Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide. John Adams, 2nd Prsd

The post that follows is written for no one other than myself. I am not the most informed individual, nor do I pretend to be. I do try my darndest to find and verify whatever information I can. If you do comment, I ask that you remain respectful of every one's right to have a difference of opinion: If you can't say something and say it nice, don't say anything.

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I am choosing my words very carefully, as I know the majority of people in the blog world and the people my age voted for Obama, I did not. I am beyond excited that I am living at a time when it is possible for a black man to run for, and become, the President of the United States. That said, my reasons for not voting for Obama have nothing to do with the color of his skin.

Unfortunately in this election you were either for Change or against Change. If you didn't support Obama you were considered a rascist, an idiot and of the "Bush-regime". I am for Change, but not the change that Obama promises. I can't help but feel that the majority of people (younger voters) voted for Obama because of Change, just change, without regards to what the change is. He is the opposite of all they have really known, a Bush presidency.

I voted for the lesser, in my opinion, of two evils. Obama quite frankly scares the livin'-bejeezers out of me. There are several of his political platforms/beliefs that I have issues with.

1) His belief that people who make over $250,000 should pay a higher tax rate. While the current tax policy is ridiculous, I do not believe that people should be penalized for being successful. It is not their responsibility to shoulder the financial burdens of this country because they are successful. As of now, I believe, that people are only taxed up to $250,000, anything beyond that is not taxed, I don't think that's right either. I believe there should be a flat percentage for everyone...that everyone should have to pay X% of their income to the government. If you make more, you'd pay more, if you made less you'd pay less.

2) His policy of "spread the wealth". Part of this I've already said above, I don't believe that the honest-successful should be penalized. My husband and I live within our means, when Matt couldn't work we changed how we lived. We didn't go looking for a hand-out from someone who made more money, because we felt that they had too much and should share. I believe that you should be entitled to work hard and benefit yourself, not your neighbor who may or may not want to work. I'm sorry to say, but there is no other word for this policy than socialism. I believe that the US is a capitalist country and people should be able to bring themselves up by their bootstraps and make something of themselves, be successful, live the American dream, not be penalized for it.

There is an entirely different issue at hand with the current state of our economy. Greed is what caused our economy to fail, not because the little guy couldn't afford to go and buy a plasma TV. It's because he was allowed to go and buy a plasma TV on CREDIT and not be able to pay for it, that the economy failed (yes, this is a very simplistic view of what happened and on a much smaller scale).

3) His policy on abortion. The Washington Post had an article several weeks ago about Obama's opinions on abortion. I am pro-choice. I believe that a woman who has been raped,(or any other circumstance) etc should not have to have a child that she does not want and is unwilling to carry to term. However, I believe that a woman should make that choice within the first trimester. I believe that partial birth abortion is murder. I believe that termination of life, after a failed partial-birth abortion is murder. If Scott Peterson could be tried and convicted of Double Homicide for the murder of his wife and unborn child, then I think anyone who performs partial-birth abortion or termination of life after a failed partial-birth abortion, should also be tried for murder.

If a woman was able to carry a baby nearly to term before deciding to terminate it's life, then she certainly can go a few weeks or months more and deliver a healthy baby and place it for adoption. If the life of a woman is at risk due to her pregnancy it is the responsibility of her, her partner, and medical professionals to do everything possible before the decision to abort the baby is made. I believe that a woman's life should not be risked for the sake of a baby, but that everything should be done to prevent this from happening.

I believe that it's also the right of "parents" to determine what happens to their embryos. This falls into my acceptance of abortion in the first trimester.

5) His policy on guns. I believe that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms. No amount of legislated gun control is going to stop criminals from possessing guns and murdering people. No amount of legislated gun control is going to make people handle guns safely at all times. People kill people, intentionally and accidentally, with cars, kitchen knives, nail guns etc, that doesn't mean we say they're unsafe and people shouldn't have them. It is the responsibility of every individual to practice safety (with any thing).

I grew up in a house with guns, my father, and now my husband, hunt. I honestly don't remember if the guns and ammunition were locked up. We knew that we were, by no means, permitted anywhere near a gun or ammunition without my father present. There were never any issues with friends going near my dad's guns, they weren't out in the general area.

When I was growing up my parents were poor, I mean really poor. They raised 3 kids on less than $10,000 a year and never once asked for public (or family) assistance. My dad kept food in our freezer by hunting. Every fall he would go out and get several deer and that's what we would eat. If it were not for hunting I'm sure my parents would have been forced to accept some sort of assistance.

If Obama's policy on gun control and ammunition go into affect it would mean that people like my dad won't be able to afford the ammunition (500% tax) to hunt and most likely won't have a gun to use. Which means that a lot of the families where we live would go hungry and be forced to ask for public assistance.

6)His policy on women being drafted. I believe that women are equal to men in almost all ways. There are certain, inarguable, differences between them. I give both men and women who decide to join the armed forces a lot of credit and my thoughts and prayers are always with them.

I understand that during war-time (Civil War, WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam etc) there comes a point in which it is necessary to conscript people into the military. However, the idea that women would be drafted into the military is beyond my comprehension. It is a terrible thing for any one to have to go to war, even moreso when it is not of their own choosing, but the idea that a woman would be forced to shoot someone or go through that experience is beyond me.

While I was in high school I seriously considered joining the Air Force, to the point that I had talked to recruiters and everything. My family is a military family (none of them were drafted, all had volunteered to fight). I am not a weakling. Matt knows that I am every bit as tough, strong, and anything else as him. I am a fighter. I'm not afraid of blood or violence, but to me, the idea of being forced to enter a war zone is frightening. I can't imagine what it would be like for a gentler woman. The choice to enter the military should remain, in the event a draft is necessary, it should still remain the choice of women to join.


Yes, I am a Christian and there are certain principles that I will not compromise on. We are desperately in need of change, I'm not quite sure that he is the change we need. Since the election is over all I can do is hope and pray that great things are in the future for America, that Obama brings about good changes and does benefit this country.

On to lighter things and hopefully a brighter future....