Politics

When I started this blog almost 10 years ago (how the heck has it been that long?!?) I was uncertain politically. I was a Christian, and even though I'd been a liberal for a long time, the brand of Christianity I was following, was politically Conservative. I found myself being pulled in that direction. I stopped listening to things that were truly fair and balanced. I started buying into the hype of the Conservative media. By 2008, I had become very disillusioned with the GOP. We'd gotten into an unsustainable war that I didn't think we had any business in and we'd neglected real issues at home where a difference could truly be made. By then I'd lost Sarah, and had started to see that, though I was pro-life, even situations like mine could be effected by legislating abortion instead of the issues that lead women to abortion.  I wanted my kind of pro-life to be more pro-active than a Big Bad No.  I also wanted people I loved to have equal rights under the law to have their families recognized.

In 2008, I considered myself a Republican for Obama, but the issues I felt most strongly about were pulling me farther and farther left.  Besides, the GOP had been given 8 years, and I thought they'd completely blown it.  Not long after the election, I started to identify as an Independent.  And now, I find myself firmly in the Democratic Party.  Not that I agree with everything, but this is the party that now more closely represents what I believe in.

So, the election is coming, and I'm feeling more and more like this one is so vital to the direction the country takes.  For me, it's choosing a country that is making strides toward equality, recognizing that we're not there yet when it comes to the GLBT community, women, race, and more.  But also recognizing that we have the potential to go so much farther than we have, because at our core we are a people who believe in fairness and equality.  We are a people who can work together to find ways to make sure that more people have access to healthcare, food, clothing, shelter, the basics we need for survival, as well as education, and opportunity for advancement.  We can become a country where, again, we have a greater ability to raise ourselves up and strengthen our middle class through a strong and educated consumer base.  A country where babies are loved before and after birth, and women are given the support they need in difficult circumstances, so that they feel like there really is a choice for life that can be made.

I know people are getting burned out on politics, on cartoons and commentary, on listening to gaffes and cruel soundbites.  But I sit here, hopeful for the future, and hoping that the decisions we make in the coming weeks, can move us forward.  I'm watching the races for offices both local and national, with baited breath, and more than a small amount of excitement.