Politics Schmolitics

I am not political.  I despise election years of any kind.  I don't like the ads attempting to tell me what I should believe and who I should support.  I abhor the way yard signs clutter up the roads, eventually becoming even more garbage that is never disposed of properly.   Nothing makes my blood boil like people calling my home trying to indoctrinate or educate me about their candidate.  And ringing my doorbell to try to convince me that your guy should be my guy?  Not a way to ensure my vote.

Sure, I have opinions.  I always know who I'm voting for.  But I am not one to advertise.  I don't try to make people "see things my way."  While I may not agree with the choices of my fellow voters, I respect their right to vote for whomever they chose.  If we are voting for the same person, fantastic!  If not, too bad.  You'll not see me bashing or condemning.  I am quiet.  I am not comfortable trying to indoctrinate.

Some people may call this an apathetic view.  Perhaps.  But it works for me.  I have never posted a facebook status endorsing any type of political candidate.  I've never engaged in a debate about which candidate is better.  I have never shared links or pictures condemning one candidate or supporting another.  Have I clicked 'like' from time to time?  Guilty.  But NEVER on publicly shared links or photos.  Why?  Because with the exception of a few close friends and family, I don't feel the need to advertise.

Until now.  

This morning I am extremely unsettled.  Those who know me, know my guy didn't win.  I can get over that.  I have enough patriotism and love for all things American to respect the office, even if I don't particularly care for the person holding the office.  What's bothering me is what I am someday going to have to tell my children, specifically my daughters, about this country's blatant disregard for human life.

In this house we love babies.  We are all a bit baby crazy.  We have our own baby, and several baby cousins.  Babies are fun!  Babies are cute!  Babies are as much a part of our family before they are born as they are after they take their first breath.  Before too long I am going to have to taint a large part of my children's innocence and explain to them that our president and most of the people who voted for him don't love babies like we do.  That if someone doesn't want that baby growing inside them, they can kill that baby.  Even if there are other people who would take that baby and love him/her as their own, that mother who is too busy, too irresponsible, to self-absorbed or too frightened and feels alone.....they can go to a doctor and have that doctor end their baby's life.  And it IS a life.  A life that feels pain, and a life that leaves a void.  Doubt me?  Visit a NICU and and look at those preemies.  They fight for life and they feel pain.

HOWEVER, while these babies can be eliminated and considered a "right," don't you dare shoot a deer before a specific day on the calendar!  You will go to jail!  Be sure to donate what little money you have to save the whales, baby seals, dolphins, tigers, elephants etc. because they are poor, defenseless animals.  Be sure to donate your time and money to the local animal shelters, because dogs and cats deserve more than the unborn (and sometimes aborted) children of this nation and world.  I don't understand this.  I don't know how to explain it to my children.  

I'm sure I've potentially pissed off the liberal readers of this blog.  I'm sure I've pissed off those who are pro-abortion.  I don't care.  I've been dealing with your posts and your opinions all over facebook for months upon months and never said a word.  I guess that's why I am putting this here.  This is MY blog, and you come here by choice.  It's not facebook, where anything and everything can end up in your news feed.  I ask that even if you disagree with me, you be as respectful of my opinions as I have been of yours.  At any rate, comments on the blog aren't published until I approve them, and I will delete any facebook comments that attempt to flame me.  I am not looking to start anything, I merely feel I've dealt with the opinions of over 250 people for the past year and a half (plus), and these are mine.

Am I disappointed in the results?  Absolutely.  I admit to being worried.  I admit to being apprehensive.  I admit I am a bit frightened.  Will I discuss this in a public forum?  No.  If and when I feel the need to speak about these issues, I will do so privately, as I always have.  That's how I operate, that's what I am most comfortable with.

But this morning, THIS morning, I mourn for the children whose lives have been legally ended before they had a fighting chance.  This morning I mourn for the children who have not yet met that fate, but will.  This morning I mourn for my children, my babies, as they will someday inherit this world, and I am am worried there won't be respect for human life of any kind.  This morning I am allowed to grieve.

This morning I am not proud to be an American.