My Personal Views For Election 2024
I stress though that this is an opinion piece. If one feels that this post is the greatest thing ever read, then more power to you. If you think that I’m full of crap, then whatever. You’re all entitled to your opinion, but I will tell you where I’m coming from.
First off, there is no political party that conforms to my personal beliefs. At least in my opinion, political labels can’t be nicely categorized with cute names as an all-encompassing term. I guess if one could look at the most generic of labels though, I guess I would be an Independent. My views are all over the place. I don’t owe anything to any party! I vote based on who I view is best for the job. The idea behind this is that one can find competent people through all parties. The fact is that the Democrat Party is going to have smart and intelligent people. There are also going to be many within the party who will be cruds. It’s the same with the Republican Party as well. Each party is going to have their competent leaders and their buffoons. None of the parties are beyond criticism. Beyond that, what can be said for one party can be said for the other (for the most part).
In Regard to Religion
I believe that it's important for one to vote from a civic viewpoint. However, I reject the same idea from a spiritual one. The reason for this is that any joker can use their spirituality as a label to scam people into voting for them. At this point, I’m very tired of all the politicians who become Christian for votes. I do believe that the Republican Party is simple using religion to scam the naive and gullible into voting for them. I think that Trump is the worst, but not far from the only one. Even when you do have others who I do believe are Christian, like Ted Cruz (Catholic) or Greg Abbott, I feel they simply use their religious beliefs as a tool for social and political control, abusing Christianity for their own purposes.
Is one “Pro-Life” when their OK with our government (there is blood on both the Democrats and Republicans parties) selling missile-armed drones to a country (Saudi Arabia) that then used those same drones to blow up civilian infrastructure in another country (Yemen), leading to the worst cholera outbreak in the last century. Is one “Pro-Life” about being unwilling to take action while children getting gunned down in our schools while only offering the token “thoughts and prayers” moniker. “Thoughts and Prayers” without action is just meaningless banter, but what do you expect from those who are again quote “Pro-Life”. What about women that have been raped? What about their lives? Is one “Pro-Life” when forcing women to endure pregnancy complications because they couldn’t get an abortion. Is one “Pro-Life” when rejecting the idea of universal health care. What’s more “Pro-Life” than health care for all? What’s more “Pro-Life” than mandatory maternity leave for new mothers?
This is why the "Pro-Life" moniker in itself is one of contradiction. I can understand if one doesn’t want to vote Democrat because they’re viewed as quote “Baby killers”, that is up to them. However, there is blood on the hands of Republicans as well, and one could view them as “Baby killers” as well based on their views on guns and health care. This is why one has to be careful when using such language. Regardless of what choices are made (mine included), there is blood on the hands of Democrats and Republicans alike. Injustice and pain don't recognize political labels. Such labels simply become arbitrary at this point. One side doesn’t become righteous because of whatever label one decided to don that day. What can be said about one side can be said about the other.
I hate abortion. At the same time, it’s not up to the government to decide what women can and can’t do with their bodies. Abortion is a private decision that is up to the woman to decide, not the government. I'm in no position to make whatever choice that women make in regard to their pregnancy, and their choice has to be respected, regardless of whether one agree with it or not. If the government can tell women what they can and can’t do with their bodies, then where does it end. Are people only about freedom when it's about things that they care about? As such, the abortion topic was one of my criteria to decide who to vote for. As much as I hate abortion, if one voted in support of the repealing of Roe v. Wade, I wasn't going to support that candidate.
At this point, the Melodrama sets in. If it's the case that there is blood on my hands as I'm labeled an "abortion lovers" even though you personally hate abortion, but yet feel that it's a personal decision that's not up to me or others to make; then there is blood on their hands who supported candidates who were opposed to common sense gun laws, called universal health care Communism while showing indifference to the women and children of Yemen who were violently blasted apart by missile armed drones that were sold by our government to Saudi Arabia. Do their deaths account for something?
This is the big reason why one should refrain from using such confrontational and judgmental language or labeling one a demonist or Satanist simply because of a difference of opinion. The contradictions set in. Is one really in such a righteous position to pass judgement based on their own contradictions.
If one wants to fight abortion, you have to provide a healthy outlet and alternatives for women. This topic can be addressed successfully in a manner that preserves the woman choice if she exercises her right or not, and not by others dictating that decision.
