I'm proud Obama won. I've had an Obama shirt that's very cute mind you since June. I have only worn it a handful of times since I often feel like a salmon in Nashville. I think his speeches are from the heart and are moving. I think he's got a great head on his shoulders. I like his non-traditional thoughts on meeting with foreign leaders. I like his economics, since I never see myself in the above-$100,000 category, so for sure not the above $250,000 category. I think he has an amazing talent to draw people to him. I feel like I know him. I feel like I can connect to him. I want to know him.
But all of the above is not my greatest pride in his becoming our next president.
I have always blamed my generation of following their parents' politics. It's easier to do that, and feel tied to a party than to do any research into what each party, or more importantly each candidate, stands for. That takes time and effort. Boo.
Being a very lone democrat at a small Christian school was not always easy. Thankfully, I didn't boast my views too loudly, so I didn't have to put up with too much persecution. Keeping my views to myself is partially perfectly in line with my personality; I despise conflict or confrontation. It is also partially opposed to my personality; I enjoy letting people know what I believe.
My issue was that no matter how much I blamed my ultra-conservative friends for following blindly in their parents' footsteps, I was just like them! Granted, my parents' footsteps were a bit more to the left than my friends' parents, but I was following nonetheless.
Obama's campaign, catalyzed by a year-long trip abroad lit the fire inside me. This summer, well, since he won the Primaries, actually, I have been following him. I have watched the interviews and speeches. I have read the articles. That was only exaggerated once I got to Culiacán. I have felt so out of touch. But I remedied that myself. I subscribed to some online newspapers and read every single political article no matter which candidate it was about. I have watched speeches, debates, and interviews live (when my connection was strong enough). In short, this election has made me figure out what it is I believe and why. I still don't want confrontation; don't ask me to debate for a candidate. However, I do feel knowledgeable enough to engage in a polite (is there such a thing?) political conversation and accurately describe my personal beliefs. Maybe now the mention of politics will only give me a small shutter as opposed to a seizure!
1 comment:
Nice post:) I feel the SAME way about not wanting to debate for a certain candidate. I want to like who I like, and not have to come up with a major dissortation to convince anyone else to like them too. There are a lot of things I like about Obama, and some that I don't. But that is with all presidents, no matter what. I think there are more things I like about him though. I think it's amazing that we have a black president for the first time in the history of the world! That's amazing. And no matter who you were for, as Christians we are called to pray for our leaders and trust that God will work through them for the good.
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