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Eric and I got up at 3:00 this morning and jumped online quickly to see if there were any election results. I wish I had stayed in bed.
The one thing that I have always appreciated more than any other about Americans is our personal self-reliance. I've always been taught that if you want things better and you want more for your life, then you personally need to go out and do what it takes to make that happen. And I thought that was the true American spirit. So maybe you can understand my disappointment with the current "change". Fifty-two percent of Americans cast their presidential vote yesterday for a man whose campaign has been based on promises of all the money he will spend and all the things he is going to give each of us (and supposedly at no additional cost to us, I might add, since I suppose money just appears spontaneously now.) {insert heavy sigh here} When did handouts become the American Dream?
And beyond the policies and political theories of our president-elect, which I disagree with 99% of the time, I have a host of concerns over the moral values of our next leader. I have a really hard time trusting a man who defends the practice of placing a baby, who ends up delivered alive during a late term abortion attempt, on a shelf where he/she will then die of neglect. Or a man who says that he would not want his daughters to be "punished with a baby". When that is the value placed on the most innocent of human life, how am I to confidently entrust the safety or security of anything or anyone to him?
I couldn't go back to sleep last night after seeing the elections results. I tossed and turned and prayed to God to have mercy and bless the nation that I love. I've been respectful of other's opinions and am glad to have been raised in a democracy where we get to choose our leader. And while there wasn't a candidate I was just totally enamored with, this particular man which our nation has chosen leaves me less than joyful and a bit frightful. The gloomy, overcast weather today is rather fitting for my mood.
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22 comments:
Thanks to one personal attack already this morning against myself and my family I have enabled comment moderation. Your comments are welcome and I respect opinions that differ from my own, but I will not approve anything with personal attacks or inappropriate language.
Interesting to read your opinion. Since Obama has become a "global celebrity", he´s almost an "unanimidade" here in Brazil, you might have noticed that if you talked to any brazilian about the american elections. It´s nice to see a diferent point of view, since even our press makes us ask "who the hell would vote in the other guy?"
I can definitely see your need for comment moderation. Talking about "handouts" is incredibly old-fashioned.
The candidate I supported may not have carried the day, but I think I'll do what we wanted Democrats to do in 2000 and support our rightfully elected leader. President-elect Obama will have my support until he does something to lose it. He can't possible be worse than Carter, can he? ;-)
i am just glad that this election is over and we start looking to the future...no matter who was the winner yesterday night for me this election was a response that we need changes and the Americans are ready to this happen
If i could vote i would vote for Obama...but as you said we are entitled to express our opinions
have a good week with baby Z
Emily,
I am sorry people cannot leave civil comments. I was surprised to see the political post since you had stayed out of the fray so far. I hope that Obama proves your worries wrong and I hope that the Democrats use this chance responsibly. I (obviously) see things quite different, but believe like you, in the unique qualities of our country (that it provides the opportunity for everyone who works hard and wants to get ahead). I actually saw this election as an affirmation of that. Only time will tell.
My wife and I were also dissapointed with the election results. We have a lot of the same issues as you about his moral character. We respect the office of the president but it does not mean we have to respect his views. We do need to support him with our prayers.
I share all of your concerns. Maybe I can offer a little hope for us today with these two posts:
New Battle Convening of Conservatives
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, America
Dear Emily,
I wish you were here, I asure you wouldn't be worried at all with our country.
The mood here is quite the opposite. I understand you disagree with Obama in certain issues, but he was elected yesterday because our nation needed someone who inspired us, someone who reminded us how great of a people we are.
Americans are hopeful and cheerful today.
No gloom, no sadness, we have a brilliant future ahead of us!
Remember, he is one man, our country is made of 305 million of us...if he does something really, really crazy, we have tools in our Democracy to prevent that from happening.
Come on, the guy finished first in his class at Harvard!!
We are going to be in good hands and you will have a better country to bring Z baby to :)
Ray
I agree, I was dissappointed too! I consider myself to have mostly Democratic views, but am (was) for McCain/Palin. I figure that I've finally worked really hard to get what I am owed, and now it is going to be snatched away from me for someone who doesn't even try earn a living. No personal attacks here either, thanks! BTW- I'm Jess- one of your hubbies roomates in college.
Jason and I were disapointed with the results as well. We went to bed last night praying they were calling the states too early (some only had 3% in!)... but this morning we woke up to the same dreary news.