Our role within Christianity is to guide her spiritually to her decision if she calls upon us for spiritual guidance. At the end of the day, it's her personal choice of the private matter to make. Our role within the church is to offer spiritual guidance for her to make that decision on her own, not dictate that decision for her. We would be stepping out of our spiritual role if we dictated that decision for her. Jesus would still want us to demonstrate compassion for her, regardless of the decision that he makes. She is still in need of spiritual guidance; whatever decision is made.
What would happen if she decided to get an abortion? Are we to toss her by the side and tell her that she's going straight to Hell, and God doesn't love her, rejecting her in the process. Taking into consideration that she is probably going through personal torment with the decision that she made. Are we to ignore and reject her pleas for spiritual help when she needs it the most now. Jesus would have demanded us to reach out to her. He wouldn't have had it any other way!
Christianity was never intended on being a tool for social and political control. Jesus's ministry is spiritual, not political in nature. Jesus’s ministry was never about control. Power and control are a contradiction to the teachings of a universal Messiah who preached a Heavenly kingdom for all who sought it.
If you ask the question if we are a Christian nation. The answer is no. It’s no because the very idea of a Christian country is a contradiction to Jesus’s teachings. The reason why Jesus never pursued an earthly kingdom was because He knew in time, even many of his devoted followers would become blinded and tainted by their own personal ambitions if they made that a goal of their spirituality. Those who tried to build God’s Earthly kingdom would fail because they would define God’s Will based on their own ideas of God’s teachings instead of His.
As such, anyone who tried to build a kingdom based on Jesus’s teachings was never going to succeed in the first place because Jesus’s ministry was never based on social or political control. Those who make political ambitions and control a part of their spirituality don’t have the spiritual well-being of people in mind. Whenever misplaced priorities take over, God’s love and spirituality takes a backseat, along with the spiritual needs of others.
Trump
While people are entitled to their political views, your preferred political parties are not personal friends who cares about you on an intimate level. I could never understand one's personal attachment to some distant leader as if they were there deep, personal friend. This can be said with any politician on any side of the political spectrum for that matter. Political parties have to be based around ideas, not cult personalities. However, I don't ever remember any other politician talking to me as if had that deep connection with me even though I knew that it was just an act though.
This comes as I'm doing a retrospective on Trump. However, when it comes to cult personality, everything that could be said about Trump could be said about the Clinton as well. However, this article isn't about the Clintons, at least not directly anyway. As a kid of the 90's, I remembered how many screamed at the top of their lungs about how "character counts". I've heard that phrase come out of the mouths of many I knew at church during this time This phrase was in reference to Bill Clinton and the scandals that defined his administration. However, how many of those who proclaimed that message hailed themselves up to the same standards? How many of those who were quick to condemn Bill Clinton for his actions were quick to excuse those in their own party.
I could never reconcile Trump, or those who supported him for morality reasons as well. Many argue that you can still vote Republican while not voting for Trump. I don't believe this. At this point, Trump and the Republican Party are one in the same. While I disagree with those who supported Trump for economic or political reasons, I at least understand why they supported him though. I could never understand those who flocked to Trump as if he was the second coming. Trump never showed any interest in religion until the election. Trump simply became a Christian for votes. Nothing of his actions indicate that he is a man of character. He was simply playing Evangelical Christians for votes. He still is. Many will deny this though. He was the polar opposite of what one would call a Christian. He had decades of sexual misconduct under his belt (no pun intended). On one hand, one could excuse such acts if there was a form of commitment of wanting to do better. However, with Trump, those acts were either denied or seen as a badge of honor.
Modern American Christianity is consumed by manufactured demons that were cooked up by sensationalist clickbait, social media, urban myths, conspiracy theories, overactive imagination, and a product of our overcharged political climate.
I cannot get behind any politician who uses Christianity for such nefarious purpose. When I hear a politician scream God at the top of their lungs, the only thing that tells me is NOT to vote for them because they are simply using their faith as an empty label to fool people into voting for them.
One sets themselves up for failure then they believe that as long as a politician simply slaps that Christianity label onto themselves, thinking that that politicians will never abuse or manipulate that label because it never absolutely ever happened before never; then they are setting themselves up to becoming manipulated by those who use religion simply as a pawn for their own ambition. Christianity becomes abused in the process. Those who allow themselves to become manipulated by such politicians only have themselves to blame for whatever happens.
Teachers And the Book Bans
Teachers have become the punching bags for many as they are crapped on by the three “P’s”: Parents, Politicians, and Preachers. Victims of sensationalist clickbait, social media, urban myths, conspiracy theories, overactive imagination, and a product of our overcharged political climate; they can never get a break from the abuse and absurdity of others. Accused of false claims like indoctrination, one can’t help but feel sorry for the crap that they go through on an everyday basis. Many teachers have quit. While many would be tempted to celebrate, I’m here to remind you that teachers are essential for society. Society collectively loses when a teacher quits.
