Friday, November 02, 2012

My Weekend Vote

The question for me, four years later, remains shockingly simple. Do I believe in hope? Yes, yes I do. I still do, four years later. Sure, that hopey changey thing isn’t magic. My vote four years ago didn’t change the world overnight into a unicorn-riding utopia where we all slide down rainbows while braiding each other’s hair. But I am not so naïve to be disillusioned that change takes hard work and hard work is, in fact, hard. But here is what makes it so simple for me – change is happening. Not as quickly as we all impatiently want, but coming nonetheless. For the first time in our nation’s history, we have a sitting president who openly supports marriage equality. Who believes we aren’t the problem or a scapegoat or a wedge. Who does not say “It’s not right” when gay couples have children. Who affirms our personhood and right to the most basic of liberties – love.

But, lest you think I’m a single-issue voter, I am not. Sure, my ability to exchange rings and eat cake with a roomful of my friends in a way that is recognized and sanctioned by the government is huge. But other issues are just as huge. I am a liberal of the bleeding heart kind – and proud of it. So I see government as a benevolent force for good, not a malevolent impediment to progress. Is there waste, sure. And it drives me crazy. But I’m even more thankful for the road we drive on and the law enforcement who keeps us safe and the teachers who educate the next generation and the safety net that catches us if we stumble and the first responders who risk everything when emergency strikes. That’s big government, folks. And in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, I’m extra proud to have my tax dollar go to federal disaster funding. Because I see nothing “simply immoral” about my money being used to help people ravaged by forces they cannot control. Can the private sector help? Of course. But do we really want a world where “This Rescue Was Sponsored by McDonalds” becomes a thing?

I want a president who believes the government can and must do those things as well. I want a president who believes my love is equal, instead of “not right.” I want a president who believes we need to combat the rising of the oceans, instead of mock them. I want a president who believes all Americans should have access to affordable health care, instead of just the richest. I want a president who believes in a woman’s right to choose, instead of vowing to overturn Roe v. Wade. I want a president who believes rape is rape, instead of only the “forcible” or “legitimate” ones. I want a president who believes in the power of the government to lift people up, instead of faith that corporations are people too. In short, I want four more years of Barack Obama as my president. I want four more years of hope that a better world is waiting. Vote Tuesday. Happy weekend, all.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really dug this post. I'm Australian, but with an American girlfriend, and you summed up my feelings on this election exactly. Bravo!

Anonymous said...

yes!yes!yes!

Anonymous said...

Bravo!!! As usual, you've said exactly what we all think and feel eloquently and concisely! Thank you.

Carmen SanDiego said...

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

azinthesun said...

From your mouth to everyone of voting age. A Romney presidency would be a catastrophe of epic proportions. I am always amazed at folks voting against their own best interests. If Obama loses I will be seriously depressed.

Erin said...

I'm not saying don't vote for Obama because Romney is worse in every way, but that sugar coating was pretty bad Dorothy. Obama doesn't believe we all should have health care, he sold us to the insurance companies and it won't get better it will only get worse. He's increased the use of drones massively. Murdering hundreds if not thousands of civilians in the process. He hasn't put any force behind closing Guantanamo and he's cracked down on whistle-blowers (people who've exposed real corruption and government waste) worse than ANY President in history. And lets please not forget he absolutely refuses to investigate or prosecute CIA torturers. Sheep farmers have been sitting in Guantanamo for a decade now who are guilty of nothing! and you call him a good person? He's a politician okay? Better than the alternative but that's not saying much.

Think said...

The other alternatives for health care in developed nations is a state network of hospitals like in Canada and UK. But I believe that running hospitals are not a government's job. By forcing insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and more, I feel better about my health being taken care of. I personally know people who couldn't afford health care and ignored their condition till it was too late, or had to have a foreclosure due to high medical costs, and its heartbreaking. We will never have a situation where 300 million have the same opinion on anything, we're all individuals with our own opinions, and I respect that. But to me its pretty clear - if there is 1 life saved and fewer homes foreclosed by extending health insurance coverage to more people, I'm all for it. Its a huge step. I'd rather see that than more of our young men and women sent into harm's way for an unjust war. It was Al Qaeda, not Iraq, that was responsible for 9/11, and how many good men and women gave up their lives in Iraq, both ours and innocent civilians there. I'd rather hear a positive message of hope than messages of doom/gloom/fear if you don't elect a certain party. And let's not even talk about women's righs (can't support equal pay, 'legitimate' rape (!).....its absurd. To paraphrase Dorothy, its amazing how people can vote against their own self interest.

Danie said...

Re: Erin: Perhaps those civilians shouldn't harbor terrorists? Also, the insurance companies already had us all in the US by the nether regions.... wayyy before Obama got into office. Maybe Guantanamo needs to be open for awhile longer? And, there are trials going on, they're just not getting any press. And, of course he's a politician, they all are. But, he doesn't lie like the liar mcliarson Romney does (really, he made MA a better state? Yeah, I lived through his 'governance' and I don't have that memory of his short time here. You know, when he wasn't running for President while Gov.

Not to mention, I still think that Romney was a horrible creep for leaving his Lt. Governor who was running for Governor at the time, Kerry Healey, basically leaving her out on a limb by herself 'cause he was too busy for himself. Instead MA got... Patrick (see, I'm independent, I can't stand Patrick just as much as I couldn't stand Romney, even if he is a Dem.)

See, that's the problem with Romney, he's all about himself just like Bush II.

The Republicans have it down though. Lie, lie, lie, because no one ever, ever, ever reads the retractions part of the newspaper (or website, or sees the corrections for the horribly false Repug. ads. That's why the Dems. keep losing, 'cause the Dems are playing by the rules. The Republicans meanwhile are laughing their butts off and running every single stop sign they can find. Rules, what rules is their motto.

Anonymous said...

Love it when you're political!!!

Your friend, Rusty said...

I'm enthusiastically supporting the President and soulless Romney terrifies me. He would be worse than Bush.

Anonymous said...

Your “weekend vote”???

Oh I get it, vote early and vote often?! How deliciously naughty of you darling!

As to whom you cast that weekend vote for... Sadly it appears we shall just have to agree to disagree. (For the moment! ;) )

PD

PS To those who are still sitting on the fence: Stay there darlings! It’s a *false* choice! *Neither* of the two main candidates is worth your vote and here is just one of the *many* reasons why:

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/nov/2/support-kill-list-and-ndaa-make-obama-and-romney-u/

PPS Incidentally Snarks, I am intrigued as to the reasons behind your propensity of adorning political discourse with rainbow coloured unicorns? (I thought the ‘choices’ were elephant or donkey?) Frankly darling I’m beginning to suspect some sort of fetish? Or (even better!) the early machinations of a third party? A serious anti-NWO freedom-focused pro-gun pro-gay rights third party? Darling, may I join???

Anonymous said...

I think it's really important to vote. I agree with Dorothy and am voting the same. Saying that neither is worth voting for might just be opening the door to the the worst candidate. Is that what we really want? Your voice counts. Please vote.