Thursday, October 30, 2008

PERSONAL POLITICS


We are only 5 days away from the most historic election since the one which put our first President, George Washington, in office.
And the more I am observing the voting landscape, the more I am seeing people releasing a passion for who they support like never before. All one has to do is look at YouTube and watch the "NObama Girl" video or listen to actor Matt Damon say that the possibility of Sarah Palin being our next president is the equivalent to "a bad Disney Movie", and one will see clearly that this election has taken on a real personal appeal with a lot of people.
But, unfortunately, there are some who have taken this passion to new heights--heights that are uncalled for and ridiculous. To give you an example of what I am talking about, last night I had the privilege of talking with one of my church's most active and faithful members, and she revealed to me that she had been called a "sellout", have had friendships bruised severely, and have even had people step up violently in her face, due to the fact that she is standing by John McCain (which, to my knowledge, is only the third person I met in our congregation who is Anti-Obama). And while she was saying this, you could see her trying not to get so emotional because she made the proper decision not to go along with the crowd and make a decision based on her morals.
So, instead of being praised for not violating her conscience and being independent in her thinking, many people (including those who call themselves Christians) are criticizing her for allegedly "standing against progress".
Now in lieu of all this, one has to ask why? Why do we feel the need to damage relationships and verbally (or physically) hurt people because they choose to look beyond their skin color, economic status, or any other intangible and vote for the man whom they think would bring the most honor to the LORD? Since when has the right to think freely become Politically Incorrect?
Now, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know it is no secret that I am as "NObama" as it gets. However, NEVER would I verbally or physically attack someone just because they did not see my political point of view. And I believe that people need to separate their political views from their personal relationships. The truth is, there will be many African-Americans who do not support Obama (I'm one of them) and there will be many Caucasians who will not stand by McCain (Matt Damon). And these free choices should not cause damage to relationships that have evolved over the duration of time.
So, in conclusion, realize the fact that whatever candidate you stand by is your choice! And the act of getting in people's faces, calling them names, or breaking off friendships because someone doesn't agree with you is over extreme and repulsive. And to those who are doing such acts, they need to be ashamed of themselves and beg the LORD to have mercy on their souls.

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