I agree that neither candidate fit us to a T, but we saw eye to eye on far more topics with McCain than Obama.
I would disagree with another commenter, it isn't all celebration back home.
Ray,
Not everyone is celebrating the victory of Obama. Many of us have problems with his moral character and that is the reason I voted against him.
Also graduating first in his class from Harvard does not make him a wise leader. The Bible has a lot to say on what makes a wise leader and here are just a few:
Psalm 111:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Job 28:28 - And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' "
Our job now is to pray for him as our leader and hope that he gains wisdom and moral character.
Beth is right, it isn't all celebration back home Ray.
Oh and M, handouts are fixing to "come back in style", jsyk
I can definetely understand where your concerns would be! But I think now that this is the decision there is a certain hope in the air that he is all he claims to be!
Dear Beth o, please forgive me for the generalization...
You are right it is not all celebratory mood here, you got to remember all the McCain supporters that must be disapointed.
Just so you know, my impression is from someone in Rhode Island, people are BLUE to the bone around here...
:)
Well, I figured you and your husband were probably republicans because of the states you come from.
as for handouts or not handouts, they work in some places, dont work in others.
Several european countries seem to be doing very fine with their nanny states. Brazil also is a nanny state and is screwed up. Fact is Brazil doesnt have a large tax payer base to pay for such services. US has.
US is the opposite of a nanny state. It is doing very well. But some other countries also have governments who dont give anything to their citizens, and some are NOT doing well.
I guess that wont make such a difference.
Anyway, it was OBVIOUS Obama would win, not because McCain is bad (although Palin was McCain´s Acchiles Heel), but because Bush was one of the worst presidents in US history, and McCain had an herculean job to get elected (as a republican) after Bush messed up so much.
Emily! Love reading the blog, and I completely understand and agree with your sentiments regarding this election and our country's future. It's sad to watch our society grow further and further away from the Truth of God's Word. Strongest defense we have is our Prayers and our individual voices in voting and appealing to our country's leadership to follow God's way. Regardless of the person in office, God has commanded us to be submitted to their leadership. (Romans 13:1 - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.)
Love you both (well the 3 of you!) and praying for you as you continue your journey in Brazil!
to support my comment about Palin being McCain´s campaign Acchiles heel:
"Tensions between McCain and Palin camps come to light"
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/mobile/la-na-palin6-2008nov06,0,6659354.story
"Carl Cameron reported that campaign sources told him Palin had resisted coaching before her faltering Katie Couric interviews; did not understand that Africa was a continent rather than a country; and could not name the three nations that are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement -- the United States, Canada and Mexico."
McCain already had the huge problem to convince people that voting republican, voting in him, would not be the same as voting again on Bush, one of the US presidents with worst approval ratings ever. Then he chose Palin, to please the radicals of the GOP, and doomed his efforts with moderate republicans and with the indecise electors.
Obama on the other hand was much more clever when choosing Biden as his vice president.
Dear Pacifica,
You brought up a good point!
Please Google Rhode Island history and Roger Williams.
You will find out that we exist as a state today because of the ideal "Separation of Church and State".
The puritans in Boston banned Roger Williams from Massachusetts and off to Rhode Island he went and founded a new state with the help of the Narragansett indians and other minority groups.
Rhode Island became a place that protected persecuted minorities, among them, Catholics, Jews and Baptists, yes, you heard me right, the Baptists were a persecuted minority back in the day and they were persecuted and fled to Rhode Island were they were finally allowed to build the first Baptist Church in the US, it still stands beautifully preserved in historic downtown Providence, if you like history you will find more interesting facts about it.
On your Bible quotes, I do respectfully disagree with you on church and state involvement.
I think we have done well as a country following that principle.
Ray
The core of our democracy and the foundations of our freedom grounded in our constitution have been decimated by 8 years of Cheney/Bush. Military_Commissions Act of 2006 ... Suspension of Habeas Corpus.. denial of due process to US citizens.. clear violations of the Geneva Convention.. Torture as a matter of public policy.. Public Law 109-364, or the John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007.. and the countless unconstitutional Presidential Signing Statements. You honestly support all that? [shutters] Please don't be so naive as to not understand the "handouts" Republicans pass out. The constitution is at the heart of this election and American's took back their rule of law with force.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
Some must have received a different ballot than I did . . . strangely enough, Bush/Cheney wasn't an option when I cast my vote weeks ago.
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