All of use have probably seen, at one time or another, an anti-Obama email appear in our inbox. Tonight was one of those nights for me. These people, who I know fairly well, continue to send me these messages even though they are quite aware of my politics. The email contained quotes from Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope, painting him as anti-white and pro-Muslim. In any case, I’ve had enough. Tonight I replied, and I wanted to post what I wrote, with the hope that some may find it valuable.
My response…
I’ve thought about taking a great deal of time and text to illustrate, for those of you who continue to send me this bullshit, the differences in the policies advocated by the two men running for president. Unfortunately, it would be a waste of time. The complexity and nuance would be tossed aside. It’s much easier to point to the man who looks different, to preach fear and hate, and most of all mock another’s confidence when in is, ironically, your own pride and prejudice that feeds the mockery.
There are things I like about John McCain. He has shown a willingness to go against the tide, and to buck the trends within his own party. He has opposed earmarks and massive tax cuts skewed towards the wealthy (he called them “irresponsible”). But this is not what he is presenting to the American people now. Instead, what he suggests are policies that have been shown to be hurtful to our country as a whole over the course of the last eight years.
My wife and I would probably be better off financially voting for John McCain. We (personally) oppose abortion. Unlike many conservatives who comfortably advocate for the pro-life policy, we’ve actually made the choice and lived with the consequences. Our daughter died in our arms thirteen hours after being born. But, I look at all of the issues. Was my child’s life more valuable than the Iraqi child's who was killed in a bomb dropped from an American plane? To me, yes. But to society and to the world? No.
I morn the loss of all life. I try to determine how the economic policies, if put into place, would effect people of all socioeconomic status. I consider all of the issues, education, health care, foreign policy, energy, and the environment. On balance, the Obama platform is better. This is why I’m choosing to vote for Barack Obama.
The approach contained within this email tells me more about the writer and those who pass it on than it does either of the candidates.