Monday, November 5, 2012

Just My Humble Opinion

I heard about this thing President Obama said about voting for revenge. “Don’t boo, vote,” he said to a crowd when they booed Mitt Romney’s name being said. “Vote. Voting is the best revenge,” he continued. If you turn on Fox News Channel you can’t help but hear about it. Clearly it is the right-wing talking point dujour.

I also have heard Mitt Romney responded to President Obama’s remark by saying not to vote for revenge, but instead to vote for love of country. Since then, Team Romney has made a commercial about the contrast between the two. That’s what politicians do, I guess, but I must admit it makes good sense to me. After all, my political leanings align with the idea that a vote should be for love of country, not to seek vengeance on other Americans. But that’s just me.

I certainly care who others cast their votes for, in the sense that I would like it if others saw issues the same way I see them. But when it comes down to it, I’ve come to understand that it’s not right of me to try to influence the votes of others. It is my right to speak my mind here, and it is my right to present issues here which I believe need to be discussed, but I cannot and should not expect that just because I believe it to be true, that others will feel the same. If I offer information, and because of that information I expect anyone else to think a certain way, I am fooling myself and I am insulting them. All I can do is offer my personal perspective. If people who read my words here find value in my offerings, so be it. If not, then that is that.

So here is my offering for this evening: Vote.

Vote for President Obama, or vote for Mitt Romney. You can vote for revenge, or you can vote for love of country, but ultimately I believe we should all vote.

To make myself perfectly clear, I do not believe that a vote for Barack Obama equates to a vote for revenge. Those are words he said, but that does not mean that vengeance is in the hearts of everyone who cast their vote in his favor. There are certainly people who will vote for Barack Obama with a desire for some sort of revenge, but there are definitely many who will vote for President Obama who love America and have no desire for any type of ‘revenge.’

We should vote because it is our civic duty. As Americans, our right to vote is a blessing we all should cherish. We are all blessed to live in this exceptional nation that protects our God-given right to express our choice freely and without fear of retribution. That is an amazing gift, and for that gift I believe we should be grateful.

Of course, as free people we also have the right not to vote, should we so choose. It is my opinion, however, that anyone who chooses not to vote should then not complain about the conditions of our nation. The right to complain goes out the door at the moment a person abstains from voting. Again… this is just my opinion.

I do not and will not vote for revenge, because that makes no sense to me. I do not believe Americans should be seeking revenge upon each other for anything. I believe Americans should be working together for the common good, not feeling animosity toward one another. We certainly have our differences of opinion and should always stand by our beliefs. But when all is said and done we should be working together in an effort to find solutions to our problems. Regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation or social status, the problems America faces today are problems that affect all of us.

In 2008 President Obama presented himself to America as a force for unity, not as a divider. He promised us that we would no longer be “red states and blue states,” but instead that we would be The United States. However, at the same time he presented this case for himself as a force for unity, he told his base that he was working toward the “Fundamental transformation of America.” He told some guy in Toledo, Ohio named “Joe the Plumber” that he believed it is perfectly okay to “spread the wealth around,” and by that he meant government should take wealth from those who have earned it, and give that wealth to those who government deems worthy.

Certainly within the system of American government it should always be mandated that we take care of those truly in need. We have a moral obligation to provide a dignified existence to those who truly cannot provide for themselves. But in my opinion, to “Spread the wealth around” is not the same as providing for those who are truly in need. In my opinion there comes a tipping point at which the government is capable of causing more damage to society, than any benefit found through methods of wealth redistribution. And it is my opinion that Barack Obama’s policies and the current “progressive” leadership in the Democratic Party are capable of bringing America to that tipping point. That is why I did not vote for Barack Obama in 2008, and that is why I will not vote for him in this election.

Since the day President Obama was elected this nation has become more polarized than ever in my lifetime. Of course it may not all be his fault, given that it takes two sides to create polarization, and so there certainly may be some fault to be found on the side of political opposition to President Obama and his political allies.

However, when all is said and done Barack Obama is President of The United States. It is his job as our Chief Executive to be our leader. Our leader should be the person who brings us together; he should find it within himself to rise above the rhetoric and division and work to unite us as one nation. That’s what leaders do. They find a way when it appears there is no way to be found. Leaders work with those people they have available to work with, rather than pointing the finger of blame and accusing those people of being at fault. I do not believe President Obama has brought this type of leadership quality to the table. In fact, I believe President Obama has done quite the opposite. As one example to validate my opinion I would cite his statements made about The Supreme Court during his State of The Union speech in 2010. As a second I would cite his belittling of Congressman Paul Ryan during Obama’s economic speech at George Washington University in April of 2011.

It is my opinion that when President Obama says people should vote with a purpose of vengeance, he is asking people to be divided against one another, not to unite with each other. In my opinion, suggesting people should vote with vengeance offers people the opportunity to point a finger at someone else and blame them for our problems, rather than offering people a reason to come together, accept responsibility, and resolve our problems together, for love of country.

