Like most other Americans I am so disappointed at the choices for US President 2016. I am not a super politically active person, largely because I feel like the process has become such a joke. The person with the most money often wins the nomination and it is so hard to be informed when candidates have no qualms about lying. I honestly don't know how to sift through all the distortions. I know that our culture is often politically apathetic and at the same time obsessed with reality TV so it should really come as no surprise that we have a criminal (Hillary) and a mentally unstable egomaniac (Trump) on the ticket. It seems like most people I know are voting against one or the other.
What is frustrating to me is that I actually believe Americans agree on more than we disagree on. A perfect example is the immigration issue. It's in the best interest of media and politicians to keep us all divided on this important issue so it appears that there are only two extreme options:
1) you are a racist who hates all Mexicans and wants a giant wall built (Cue Donald saying "It just got 10 feet higher!" sigh)
or
2) You are for wide open borders and literally millions of undocumented people streaming over the border each year.
Really?!? These are my options? What about the Rule of Law? How about we appreciate the immigrant contributions and work to make the process of coming to America easier/more affordable but at the same time we secure our borders so that criminals and terrorists don't have an open door to just walk in? Is that so unreasonable? I mean, would you leave one side of your home completely open for just anyone to walk in? I think most Americans and in fact most humans would agree with this.
And for people who say we can't afford it, well I don't know. When you add up the costs of education (the cheapest school districts spend about $9000/year/student on education. If only 10% of illegal immigrants in the US are children in school that is still one million extra kids. Multiply that times $9000 and the number is pretty big). I haven't even mentioned the costs of imprisoning illegal immigrants. The internet says 5%-37% of our federal prisoners are here illegally. No idea why we can't get more accurate stats than that, which brings me back to my point about being an informed voter. Good info is hard to come by. But even if it's only 5%, that's still a lot of money. Our prisons are expensive!
But please don't think this is a rant against illegal immigrants! The truth is that if I lived in Mexico I would break laws to come to the USA too. And living in Texas I have had the opportunity to meet many Mexicans and I think they are terrific. Hard working, family oriented, the kind of people we want in America. But having a wide open border just seems crazy. What other nation does that? Not Canada. Not Australia. Not Sweden. (Naming all the "nice" countries out there).
It's also interesting that at this same time, many democrats are pushing for universal healthcare, more money for schools and free college. Basic math tells me that an open border with millions who are not paying taxes and who are sending much of their earnings back to Mexico AND expanded social programs is the perfect way to bankrupt America. And maybe that's the idea. I know there are many, including our current president and his wife who are not proud of our country and who want to fundamentally change it. This is literally the only reason I have considered voting for Donald Trump. I worry that our country will be completely bankrupt if we continue on this path of high spending, raising the debt ceiling and not securing our borders.
Having said that, I just don't think I could pull the switch for Trump. I have images in my mind of him making fun of Marco Rubio's sweating and the disabled journalist and then... well honestly there are too many to name. It's everything. I think he has turrets and is very quick to lash out if he ever feels threatened. Not great qualities for diplomacy. And the fact that Vladimir Putin seems to like him should tell us all we need to know.
But then Hillary is seriously a criminal. She will do whatever the highest bidder wants. Yuck. She has no respect for the law and is only interested in money and power. I personally am not a fan of big government and she is definitely on that side of the isle. And I hate that she is fine with abortion anytime/anywhere. Have we really become so hardened as a nation that we don't care that 3rd trimester abortions are happening as a rule now? I mean it is pure infanticide and we are all looking the other way. I am strongly opposed to abortion and it has nothing to do with choice or freedom or women's bodies. It's that other body that I feel protective of. That baby. But even with feelings that strong, I could probably endure the concept of 1st trimester abortions, as a compromise. But babies at 8 months gestation?! I'm just blown away that everyone is fine with this.
I can talk all day about poverty and education and healthcare and housing prices and wages. At the end of the day, this country became great because it's citizens were largely moral and hard working people. America was founded on Judeo-Christian values and as we turn our backs on those we will see more of the same. True change will come when individuals care once again about concepts like steadiness, integrity, loyalty, impulse control and charity. Our massive social problems would all but disappear if families were committed to each other. The crude, vulgar tone of this nation will change when we return to God and remember to pray to Him and to honor His Sabbath. And no politician can make any of those things happen.
Guess I will get on my knees.
madeleine grace cosby
8 years ago
