PAYING ATTENTION
There has not been one statewide or National election for an executive or legislative position in my memory…for my lifetime (so that would include every congressional election since 1990) in which I would have voted for a Republican over a Democrat.
“Now Michael,” many would ask, “the Democrats are tax-raising, godless people. How can you, a Christian, support them?”
The answer is this: I don’t believe raising taxes so that a government can improve it’s citizens’ lives is a bad thing. I believe when our education system is in shambles, we should fund our federal mandates (No Child Left Behind), no matter how ill-conceived they may be. I believe we should really protect our homeland and fund the State Department, instead of scoring political points and throwing money into the black hole that is the Defense Department, while some of our embassies are operating in facilities 25 years behind in technology, and with inadequate, unprepared staff.
I am Pro-Life. After soul searching and a lot of thinking…It makes sense. Let’s consider the topic: Let’s consider two options, you’re either for all abortions, for all or no reason, or you’re against abortion. If you’re for all abortions, you are undoubtedly for the destruction of life. If you are for aborting an 8-month old fetus, you are for destroying human life. Now most, do not take this position…most believe in abortion in only the first two trimesters…but where’s the line? When is it not human life. To me, if it is growing, if cells are being added and multiplying, and those cells are biologically human, then I believe that it is life. And if it is life, how can we say that financial concerns, or most dramatically, even concerns because the pregnant woman is a rape victim…How does that justify the destruction of life? I mean the woman could give that child up for adoption. But destroying life is not justified, even if it will result in the lifting of emotional and/or physical burden. That’s where I stand. I am Pro-Life for the whole life. I don’t think that we should be fighting for the child up till he’s born, and then not provide a good education, health care, and opportunity.
I am against gay marriage. Personally, because I believe in the word of God and it’s clear that homosexual union is a perversion of marriage. Politically, I’m against gay marriage because it doesn’t make sense for homosexuals to get married. Marriage is a heterosexual institution. Also, my personal view is that it’s mostly straight activists who want gay marriage to be available. Many gay people don’t want to get married as heterosexuals do. Also, I don’t believe that our Nation’s mistakes with no-fault divorce justify further weakening the institution of marriage. I also believe evidence suggests a household with the leadership of one man and one woman is ideal. If you don’t recognize any differences between the genders, than you won’t understand. And you probably also have moobs.
With all that said, I will not deny people rights because of their choice to have a partner of the same sex. It is not my job…It is not anyone’s job to direct other people’s moral compass in such a direction. I would fight if I was a legislator for Civil Unions while passing with it an amendment banning gay marriage.
I’m a Democrat because I believe the Government has the ability to help; to improve. I believe that government should help the common man more than it helps the corporation. I believe in a foreign policy grounded in reasonable diplomacy, not ideological bullying.
Being in D.C., I have been disgusted with the far left of my party. There is a fraction of the Democratic base which is devoutly atheist and secular. However, I am not one of these Democrats. I am a Democrat who loves Jesus Christ and believes tax cuts in the place of health care is not a Christian value. I believe a President who will throw our troops in nation’s they shouldn’t be in, and keep them there past the time where victory was probable, and yet when Christians are being massacred in Sudan, we could only throw chump change.
The Republican party is not God’s party. Nor is the Democratic party. Nor is America a theocracy. Which is a good thing, because in world history, theocracies haven’t faired to well.
There is a part of the Democratic base which mocks religion…but there is a Democratic Party, the party of Harold Ford, Barack Obama, and yes, even the Clintons, that does not mock religion, they embrace it…but they’ve also read the Constitution.
NY Republicans are completely backwards from my values, and from Christian values. You see, NY Republicans are moderate-to-liberal Republicans…George Pataki…Pirro…These are Republicans that support tax cuts in place of education, and oil profits in place of Medicare, and support gay marriage and almost unlimited abortion access. They’re endorsed by the Club For Growth and they could hand out campaign materials in front of Planned Parenthood.
The way many of my Christian brothers and sisters in NY blindly follow the GOP, without paying attention to the candidates, seemingly because of what Fox News and Pat Robertson tell them, is a tragedy. It’s the result of one hell of a thirty year public relations outreach…but it’s still a tragedy.
I could vote for a Republican in a National election. If Democrats nominate McGovern, and if Republicans nominate Lincoln…I’d switch.
That’s it for now…I could go on for hours…and I will. My next entry will be on 2008. Which is relevant and important. I’ll stop talking about such general, lofty concepts, and talk about the 2008 candidates. I hope you’re excited.
Thanks For Reading!
p.s. And if you have any questions or comments, comment on here, or you can email me at michaelwear@hotmail.com
p.p.s. Let me also clarify a few things while I’m at it…as Barack Obama said, and I’ll paraphrase it, when a teenage boy shoots and kills 8 people in his school there’s a hole in his heart government alone can’t fill. I do not think we should have Sweden’s tax rates, nor do I believe government is the answer for everything. On many things, I don’t even necessarily want government action…just government leadership.
My views will come clearer as we travel on this journey further…