After all, this is our country. One nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice. For all.

7 comments:

Teresa said...

Yes, everyone should vote. It is the duty of every citizen that is of age to vote. Yes, voting is a blessing but believing that can come after voting because it is your duty.

I'm not quite sure why you don't think its right for us to influence others' votes. As human beings we are repeatedly influenced by various things every day. We need to use the power of persuasion with good arguments for the cause of liberty to influence others who believe otherwise to change their minds.

Anonymous said...

Your brother here again with yet another response that will surely throw your day into a tizzy.

Sorry if I ramble a bit. It's been a long day.

As a blogger you are sharing your opinion. Just by doing so you are using your voice as a tool of influence whether you want to or not. It is important to remember, however, that it is your opinion and the very definition of opinion is what you believe, what you think. That does not make it fact. It does not make it true in other people's minds because, just like you, they too have opinions. We are each entitled to our own. So please, by all means, continue to share your opinion. Let others know what you think. That just might make a difference in someone's thinking and it just might change someone's vote. You must take with that opinion the knowledge that others have opinions different from yours. But remember, they are opinions because it is what they think and what they believe and they must be heard regardless since you have asked them to hear yours.

Voting, in my opinion, is absolutely the most important right that we have as citizens of the United States of Americans. It is my that we should all vote when it is time. We should use that vote to help shape the country in which we live. However, it is my opinion that our votes mean less and less with each passing day. Many of the candidates running for various elected offices throughout the country like to make references to our forefathers. They seem to think that they have our forefathers best interest in mind. I beg to differ. Our forefathers fought for our country. Our forefathers died for our country. They fought to leave their oppressors and then they fought to protect themselves and their new home - the land that would eventually become the United States in which we live and call our home today. They stood together and together they built communities. Together they built colonies. Together they built states. And together they built states. They built a country. Our forefathers lived together and they died together. They did so in the interest of the people. Not one group of people but for everyone. They left a country that imposed its thoughts and its beliefs on them. They left so that they would be free from those restraints. Free from the oppression of their government. Free from the oppression of specific religious beliefs. Free to speak what they believed, and free to vote for what they believed. Unfortunately, as time has passed, many of the things that brought our forefathers to fight for and to build this great country are now returning to existence and they are becoming factors again in our daily lives. Religious oppression, suppression of speech, and so many of the individual rights and the rights of individuals that we have fought so hard to protect are now in jeopardy.

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Anonymous said...

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Just as it is my opinion that our vote should be used to change the shape of our country it is also my opinion that our votes matter less today than they have ever mattered before. Because our society has grown so divided many people now vote based on party rather than for what they truly believe. People are now voting against their own interest because of their party affiliation. They vote Republican. They vote Democrat. And, those that are running for elected office are no longer running for our best interest. They are running for the support of their party. They are running for the vote of companies. They are running for the support of lobbyists. They are running for the career. They are running to earn a salary. They are running to protect the interests of their own religion. They are running to protect their own ideals. They are running to protect their views on abortion. They are running to influence others views on religion and others views on abortion. They are running to protect their views on guns. They are running to influence others views on guns. They are running to protect their views on everything and they are running to influence others views on everything. They are no longer running to protect the best interest of communities, or colonies, or states, or country. Those days are long gone.

In 2000 I voted for George W. Bush. I voted for Bush because, in my opinion, he presented the best case for how to lead the United States of America. Several months later the United States was attacked on its own soil. That day changed my life forever. In the moment I was proud to call George W. Bush my President. I think he said the right things and acted accordingly when he spoke to the American people when we were attacked. In 2004 I voted again for George W. Bush. I did so because I was at a point in my life where politics was not of great interest to me. I was a new father. My wife and I had just brought a daughter into the world and she was my primary interest. In 2004 I voted, as a Republican, for the Republican candidate. During Bush's 2nd term my family grew as my twin daughters were born. Not to say that I had less interest in my twin girls but I had started taking a great interest in my country and in politics in general. I started watching various news channels and reading various news websites. I also searched far and wide to learn more about our forefathers and their beliefs and by doing so I formed my own opinion about what they believed and what I believe. Looking back at the election of 2000 I am still proud of how George W. Bush stood up for all of us as Americans in what he said. However, I do not agree with his actions when it comes to the war with Iraq. I also don't agree with many of his economic policies. Unfortunately I didn't know enough about these things in 2004 when I voted for Bush for a 2nd term. Though I don't know, given what I know today about John Kerry in 2004, that I would have voted for John Kerry in 2004. However, If John Kerry ran today I would give him the same consideration that I give to every candidate.

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Anonymous said...

