The Election

Every election it's pretty much the same thing. They manage to suck me in and get me all excited and I don't know why. They must be using mind control devices. Voting is entirely irrational. There is a minute possibility that my vote will ever make a difference. There's just too many people involved. The argument is always, well if everybody thought that way then... Well if everybody thought that way then my vote would make a difference. But since they don't it's not really worth talking about. Add to that problem the concern that my vote is even being counted properly by the machine.

Voting can be viewed as a method of personal expression--if that sort of thing makes you feel better about yourself. You showed those other guys whose boss by giving your favorite guy an extra 0.000000000001% of the vote. Give yourself a pat on the back. I'm sure I'll go and cast my irrational vote on Nov. 4 and irrationally stay up late to find out the results and try to pretend that it is my duty as a good Christian citizen. This year I even wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper and it got printed. I'm not irrational enough to think that it is going to change the results of the election. I do hope that perhaps it will influence the thinking of one or two people. Anyhow, here it is:

To the editor:

With all the rhetoric, it is surprising that Obama and McCain are not that different. Neither candidate is a maverick or an agent of change. Both candidates support Bush's foreign policy and bailout plan. Both candidates have similar positions on energy. Neither is capable of answering simple questions. The list could go on forever. People are perpetually fooled into thinking that if they just vote for the other party, things will be better.

The candidates are vastly different on the issue of human rights. McCain's position is not as consistent as it should be, but Obama is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Obama has consistently voted against human rights. Obama has voted against all bans on partial birth abortion. Obama voted against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which allowed protection for humans who are the products of botched abortions rather than leaving them to die. Failing to protect already born babies is infanticide. Obama says that he believes abortion should be safe, legal, and rare but never voted for any bill that would make abortions rare. Obama says he believes abortion is a constitutional right. What other constitutional right can you think of that should be rare? If abortion is morally wrong, why should we allow it? If abortion is not morally wrong why should it be rare? The idea that morality cannot be legislated is absurd. Every law is based upon somebody's moral standards. The decision to redistribute or not redistribute wealth is based upon moral standards. The argument for universal health care is based upon moral arguments. How would you respond if somebody were to break into your house and kill your children? Would you promote their right to choose? Obama was asked when he believes a baby has human rights. Obama said the answer is above his pay grade. Obama was not asked a theological question. Human rights are not granted based upon who has a soul. From a scientific perspective it is impossible to determine if Obama has a soul. Obama was asked when a baby has human rights. The president has the duty to protect the rights of all that have them. If Obama does not know who has human rights he cannot protect them and is unqualified for the position of president (or senator). Does a baby have human rights when he is three months old? Does he have them when he is five years old? Obama says the answer is above his pay-grade. The hope for those concerned with civil rights, is that the next president will appoint supreme court judges that will overturn Roe Vs. Wade and give the states back their power. It's clear that Obama would never appoint such a judge. Obama said that the first thing he would do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act which would nullify all current state restrictions on abortion.

Some are voting for Obama because they hate the Iraq War. I hate the Iraq war. If you really want this country to stay out of war, vote for Chuck Baldwin. Obama wants to expand the military and invade more countries. Voting for Obama will not decrease American military deaths or the deaths of those in other countries. When you add up all the ways in which people (both American and Iraqi) died as a result of the Iraq War in 2007 the number probably reaches around 26,000. That's horrible and neither candidate is going stop it. However, the number of babies that die each year in the U.S. from abortion is about 1,370,000. That's 3753 babies a day. That's more people dead than died in the 9/11 attacks. For babies it's 9/11 every day.
The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. What constitutes personhood could be debated but it is clear scientifically that the creation of the human being begins at conception. The baby in the womb has the same right to life as the person outside of the womb. Rape of the mother does not negate the rights of the person in the womb and only 1% of abortions are conducted on women who are the victims of rape or incest.

Germany has had to wrestle with the issue of collective shame because of their election of Hitler. Our country has suffered numerous riots and problems because of our failure to recognize the personhood of those who have a different skin color. In 1857 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those descended from black Africans were not people but property. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that unborn babies are not people but property. In 2003 Obama made it abundantly clear that he believes that babies even outside of the womb are not people but property.

Most of America is more concerned about the stock market dropping than about people dying. It was largely through economic fears that Hitler was able to rise to power. This election day, do not vote for those who support a culture that devalues human life and human rights. Do not vote on the side of the Klansmen and Hitlers of this world. Vote for life. Without life no other rights are possible. You may choose to vote for a third party candidate, but vote for life.

Charles Wiese
Middleville, MI