Public schools don’t teach about God, and do you know what; That’s not their job! Look, I am a Christian, but I feel that if you want to learn about God, that is what church is for, not public school. If one is so concerned that one wants their kids to get a religious upbringing, then send them to a religious school, but public school isn’t the place. Public schools serve a universal role for anyone who wants to exercise their rights a high-quality public education, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, or religion. At the end of the day, the access to such education is a right for all, not just for the privilege.
Minorities have faced hardship from these book bans as well. When the phrase "critical race theory" has been redefined as a vague umbrella term to define anything that acknowledges that minorities exist, they have faced massive hardship as books that give accounts and tell stories are being removed because they quote "make others" feel uncomfortable. First, I want to state that nobody has made anyone apologize because of their race. This is urban legend. This issue in general had been a manufactured controversy created by sensationalist clickbait, social media, conspiracy theories, overactive imagination, and a product of our overcharged political climate.
This book banning has nothing to do with morality. The "moral crusade" is just a cover story to justify enforcing a social order. Hasn't one learned from history? Does one really become that different from the Nazis in that regard?
The fact is just Christianity was never intended on being a social or political movement. God's word becomes distorted when it's redefined as such. Those using Christianity as a weapon to fight for the book bans have distorted their faith selfishly for their own personal ambitions. Instead of realizing their faith as a deep and personal attribute, they instead chose to weaponize it instead and simply uses it simply as a label to force their own personal views upon everybody else.
If you find personal offense with certain content, I have a simple solution, don't consume it. If you don't like a book, then don't read it, plain-and-simple. If one hates porn, then don't watch it. If one hates beer, then don't drink it. If one hates abortion, then don't get one. There are no other invisible demons or scapegoats to pass the blame too. If you want to fight Satan, start with yourself first. And finally, stop attacking the teachers! They already have to deal with so much crap without dealing with the nonsense of those pandering such nonsensical garbage.
January 6th
I will be very honest here: I don’t have any sympathy for anyone who got in trouble by being a part of the January 6th attempted overthrow. It would have been one thing Trump accepted responsibility for his actions of encouraging the discourse. But he hasn't. If anything, he doubled down and fed into the discourse. It’s ironic that one who screams “law-and-order” have been the object of unrestrained mob rule. How is that “law-and-order”?
I think the reason why I feel very strongly about this is the fact that on one hand, people are entitled to their opinions, but facts are facts. Facts transcends being one’s personal opinions, and the fact was that the 2020 election was not stolen. Through all the audits, they could not find any cases of voter fraud after such intense auditing. Yet people were willing to believe such lies simply because it conformed to their opinion, evidence not needed. I have the feeling that many actually did know that the results were valid, but wanted their God-king president anyway, results be damned.
This was actually my second criteria of deciding who I was voting for or again. Regardless of party, if there was any candidate pandering the false myth that the 2020 election was stolen, I wasn't voting for that candidate.
In Conclusion
My ballot has been all over the place over in years past. Those ovals for Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, etc. No party can claim righteousness! I don’t owe anything to anyone party! However, and especially here in Texas, I have been filled with disappointment. In the last midterm election, I did at least circle two ovals for a few Texan Republicans (not Greg Abbott and his cronies though). However, even the last of the few sensible Republicans have been removed. The Republican Party, at least here in Texas, have been taken over by extremist. At least here in Texas, one isn’t a Republican unless if they believe in outlandish click-bait and conspiracy theories, with one of them now being that meteorologist are controlling the weather. While the difference of opinion might have always existed, at least at one time, the Republican Party use to be respected. This is no longer the case.
Here’s the kicker, I would like to still vote Republican. But for those in the GOP who are potentially reading this, if you want me to vote for you, you have to meet some of my conditions outlined here. First, you have to refrain from obnoxious political slang. You also have to refrain from divisive language. What that means if that you can’t call someone demonic or Satanic simply because one has a difference of opinion. Mayra Flores, stop your nonsensical crap! The GOP has to stop with all the conspiracy theories, pretend outrage, pretend controversies. You also need to quit fear mongering in general. I'm not the only one that feels this way either. As such, are you going to appeal to my demands? Also, don't tell me to just change my outlook either. I’m not the problem, you are. How are you going to appeal to moderates and Independents like me? Trump can’t win solely on his base either. You will have to reach out to me in some way or another.
