Thoughts on the Upcoming Election

Let me first say that unless you are open to hearing differing views regarding politicians and their policies, this probably isn't the post for you. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion and of course, their choice in who to vote for. But something has ever-so-seemingly been plaguing me since the time I began to understand what voting was really all about (somewhere around 16).

All too often people vote based on a party, not the person. For the life of me, I don't understand this. For those of you who do this, could you please let me in on why? For me, it's not about whether the person is a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. It's about whether or not their values and morals hold up to God's standards. Which sadly, even among the 'best' of politicians often is anything but ideal.

This plaguing feeling always resurfaces every 4 yrs. when election time hits. The feeling that people blindly vote for a candidate based on their party affiliation and the knowledge that people vote based on policies that are beneficial to them, but not to society as a whole.

Let's take the notion that the government should take care of it's citizens. More specifically, provide universal health care. This topic alone burns me up and caused me to walk out of the living room last night while watching the DNC. The irritation probably comes because it has several other underlying implications. But why is is that our government should pay for every ones health care? Why should we tax people who have money even more to pay for those making unwise decisions?

With a little initiative and hard work, you can make money. It's just a matter of having a hard work ethic. What's next? Should I expect the government to pay my electric bill every month? How about buy my groceries or my kids' school supplies when they get ready to go to school? No. Where is it going to end? This notion that the government should pay for everything has got to stop. When are accountability and responsibility going to occur. I'll tell you when. When the government starts saying "No!". No to sending out checks to people who refuse to work and who are able to. No to people who expect the government to raise their children for them. No. No. No. Period. It is not the government's job to pay for me and my children's health care, food, housing, anything. Period. It's mine. And for those individuals who are struggling and trying to make it by each month, I feel your pain. I've been there. But hard work pays off. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have come from nothing and made something of themselves. It just takes the mindset of being willing to put in the effort and then doing it.

Has anyone even stopped to think about how the government is going to pay for universal health care? Oh, that's right. They'll just tax us even more. More importantly the 1% of the wealthy - the 1% who already pay over 60% of the nation's taxes. Does anyone else see something wrong with that? 1% paying 60% of the taxes. I'm sorry. If you ask me, that's just stealing from those who worked and worked to get where they're at. It's wrong.

What about education, social security, prescription drug costs, the environment, etc. Those are all good topics. But none of them (including universal health care) matter to me when you hold them up against more important issues. Issues like abortion and preserving the sanctity of marriage. I know there are people out there struggling and I certainly hope that things get better for them. I really do. I know there are millions of the elderly trying to figure how to get the prescriptions they need on a fixed income. I truly do understand all of that. But again, none of it matters to me when choosing who I vote for. I hold a candidates views up against God's standards for the value of life and the sanctity of marriage that He has given us in His Word.

So years ago when I was 16 and beginning to understand what voting was all about - this is what I understood. When it comes to politics, it actually comes to values. Values that line up with God's Word. Everything else matters, it's just not what I vote based on. Voting isn't about me. It's about ensuring that God's Word is still held in esteem, that the principles that this country were founded on stand firm, and that anyone who holds views contrary to that will not get my vote.