So, I don’t love politics. I get tired of the accusations, and especially people going back on their word. What I want is to believe that my president and VP care about the things I care about.
As an author, and a person who studies character so I can write about them on the page, I know that values drive a person’s decisions. Whether it’s something they have, or something they want, it’s values that guide their thinking and decision making process. And it’s my values that guide my own decisions.
So, I’ve taken a look at the two candidates, and throwing the economic plans, and all their health care rhetoric and their foreign policy aside, I took a look at their values.
From what I can tell, Obama’s ticket values consensus, and peace. Not bad issues. I’m all for getting along, and for peace.
McCain’s ticket, on the other hand, values life, and patriotism. At least, this is what keeps coming out to me, every time I listen to him and Palin.
So, now I have to extrapolate that a little.
If Obama values consensus, he’ll do what everyone wants him to do. That sounds nice…except, well, I keep thinking back to the Israelites. They wanted a King, and God let them, and look what trouble it got them into. The problem with consensus is that it’s swayed by emotion. And, there are always two equally compelling sides. What to choose? James 1 talks about a man who doubts being like a wave in the sea, tossed and turned. I don’t want a president who has to look out at the masses and say, well, I dunno I’m confused…what should I do? Sure, listen to the advisors, but at the end of the day, I want him to know what’s right.
But peace is a good value, right? Hmm…I keep going back to the Christians caught in Germany during World War 2. What did they sacrifice for peace? In fact, what did we, as Americans, sacrifice for “peace” by not getting involved in the war much, much sooner? Blessed are the peacemakers, yes – when it comes to inviting peace between God and man, but Jesus himself wasn’t a peacemaker on earth. He divided families, and shook the religious beliefs of the time because what they believed was wrong. I’m not sure that peace is something we should strive for if it means offending God and HIS values. What sacrifices will “earthly” peace cost us, if that is our highest value?
How about life? This is a value I can embrace. Everything I do is about life….giving that hope of life to my family, my church, my friends, my readers. A more powerful life on earth, and eternal life in heaven. I have to believe that a president who believes in life, also believes that war is horrible, and believes that people should be given the ability to carve out their own lives, and fights for the downtrodden, and embraces the hurting. He believes in the power of humans to become something if given the chance, without the government telling them how. He believes that people matter. And decisions matter. And faith matters. Life matters. And that’s not going to change, even if it’s inconvenient.
How about patriotism? Here, McCain won my heart because he’s a man who put his country, and his fellow soldiers above himself. And frankly, that’s the mark of a president – making hard, even unpopular decisions because they’re the right ones. Loyalty to country, rather than party, rather than special interest groups, rather than agendas…. Patriotism means that I can depend on him to do what’s best for the country I love.
I’m not stupid. McCain isn’t perfect. But I believe that the next four years could be difficult, financially, globally… and if I’m going to put my trust in someone, I want it to be a person whose values I know will lead him in the right direction. Values that are my own.
That’s why I’m voting for McCain/Palin.
Whomever you chose, vote the candidate that believes in what you believe in. Think it out, don’t just vote on emotion. And no matter who wins, pray for our next president. Because it’s going to get ugly out there.
There’s this woman named Rosy Senanayake, making her name in Sri Lanka. She was loved by her people because of what she fights for. She has emerged as a cynosure in the Sri Lankan political landscape. A political face, a women’s and child’s rights activist, a beauty pageant holder, a powerful orator – she has successfully conquered multiple domains with her poised yet assertive charm.