Don't tell me that your candidates are good Christian boys either. Maybe they are, but at the same time, any sucker can use their faith as a label to fool gullible people into voting for them. You can scream America at the top of your lungs, like any politician will do. That won't tell me anything either. Anyone can claim to fight for freedom and liberty. What I care about is substance, not image. Any joker can provide that. GOP, you have the next 12 hours to appeal to me and my demands!
With that banter aside, I feel that regardless of how one votes, that feeling of general disappointment regardless. In a perfect world, one should be able to vote for a candidate because they support the candidate, not because they are voting against the other one. But alas, we don't live in a perfect world. Thus, in some elections, it's not who you're voting for, but who you're voting against. For me personally, one can't divorce Trump from the Republican Party. They are one in the same at this point.
But with that mentioned, I was not excited about the election. I feel that both parties got shortchanged. The Democrats deserved better, and Republicans deserved better.as well. Both parties got the worse that their party offered. While I'm glad to see Biden go, Kamala was only a slight improvement in an overall disappointing election. Nothing to brag about. But do you know what, the Democrat Party did this to themselves. They had to lie down in the bed of nails that they made.
In 2016, the Democrat Party was given the most awesome gift in Bernie Sanders. Someone who people could have gotten excited about. But the Democrats already labeled him as an Hellbent Marxist out to destroy America and Capitalism and rigged the system to prevent him from getting the nomination. If it wasn't for that, he would have been sitting in the White House and Trump would have never become President. This is the real injustice, not the 2020 election-was-stolen nonsense. I think that Bernie knows that the White House was stolen from him. The Democrat establishment would have rather wanted to see Trump as President than Bernie. I still think that this is the case. I don't think that the Democrat Party learned anything from 2016 and are still living with the repercussions of the choices they made. And while there is a lot of Obama love now; he is a very big reason why Trump became President. People expected real change, especially after the Bush-caused Financial Meltdown, and just got another insider instead who catered to Wall Street. We got shortchanged with Obama as well.
The only people who can get excited about the election are those consumed by partisan mudslinging and bitter tribalism. We're getting shortchanged, regardless of whoever wins. I know those who eat-and-breath partisan politics will beg to differ, but this is the case. One is greeted with a choice of an insider and a fake populist/pretend Christian. I know that we were going to get the short end of the stick, regardless of how one votes. But I will give some bits of advice though.
A. Regardless of which side your own, don’t become your own worst enemy. Don’t give in to your tribal/animal instincts. Outside of this long and lengthy post, I actually abstain from the political discourse, and generally very happy. I feel that if one sacrifices their happiness to be a part of the discord, then can they really enjoy the blessings of life.
B. Don’t become a slave to click-bait, sensationalism, urban myths, conspiracy theories, and that overactive imagination. Do research. Wikipedia, Snopes, and PolitiFact exist for a reason; use it!
C. Remember that political views are there to represent your political interest, not being an all defining attribute of your personality. Political views are not doctrine, and they shouldn’t be treated as such, because at the end of the day, regardless of your own beliefs, political parties are just arbitrary labels at the end of the day.
D. Don’t mix religion and politics together. Your own personal beliefs and spiritual walk will be tainted when you do this. Don’t let politics become an artificial metric to judge one’s spirituality. When mixing politics and religion together, one quickly sets themselves up to be manipulated at will by those politicians who simply become Christian for votes. Don’t be naive or gullible. Christianity can be abused as a label by those who have ambition in their eyes and will say and do anything for that vote. They will either tickle your ears or use fear as an instrument Those who allow themselves to become manipulated by such politicians only have themselves to blame for whatever happens.
E. Don’t get caught up in obnoxious and brain-dead political slang, with the likes of the following: “Political Correctness”,”Culture War”,”Cancel Culture”,”Cathode Ray Tube of I meant Critical Race Theory” (I work on computers, CRT means something different to me than others. Stop re-appropriating tech acronyms for political things. PC to me means Personal Computer) Wokeness” (and one if it’s thousand mindless variations). People don’t know how obnoxious they sound when they use such words (I’m probably going to get crapped on from many for making this a point, but such drivel causes my ears to bleed). The vast majority of these phrases aren't real things anyway.
F. Get a hobby.
G. Feed birds.
Polarization has enabled politics to become that unhealthy game where preferences are elevated to the point of them being spiritual deities. Thus, mundane partisanship became this grand battle between good and evil even though both sides are defined by their shortcomings. Tribal politics and polarization will do that to people though. I very sure that this post doesn’t help matters either. I just want you to know where I’m coming from.
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