The Election

As I sit here on the eve of an important election that will be historical no matter what the outcome, I wonder if we are in a good place in America today. We are about to have either our first female vice president or our first African American president. Yet, neither one of these milestones seems all that important to me. Admittedly, I am in neither of the aforementioned demographics, but that is not the reason I am less than excited about the prospects ahead of us. Ones gender or race should have no bearing on the competition one way or another. Yet we Americans have taken a step backwards in many ways. Martin Luther King gave his world changing speech “I have a dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial over 45 years ago. Yet I do not think we have fulfilled his dream. I understand that I, as a white American man, am not supposed to talk about things such as race and gender in our time and culture. I also understand that by doing so I run the risk of being called a racist or a chauvinist. So, let me state unequivocally, that I too dream of the day when my children “will not be judged by the color of their skin (or their gender) but by the content of their character.” Nothing, I repeat, nothing will atone for the injustices perpetuated on African Americans in this country over the past centuries. I cannot go back and undo the problems of slavery, segregation, or discrimination. Neither can I change the discrimination that women have suffered over the history of our nation. It is foolishness to try. We can look back and never forget but we cannot allow ourselves to live in the past. So I have done my best to raise my family with a “color blind” attitude toward all people. I hope that I have done my part to make this world a more equitable place.

I recently heard talk show host ask his audience to call in and tell him which issue was causing them to vote for Barack Obama. After an hour of frustrating conversation, it was clear, at least for this one show, that issues were not that important to those who were going to vote for him. We live in a day where words have no meaning and perception is more important than reality. That is why “boxers or briefs?” is seen as an acceptable question to ask a presidential candidate. That is why it is more important for our candidates to appear on the Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live than at the conventions or news programs. After all this I wonder how many votes will be cast tomorrow, pro and con, because of the color of Barack Obama’s skin? Surely we have to be better than this. Here are a few of issues that each one of us should consider in these unsettled times in our history.

First, the economy. If you believe Senator Obama is only going to tax the rich (over $250k), and I do not believe him (remember “read my lips no new taxes”), what does that mean for those of us that Mr. Obama does not consider rich? I am no economist, but this is simple to understand. Let’s say for a minute that I am one of those evil rich business owners. Let’s say I own a factory that makes ball point pens. I have worked hard to build my business and now employ 100 people and provide 10% of the nation’s ball point pens. Now Mr. Obama is going to take my profits and “spread them around” to others in the country who have not been as blessed or industrious as I have. Let’s say my taxes are going to go up by $5,000 per year. That seems fair right? Who is going to pay for that tax? Well first of all my 100 employees are not going to get their Christmas bonus this year and they may only get a 2% raise instead of the 5% I was going to give them. I may even have to lay a few of them off. Next, I am going to increase the cost of my pens by a nickel to offset the tax. I will not pay one cent of this tax out of my own pocket. I will pass it on to others and the middle and lower class will end up paying.

The way to encourage growth in an already stagnant economy is to encourage me to invest more, produce more, and lower my prices. This is done by lowering my taxes not raising them. This class warfare of Barack Obama is going to plunge an already weak economy into further recession or even a depression. Does anyone remember Jimmy Carter? Barack Obama’s economic policies are even worse than Carter’s. When I was a teenager, my brother gave me a book entitled “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayne Rand. This book, though fiction, was instrumental in forming my understanding of political and economic issues. Though it was written decades ago is still applicable to the situation in which we find ourselves. Ayne Rand was way ahead of her time. We cannot allow the logic of illogic to rule in our society. Barack Obama is wrong on the economy.

Second, the war. If I told you that I was against littering but I supported those who litter or that I was against abortion but I supported those who kill babies in the womb, you would say I was crazy. You can’t support someone and yet not support what they do! Yet we let Barack Obama and many others off the hook when they say “I support the troops but not the war.” That is utter foolishness. It is detrimental to the moral of our troops and our reputation in the world. Yesterday, I participated in a Veterans’ appreciation service. As I looked around the room of about 300 veterans and their families, I was nearly overcome with emotion. The sacrifices that these brave men and women made for our freedom brought tears to my eyes. They were not looking for support, or gratitude. They did their duty because of who they are and what they believe. We owe them gratitude and support however. We can debate whether or not we should have gone into Afghanistan and Iraq in the first place (I think we did the right thing) but that does not change the fact that we are there now. To pull out now as Barack Obama wants (or even to set a timetable for withdrawal) would be disastrous for the world situation. We have to finish the job. We have to give our troops on the ground the resources and support they need to complete their mission. Mr. Obama would not do this. If there is one thing that Mr. McCain has a firm grasp upon, it is the needs and objectives of the military. As a marine, I will sleep a lot better with a war hero like John McCain in the White House. I have yet to mention the terrorist ties that Mr. Obama has in his past. All of this will serve to make America weaker with Obama as president.

Finally, life. Barack Obama is the most pro-death candidate this country has ever seen. He not only supports abortion all the way to the ninth month of pregnancy, but he supports killing the baby even when it is not in the womb. His support of partial birth abortion is not enough. He has supported legislation that would prohibit a doctor from rendering aid if the baby happens to be born alive. I know that the prevailing wisdom of our day is that we should not be a one issue voter. I am a one issue voter. A few years ago I voted for the republican candidate for governor of Maryland even though he was pro-abortion. I saw him, once elected, sponsor slot machine gambling, medical marijuana, and stem cell research. It all goes back to the value one places upon human life. Mr. Obama could appoint up to three Supreme Court Justices that would continue the holocaust of child killing in this country.

Though I believe an Obama presidency would be disastrous for the country and world, I also know that not everyone agrees with me. People in our culture make their choices on their perceptions and feelings rather than the issues. Assuming that the polls are right, and I have no reason to assume that they are not, we are in for at least four years of an Obama presidency. So what do we do? Well, one thing we cannot do is wait for the media to set things straight. They love Obama and his liberal policies. We have to continue to remain educated by reading blogs and listening to talk radio. The mainstream media is not now and never will be fair and objective when it comes to politics. That is established. Let’s stop whining about it and look for alternatives to the mainstream media. We also have to get past our apathy. Complaining is easy. Doing something about it is hard. Start a blog, write letters to the White House, start petitions, write books, and take action. It is time for conservative Christians to wake up and do something. The hope for this country does not reside in Washington, no matter who is elected tomorrow. What most people forget is that Martin Luther King was a Baptist preacher long before he was a civil rights activist. I feel a certain brotherhood with him. He understood that the solution to our social ills resided not in the White House or the Governor’s Mansion but in another throne room. He said in that most famous speech, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” If we are ever going to see this country change, then we Christians have to start living our Christianity every day. As we take up our cross daily and follow Jesus Christ, He will use us to change the world. Maybe, just maybe, God will use this whole political situation to bring a revival that could not come any other way. Let’s pray.