brinshannara | About morals and such.

First off:

To everyone who went out to vote (or at least made an attempt), regardless who you cast your vote for: Thank you. Even if your candidate doesn't win, even if it feels that your vote didn't make a difference, thank you for voting, and please keep voting. Don't let this experience make you think that your voice doesn't matter. Check out Ohio, people. Your voice matters. A lot.

To everyone who didn't bother to vote (as in, didn't make an attempt): You suck. You have taken for granted the most precious right and responsibility you could possibly have. You have wasted your opportunity to pick your leader and choose your future. Do better next time.

Now that that's said and done, I have a few (partisan) thoughts.

It seems that a lot of people went out and voted. That's good.

It seems that a lot of people who went out and voted seem to be concerned about morality. That's also good, because I consider myself a (fairly) moral person myself.

But it seems that a lot of these people who went out and voted and seem to be concerned about morality are Bush supporters.

What, pray tell, is remotely "moral" or "ethical" about supporting a man who wants to prevent a certain group of people from having the same rights as any other citizen?

I realized, a long time ago, eight years ago, to be precise, that the United States of America would not be ready to handle gay marriage any time in the near future. Over time, I accepted that. It's just something that Americans, on the whole, cannot yet accept. And you know what? I can handle that. I can handle gay marriage not being legal in the US. But what I cannot abide is that Bush (and many of his followers) believe that restricting the rights of a portion of their citizens by changing THE CONSTITUTION is a "moral" thing to do.

Bullshit.

Love thy neighbour. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Where on earth is the Christian sentiment in attempting to forbid gay marriage? And don't be quoting Leviticus at me, because I'll just point you to the Bartlet speech from The West Wing.

I don't understand how a Christian can knowingly be so hurtful, unless they don't understand this basic premise: God. Is. Love.

How hard is that to get? How hard is it to at least make attempts at trying to be more Christ-like? Isn't that the whole point of Christianity?

I'm a Christian. I'm not perfect. I know this. I admit this freely. But I do try to be a better person. I try to be more forgiving and open-minded. I try a lot and sometimes I fail, and sometimes I succeed. But I try.

How can people not even try? How can Christians not even try?

It makes me really very sad to know that a lot of people concerned with "morality" voted for Bush. America's still not ready for same-sex marriage, obviously, but for people to want to actively prevent it from ever being legal? That's just very, very sad.

I take great comfort in living in Canada, in being a Canadian, right now. But it's 4:30am and I'm still awake because I care about my neighbours, and I care about who will be running the country south of mine for the next four years. I care about what the American opinions are on various social topics. That said, results like these scare me, and make me redouble my prayers of thanks for living in a country that respects the rights of their citizens, that has good social programs for their people and whose population, on the whole, seems to support people who are not as narrow-minded and hurtful as the guy who seems like he's going to win the election.

All is not lost, yet, IMHO, but it's not looking good, and I'm more than a little disappointed.

Also, on a marginally lighter note, when on earth will you crazy people have an election in which all the votes are counted that night? Seriously. This lingering drama is just silly.

Bedtime.