Election Day

I'm thankful that I have the right to vote in my country. It's something I take seriously, and I never fail to reflect upon the freedom we enjoy whenever I cast my ballot.

I tend to vote Republican, but that could change if only the Democrats would not be so adamantly pro-choice. I am not so adamantly Republican as I once was, but I am still and always will be adamantly pro-life. I find myself growing more and more disillusioned with the Republican party, but I have no choice when it comes to elections.

I don't believe the Republican party is what it was when I was growing up in the age of Reagan. When asked why he left the Democratic party, Reagan answered that he didn't leave the Democratic party, the Democratic party left him. I am beginning to feel the same way towards the Republican party.

It seems that the Republicans have minimal compassion, other than in their pro-life stance. I feel that they are motivated by nothing other than the almighty dollar. The Republicans are the party of the rich, and in a society where the gap between rich and poor is growing greater each year, I believe it's high time that things change. When I see men and women in their fifties, working full time at Wal-Mart, knowing that there is a strong likelihood that their previous well paying job was outsourced, I find myself feeling disgusted with the Republicans and their religious adherence to a belief in the saving power of free trade. I don't believe that NAFTA, CAFTA and other free trade treaties have been good for America. Ross Perot was right: we have heard the giant sucking sound of jobs leaving America. This has resulted in a few becoming incredibly rich, and many forced to work jobs at places such as Wal-Mart. I find this reprehensible.

Republicans believe solely in boot-strap self advancement. Self empowerment and self reliance are the mantras of the Republicans. I believe in this very strongly as well, to a point. I believe there are some who are simply not endowed with the raw material for greatness in today's society. Are these individuals forced to live a life limited by minimum wage? Where is compassion for these individuals, individuals less blessed or fortunate than the majority of Americans? What is the answer the Republicans have for the single mother, working two minimum wage jobs, simply to feed her family? The Republicans do not have good answers.

For a long time, I believed that the Republicans represented the moral party, the party ordained by God to lead America. That's hogwash, and I realize it now. There is no one party that can be said to be blessed with divine approval. Particular stances, yes, but to believe that one party is the party of God is naive.

I desire to vote my conscience, and because of one or two preeminent areas, I must vote Republican. But I vote Republican reluctantly now. It is more often than not a vote against those who would promote societal ills.

I desire to vote for a candidate, sometime, but with the Republican and Democratic parties as they now stand, I find that highly unlikely in the near future.