The Lonely Liberal

Hey guys.....I think something important is supposed to be happening tomorrow, but I can't remember what. If only there were a constant stream of television/radio ads and obnoxious Facebook posts by friends to remind me.

Curse me and my bad memory.

I've just received exclusive word that tomorrow is the big day of the General Election. This is a secret, though. Don't tell anyone, okay? 

In all seriousness, hopefully all of you that are of legal age will be hitting the polls and casting your vote for the presidency. This is something that is super awesome in my book. It's one of the reasons that our country is great. And if you don't take advantage of that right, you don't get to complain and run your mouth about everything that goes wrong over the next four years.

• PS- Regardless of who wins, things WILL go wrong. Don't get me wrong. I hate the assumptions that every person that doesn't do what we want in office is the Antichrist, but if a candidate actually were to come into office and miraculously fix every one of our problems....well....you might want to read the book of Revelation, guys. Your perfect candidate just might be Satan incarnate. [insert obligatory winky face here]

However, on the other hand, I would like to express how stunned I was at a disturbing trend yesterday while at church. It's a dreadfully awkward moment when a number of allegedly well-meaning saints approach you with a smile and a "Praise the Lord!" before asking you the dreaded question.

"So...you're voting for Romney, right?"

And then there's the shuffle of nervous laughter, floor kicking, and avoidance of eye contact as you attempt to explain, as you have so many times before, that although you love Jesus, you're a Democrat. And that while you're not in love with either of the candidates, you might just dislike one of them more than the other and that one just might be Romney.

So basically...no. No, I'm not voting for Romney.

I will not lie to you. I can honestly say that I don't know who I'm voting for. I really have considered voting third party, but I'm conflicted on how that just might be a waste of my vote. And Obama...I'm not in love with the idea of him.  I wanted to like Romney. I really did. But in the end, I just could not bring myself to do it. There are too many good causes that I feel would go to the wayside, from the easily explainable of Planned Parenthood and a variety of other factors that I feel would hurt women, to those that I know that most Christians don't agree with, like marriage equality.

This is not a political endorsement for Obama. This is not me trying to persuade anyone to not vote for Romney. This is solely my expression of displeasure at the tendency of people to forgo common decency and good manners during the Election Season.

The past several months have made me annoyed and at times even angry. I don't understand how a right that is supposed to build us up and make our country better can be the source of so much angst and bitterness. I've seen friends leave nasty remarks one one another's statuses or Twitter simply because of political disagreement. My newsfeeds have been blown up during the debates with cutting words and unfounded statements about either candidate. And therefore, as a result of these things, I would like to address a few of the biggest things that have peeved me before we go to the polls tomorrow:

1. I don't care if you think he's a socialist, a communist, or a demon. God does NOT endorse your hateful words about the President. You are welcome to disagree and offer up a well thought out reasoning as to why you dislike his policies. You have the freedom to express these thoughts, even if they aren't well thought out and based in truth (just be prepared for people to mock you). However, being disrespectful to the nation's leader is something that you are not scripturally permitted to do. 
• Subpoint: Can we please drop the comments about Obama's lack of presidential eligibility due to his religious affiliation or birthplace, which, by the way, he's verified not once, but twice? At this point, I really do not care if Obama is a Muslim. Are we really so petty to tell a little boy today that he can't dream of being President just because he's a follower of Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism....or even no religion at all? Christianity is not a criteria for the Presidency. 
2. It irks me that many Christians have had their heads spinning in response to Obama thanking the Islamic community for their contributions to America. First of all, I'm confused as to why exactly this isn't okay. There are a number of contributions to literature, art, music, and medicine that have been due largely in part to followers of Islam. Also, sports. Guys, SHAQ IS A MUSLIM! (Sorry. That excited me a little bit.) But more importantly, we got up in arms about this, but remain largely silent about the large number of Republicans that have made ignorant statements about victims of rape. Things like that "it's what God willed to happen." Don't misunderstand me. I do believe that God has a plan for each and every individual, including children brought about by tragic circumstances such as rape. I also know that God knows what trials an individual will face in their life and will ultimately use them for HIS good. However, mark my words. If one of my friends is ever raped and I find out that someone informed them after this trauma that God willed that to happen to them, I will track that individual down and curbstomp them. You do NOT underplay a horror that has been done to someone. You do not tell them that it's what God intended for their life. Doing so does nothing more than reassure their mind that God is an evil and hateful being that wants only bad things for them. So remind me again, why is it okay that people in authority are saying those things, but we can't thank a religious community for their contributions to society?
3. A person's vote is their right and their business. Growing up, I was raised believing that you did not ask a person for whom they were casting their vote, and if you did and they were kind enough to answer, you did not shame them for their choice. To make this personal, I don't feel that my lack of support for Romney makes me less of a Christian. And I don't appreciate being looked down upon simply because I have a different political affiliation than someone else. 

Ranting aside, please do vote tomorrow. Vote for Romney. Vote for Obama. Make a write-in vote for my dog, LucyBelle, because she's awesome and would be great at foreign policy as she's freaking adorable. I don't care. Just vote. Vote and be civil. Show love. Show Jesus.