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In 2008 I voted for Barack Obama. I did so based on my own beliefs and in the best interest of my own family. I did so because I did not agree with the economic views of John McCain. I did not agree with McCain's views on Iraq or Afghanistan. I did not agree with many of John McCain's views. I agreed with Barack Obama's views on how to turn around the economy. I agreed that the auto industry, as a whole, needed to remain in business no matter what it took. I agreed that we needed to remove our troops from Iraq ann, when the time was right, Afghanistan. I agreed that we needed to finally find and kill Osama Bin Laden n matter what it cost. I agreed that we needed to take care of our own as a whole and not just a single class of people. In fact, I've believed that last part all along.

WE are a country together. WE are not the rich and the poor. WE are not black and white. WE are not this religion or that. WE are not pro life or not. WE are a country of free people. WE are a community. WE are the citizens of The United States of America. The part that I find most disappointing today is that nobody talks about the WE part very much. The candidates all talk about businesses and they talk about taxes for individual classes of people. They talk about abortion and who should and should not have one. They talk about religion and how it should be viewed. They talk about what country they should or should invade next. They talk about these things on an individual bases and not for a country united.

Our candidates should not be talking about how their own religion or how political party views abortion. Our candidates should not be talking about whether or not a woman should be able to obtain birth control based on their own religious views or on the views of their political party. WE The People should be able to choose what religion, if any, we want in our lives and based on our own religious choices we will have our own views on birth control and abortion. This should not be the job of the government nor should it be the stance of any candidate or political party. We The People should not have to hear anything about men earning higher wages than women because We The People should be paid equally for doing the same job. Equal wages, or otherwise, should not be the stance of any candidate or political party.

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Anonymous said...

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I believe that President Obama has more of We The People in his best interest than Mitt Romney. Not because Obama is a Democrat or because Romney is a Republican. In fact, I am a registered Republican that no longer feels that political associations have any bearing on my views or personal beliefs. This became more an more evident over the past four years. I was disappointed with how forcefully Obama pushed health care onto everyone. I was equally disappointed with how each and every Republican voted on on everything that has been put up for vote not only in the past two years but in the past four years. In many ways Congress is to blame for what has happened to our country more so than our President is to blame if blame is to be assigned. However, assigning blame is another part of the failing of We The People. WE are too quick to point fingers and make accusations based on political lines and what a party says rather than based on our own opinions and our own beliefs. More often than not it isn't even party lines that create the accusations but instead the accusations are from radio talk show hosts and television opinion shows, and online opinion columns and blogs. This happens so much now that it is the new normal. The news is no longer the news. Instead, opinion is becoming the news. Opinions from television networks on both sides of the aisle. Opinions from radio hosts that are paid millions by sponsors of political parties to spread their word as that day's gospel. Actual, and factual news is very hard to find today and that lack of real news, and real facts is dividing us more than ever before. Instant blame, viral videos, tweets and facebook posts that amount to nothing more than propaganda are surging onto our computer screens in record numbers. And all of it is associated with one party or another. All of it is about religion, or guns, or war, or women, or sex, or this, or that. None of it has anything to do with We The People. It is all about "me" and "you." "Us" and "them."

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Anonymous said...

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Tomorrow I will be voting, on election day, for who I believe will be the best leader of our nation. Who I believe will keep the interest of We The People in mind more often than not. I will be voting for who I believe considers 100% of us equal. Who I believe has not only slowed down the downward spiral of our economy but who has turned it around and is building it again with patience and a careful and watchful eye so that the same mistakes that were made before are not made again. I will be voting for who I believe might make mistakes along the way but will learn from them and do better to no make them again. I will be voting for someone who has already learned from other's mistakes and is working hard to make sure those mistakes are not repeated no matter how long ago they were made. I will be voting for someone who I believe will not let someone else's religious beliefs influence mine. I will be voting for someone who I believe will make every effort to think of my children's future and not just their own. Tomorrow I will vote. It is my right. And, if the candidate for whom I vote does not win then I will support the candidate that is elected in the hope that they will help make America a better place for me and for my family. If the candidate for whom I vote does not win then I will not wish for their failure or call them names.

Tomorrow I will vote not as a capitalist or as a socialist, not as a communist or as a racist, not as a neo-con or as a bigot, not as part of a percentage or because of a pledge, not as a member of the TEA party or an occupied movement, not as a Democrat or as a Republican. Tomorrow I will vote as an American. Tomorrow I will vote for Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.

It is your right to voice your opinion. Should your opinion and what you have to say on any given day sway someone one way or the other than so be it. Keep writing, brother. I'll keep reading and I'll keep responding. Maybe one day we'll find common ground. Then again, maybe not.

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Soloman said...

Teresa - I guess I would have to check my wording there, as my brother rightfully pointed out. Should I influence others with my writing then so be it. I just need to check myself a little bit, once in a while. I can occasionally be a bit of a loose cannon, and sometimes I suspect I might be best served working the "ten-minute" rule for about ten hours before speaking my mind.