Politics and Religion

It's about to get all political up in here, so if you're one to have your blood boiled over such things, perhaps you should skip this post and flip through the new Martha Stewart Living magazine and get some Christmas/Hanukkah ideas instead.  

Now, don’t worry and don’t get defensive. If you’re mostly a democrat, you’re going to disagree with me on what I’m about to say. Hey - great news – if you’re mostly a republican, you’re going to disagree with me, too. I provide equal opportunities across the board for everyone to disagree with me as I am neither a republicrat nor a democan.


Now that’s what I call fair and balanced!

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock (or really just don’t care about American politics) during the last few days, you’ve heard that this dear country has decided to re-elect our current president. This has caused a certain level turmoil within the country. I read an article about a man who owns a company (and was interviewed on the radio) of around 114 (maybe it was 116?) people and as a direct result of the re-election of our current president, he decided he had to lay off 22 people (a.k.a. 20% of his company). His reasoning was that because of the high taxes and Obama-nation health care costs that are coming his way, he believes he would not be able to survive unless he cut costs and that was how he chose to do it.

Have you gotten gas/petrol in the last couple days? I don’t know where you are, but around here it went up $0.20 in two days. That’s not a good sign.

Have you heard about the markets (the Dow, the NASDAQ, etc.)? They’ve been plummeting each day since the re-election was announced.

The president is scheduled to make a speech this afternoon regarding the economy and (hopefully? Or maybe not so hopefully...!?) his solutions for the “cliff” we are hanging over (and, p.s. - if they say “economic cliff” one more time, I’m going to barf.).

A man in Virginia closed his shop the day after the election to mourn the loss of our America, the last nail in the coffin of the country that boasted such greatness to him.

On the other side, firms and companies in major cities were prepared to close on Wednesday also – but due of the thought of likely chaos and mass rioting should the current president not be re-elected, instead.

Video of people in Kenya shows celebrations in the streets. Are they happy for us because a purported Kenyan won (and twice, how ‘bout that!) or are they rejoicing in our foreboding destruction and demise? I don’t have a way of knowing or asking, so I’ll just quietly wonder instead.

If you’ve spoken with people who were pro-republican (or just anti-democratic) after the results of this election, the sentiments like the Virginian shopkeeper and the interviewed businessman are not uncommon. In fact, I’ve found most of the anti-democratic people I’ve spoken with are quite literally feeling utterly and lethargically devastated, filled with a sinking and sick feeling in the pits of their stomachs. This is not the common “my team didn’t win, bummer” sentiment this time around. There is a deep despair that people plunged into after the shattered hope of change delicately hung on its last thread – precariously and barely balancing - when it was seemingly utterly and permanently destroyed. I spoke with people who reported not being able to sleep after finding out the results of the election because of the enormous dread it carried with it. Many people feel that we have come to a point that will everlastingly and drastically change the country into something horrifying and previously unrecognizable to its citizens. I have heard – more than once and with great gravity and mourning – that this is the most tragic and horrible thing that could have possibly happened to the United States.

If you are a democrat or a supporter of the current administration, perhaps you are thinking that the expressions of the last paragraph are a bit dramatic. I agree, dramatic might even be an understatement for such feelings as these. But those feelings are real, raw and currently prevailing whether it seems over the top or not.

Republicans are left asking, “Why? What went wrong?” Many are simply answering, “The entire United States is filled with a bunch of idiotic, uneducated, illiterate, Hollywood media-obsessed, welfare-lovin’ immigrant toddlers who don’t know what’s good for them!” (Hey look! It’s a sentiment with which the rest of the world might just wholeheartedly agree!)

Instead of that easy blanketing answer, let’s take a look at what the GOP offered the country by way of a candidate: a man who seems (via CNN, ABC, NBC, etc., anyway - and yes, I am not a dumb head, I am aware that the media machine has its sticky fingers twisted up all inside of the political mash and has a terribly sad amount of influence on the robot zombie masses) to be a socially-disconnected Mormon billionaire who had conveniently changed his political beliefs (flippity-flop!) the moment he got to jump on the bandwagon that was driving its way toward the White House. Probs not the strongest way to connect with the peeps. The whole ultra-liberal Massachusetts root may not have helped him any, either (if you come from the land of Ted Kennedy, you’re just going to get that whole guilt-by-association-thing going on.). Most believe the republican candidate to have been truly a moderate pretending to be rather conservative. Dude, he should’ve totally listened to his mother and just tried to be himself – see where pretending you’re something you’re not gets you right into a mess? Now lookie what happened (not that that would have helped him any in my eyes, but still…)!

This election has spurred murmuring that perhaps we should go back to the time before 1920 and revoke women’s right to vote. (I’m sure that the thought of allowing only white, land-owning men being allowed to vote follows closely behind.)

The clear fact is that there is a lot of grumbling, uncertainty and despair as a result of Tuesday’s election results. (Might I suggest secession, kind sirs?)

If you feel devastated and you are a follower of Christ, you ought to examine yourself to see where your hope lies. This world is filled with trouble – that’s a promise.  (Speaking of which – I heard someone on election day speaking of the “non-negotiables” in the political realm if you call yourself a Christian – it spells “CEASE” and stands for: cloning, euthanasia, abortion, same-sex marriage and embryonic stem cell use. Have you heard that before? I hadn’t until that time.) At any rate, a republican-controlled government should not be the adorable woven basket wherein your hope lies, nor in anything else that is inherently branded to this world. As a follower of Christ, our freedom and our hope is in His completed work that was accomplished for us on that fateful day at the cross.

If you feel devastated and you are not a follower of Christ, perhaps you can find a temporary consolation in the fact that many, many masses of people and generations have lived beneath oppressive democidal dictatorships and the show somehow, and in some way, goes on. Unfortunately, that is only a temporary and a very pathetically weak consolation. Might I suggest to you to put your hope in something unchanging and eternal instead? Just a thought. (I mean it’s TOTALLY better, but you can do whatever you want, right? Just like the whole crack thing…)

Anyway, Martha has some really cute table decorations I’ve got to go take a gander at and if the world ends in December as a result of the Mayan calendar or as a result of half of the country disturbed about the election results, I want to make sure I have all of my holiday shopping and gift-creating done ahead of time. It’s always important to be prepared!

Yes, well. Um…ahem.

Anyway.

Peace, love and here’s to not talking about religion and/or politics at the dinner table (Oops! But I just so knew you could handle it!),
Ms. Daisy