Why I Can't Vote for Barack Obama

As a twenty-three year-old living in Boston, every day I feel the weight of my dirty secret: I will not be voting for Barack Obama on November 5. From what I have read in the New York Times, this clearly must mean that I am a) racist, b) a war-monger, c) the mortal enemy of polar bears, and d) looking forward to losing my Depression-fifteen. No one seems to give credence to the possibility of being none of those things and yet finding oneself diametrically opposed to supporting his campaign. There are, of course, several reasons, but most of them could be conceded if not for The One Reason: Obama’s explicit promise to erase all defenses of the unborn.

Many people will be outraged that I will base my vote on that one, single issue. If we were talking about gun rights or tax rates, then yes, I would agree that my single-mindedness is simply narrow-mindedness. Allow me to explain how this one issue truly does define the candidate.

Our country was founded upon the principles of every man’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. First among this list is life. Many other important rights followed these three, but there is a reason why these are first. They are non-negotiable. They trump all others. I support women’s rights. If there was a way that no woman ever came to resent the life growing within her and that no child was ever conceived in an unwelcoming world, believe me I would support it. I am not unaware of the tragedy that pregnancy is to many women- reputations soiled, homes broken, lives disrupted, careers derailed, health strained… the list goes on. I hear that sorrow. Even louder, though, then these cries are the cries of the over forty-eight million children slaughtered in their innocence since 1973 in America. Abortion “rights” do make life easier for women who do not want to be pregnant. Many women who have had abortions go on to accelerated careers that would never have been achieved with a child or go on to have a family with the right man at a better time. That’s nice. But, what shame, what inconvenience, what re-shaping of plans, what future could possibly outweigh the value of that one life taken? I do not believe that a woman’s right to choose her future should ever be worth more than the rights of the twenty-four million would-be women who have seen their rights to any future sacrificed for them.

What is the purpose of leadership if not to speak the hard truths when people most need to hear them? What does America represent if not the promotion of equality and defense of the innocent? What possible good could come from a leader who has such little regard for the value of human life? Is it possible to believe words of peace when they come from a man who even supports killing children who survive botched partial-birth abortions? His words of hope and his support for the depths of depravity cannot be reconciled in my mind.

This is not to say that I am particularly moved by John McCain. Truly, he does support several things that have damaged America and will continue to damage America. The suppression of human rights that blossomed under Bush and has the potential to be continued under McCain is particularly troubling. But, under Obama, even if we returned to the most sparkling human rights record, saw an economic boom, and patched up the whole in the ozone layer, we would still be a shining city built upon rotting corpses, just as we were when we were built upon slavery- a lesson that the first African-American presidential candidate seems to have tragically forgotten.

Good read from Friedman in the NY Times

I don't generally like Friedman, he writes well, and his "international perspective" is well intentioned, but I find it somewhat pedantic and without "food for thought" above or beyond what I come across elsewhere...

But his article in yesterday's Times really struck a chord with me, and I encourage you all to read it - here's an excerpt that I found particularly poignant, and a thought that has crossed my mind more than once -

That’s why Donald Rumsfeld’s infamous defense of why he did not originally send
more troops to Iraq is the mantra of our times: “You go to war with the army you
have.” Hey, you march into the future with the country you have — not the one
that you need, not the one you want, not the best you could have.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I flew from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Singapore. In J.F.K.’s waiting lounge we could barely find a place to sit. Eighteen hours
later, we landed at Singapore’s ultramodern airport, with free Internet portals
and children’s play zones throughout. We felt, as we have before, like we had
just flown from the Flintstones to the Jetsons. If all Americans could compare
Berlin’s luxurious central train station today with the grimy, decrepit Penn
Station in New York City, they would swear we were the ones who lost World War
II.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04friedman.html


Happy birthday to Patrick Brown, happy anniversary to Amy&Gene (May 8th for both events), happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there...

Peace,

Jeffrey

New month, new post

Happy communist labor day to all!!

We had a nice day off, the weather is wonderful, and things are going well here.

I really don't have all that much to say right now (it was a day off, and I spent some time in the sun, which accentuates the effect of the wine we had at the picnic I guess...)

The kids are doing great, summer seems right around the corner now.

Happy International Labor Day to all...

Gotta post something

I'd like to thank whoever lent me that $10 to join the "Brown Family Tree" NCAA bracket pool. Although I haven't seen a college basketball game since sometime around 1993, I was able to run roughshod over the league, but they all had last names beginning with "H", which somewhat dampens the thirll of my victory. I was the only "Brown" in the thing, so it would have been extremely upsetting had I lost :) I guess this prooves the "monkey throwing darts" theory of bracket selections...

Anyway, I don't have much to say, although we did enjoy a nice visit from the "bigdog" this past weekend, the kids were thrilled to see their grandpa, and we had nice weather to boot, so all is good...

That will have to do for now, take care all...

Peace,

Jeffrey

Regarding Health Care System

Interesting post by Krugman today: here

"and to the person who takes your cloak , do not withhold even your tunic"

Hi all,

Allison just sent me this link to an NPR segment (listen to the audio) - a beautiful example showing that Christ meant the words of the Sermon on the Mount to be taken literally:

"To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."
Luke 6:29-36

happy Easter 2

Best to everyone in this wonderful family. If barack Obama can't disown his grandmother then I can't disown young Kenny. Drats!! but neither can any of you disown me. Ha ha..Some family news: Rose has bought a new old house threeblocks from Edward and Missy and Kathy and me. She closed on it last week and her Meriden house is under contract.We had the whole gang here for Easter Breakfast{Tom had to work}.Everyone is healthy and most seem happy. who'd a thunk it.. Happy easter and may this season of repentance and resurrection affect us all and the world around us..