Election results
Nov. 5th, 2008 11:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acquiescenceI didn't really do a whole lot of talking about the election before November 4th, and I hadn't really planned on doing anymore talking about it afterwords - it's just not my style, and honestly I am much more concerned about getting JDM to fall madly in love with me than I am about taking offense to what people say about things.
I decided not to f-lock this entry, because I really don't think enough people just wander past my journal for it to be a big deal - and it's my journal and I want to put my opinion out there because I can. I am putting it all under a lj-cut though, so you can just scroll on past if you like.
This is just the 2nd Presidential election I've been able to be a part of. The first election was of course back in 2004. I was 20 then, and a student at a small liberal arts Methodist affiliated university in Abilene, Texas, which for those of you who don't know, happens to boast the largest numbers of churches per capita of any city in the United States. At that time I was going to a non-denominational spirit-filled church. And at that point in my life my christian values where the thing that held the most weight when I went out to vote. So I voted for Bush - because in my opinion at the time he was the best representation of what I wanted in a leader.
Four years later, I am now 24, I live in Austin, Texas and I have stopped going to church all together. I still hold on to some of the ideals I valued then, but not in the same way. This election year, I voted for Obama - because for me he was the best representation of what I want in a leader. I didn't vote for him because he is well spoken, or because he is very charismatic, or because he's black - I voted for him, because he was the one who was pointed towards the things I feel are most important in my life and for the future of our country.
And of course we all know how the election turned out - and I am thrilled with the possible future we have in store for us.
Of course being from Texas, I seem to be in the minority. And I have never in my life felt more ashamed of being a Texan than I have in these last few days, because the majority of the attacks I have seen have come from Texans - the very people I identify most with. I understand, Texas has historically been a red state, hell I helped with that, but my goodness - where does being upset that your candidate lost stop hurling insults begin. I had hoped that with the election behind us all this arguing and pettiness would stop - but of course that really was a bit too much to hope for, ever the optimist am I.
Today I was browsing lj when I came across a comment comparing liberal American's to the Nazi's of Germany. Because voting for Obama is just the same as sentencing millions of Jews to death camps, obviously.
It seems like people are more likely to start attacking anything that seems to be vaguely in disagreement with what they've said rather than stop and take words at face value. I understand being upset that your candidate lost, I understand being worried for the financial future of America, I understand those concerns making you concerned about losing your job, I understand knowing that the country is going to be run by someone who you feel doesn't uphold your values. But you know what, we're all Americans - and that means that we're all going to have to deal with this for at least the next 4 years. So how about we stop attacking one another and start trying to get through this mess that we've let our country turn into. Because it's going to take all of us, we do need a change, and we do need something new, perhaps something we've never tried before - and I for one and ready to step up and do my part.
Because let's face it throwing insults, and spreading lies doesn't help anyone - it doesn't get you what you want, and it doesn't change the results of the election. So let's be grown ups about this and start moving forward.
I decided not to f-lock this entry, because I really don't think enough people just wander past my journal for it to be a big deal - and it's my journal and I want to put my opinion out there because I can. I am putting it all under a lj-cut though, so you can just scroll on past if you like.
This is just the 2nd Presidential election I've been able to be a part of. The first election was of course back in 2004. I was 20 then, and a student at a small liberal arts Methodist affiliated university in Abilene, Texas, which for those of you who don't know, happens to boast the largest numbers of churches per capita of any city in the United States. At that time I was going to a non-denominational spirit-filled church. And at that point in my life my christian values where the thing that held the most weight when I went out to vote. So I voted for Bush - because in my opinion at the time he was the best representation of what I wanted in a leader.
Four years later, I am now 24, I live in Austin, Texas and I have stopped going to church all together. I still hold on to some of the ideals I valued then, but not in the same way. This election year, I voted for Obama - because for me he was the best representation of what I want in a leader. I didn't vote for him because he is well spoken, or because he is very charismatic, or because he's black - I voted for him, because he was the one who was pointed towards the things I feel are most important in my life and for the future of our country.
And of course we all know how the election turned out - and I am thrilled with the possible future we have in store for us.
Of course being from Texas, I seem to be in the minority. And I have never in my life felt more ashamed of being a Texan than I have in these last few days, because the majority of the attacks I have seen have come from Texans - the very people I identify most with. I understand, Texas has historically been a red state, hell I helped with that, but my goodness - where does being upset that your candidate lost stop hurling insults begin. I had hoped that with the election behind us all this arguing and pettiness would stop - but of course that really was a bit too much to hope for, ever the optimist am I.
Today I was browsing lj when I came across a comment comparing liberal American's to the Nazi's of Germany. Because voting for Obama is just the same as sentencing millions of Jews to death camps, obviously.
It seems like people are more likely to start attacking anything that seems to be vaguely in disagreement with what they've said rather than stop and take words at face value. I understand being upset that your candidate lost, I understand being worried for the financial future of America, I understand those concerns making you concerned about losing your job, I understand knowing that the country is going to be run by someone who you feel doesn't uphold your values. But you know what, we're all Americans - and that means that we're all going to have to deal with this for at least the next 4 years. So how about we stop attacking one another and start trying to get through this mess that we've let our country turn into. Because it's going to take all of us, we do need a change, and we do need something new, perhaps something we've never tried before - and I for one and ready to step up and do my part.
Because let's face it throwing insults, and spreading lies doesn't help anyone - it doesn't get you what you want, and it doesn't change the results of the election. So let's be grown ups about this and start moving forward.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-07 05:11 pm (UTC)