should have the ability to have a shelter, food, a chance for a job and medical coverage. If this means that people have to go on welfare to get it, then so be it. I am not against the program of Welfare. Of course there are people who abuse it, but there are also many people who truly need it. I think that the standards of receiving these benefits should be more closely defined, but I believe it is a beneficial program because of the number of people that it does help. There are many who are saying, “Well I don’t want my tax dollars going to lazy people” So what about those who aren’t lazy? What about those that are in situations that you or I have never been close to being in? Why should they suffer? Jesus said to feed and clothe the poor. JESUS said this. Yes, this is an expense but it is one that most of us can afford. However, I do think that the church should be doing more for this cause because it is our duty…our call.

This all brings me to my next point. Taxes. Don’t we all get tired of seeing how much money we lose in taxes? I know that I and many around me would be considered Middle Class…blue collared. As a Republican in the past, I did not realize that my vote was not so much benefiting me financially as it was people like my father and CEO’s of companies…you know, the people who don’t need the tax break as much as people like me and most of you. The Bush tax cuts did absolutely nothing for me. I want to vote for someone who is truly going to lower taxes for middle and lower income families. The previous administration did nothing of the sort.

You know, as I am typing I am thinking that this blog could go on and on. I could discuss my view on Education, Immigration, the War in Iraq, Gun Control, Homosexual Marriage, Abortion…but I am not going to because it would be even more lengthy than this blog already is. But I want to conclude with this.

Most people who profess to be a Republican Christian found their beliefs on this: Abolish Abortions, Homosexual Marriage and reinstate Prayer in Schools. Morally, I agree with this as well. Politically, History has shown that the Republican Party has been in power for quite sometime and have done nothing to make changes to where our world is currently. So here we are basing our vote on something that they used to get us emotionally wrapped up, by saying they were going to change these things and then they didn’t do anything. And let’s be honest, does anyone really believe that Abortion is going to be outlawed? Even if they say that homosexuals can’t get married, is that going to stop them from being in relationships? If we did reinstate prayer in schools, would that not lead to many using “freedom of speech” and instating Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto’s, Wicca prayer in schools? My main point in saying this is: We are getting so caught up in 3 of the 50 issues that are out there. These three issues are blinding us to things that CAN be changed. Issues like Poverty, World hunger and disease, Education, Affordable Healthcare, lowering taxes, strengthening our economy, ending the war in Iraq, Immigration, Foreign Policy, Social Security, and so on and so on. These are issues that we need to be focused on. These are issues that most likely will and can be changed.

So I want to encourage you to study your candidate’s issues. Find out what YOU, not someone else, but what YOU believe. As I have been studying, reading, watching, I am finding out that while I respect my fathers beliefs they are not necessarily what is best for me.