If you are reading this, please vote on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, if you were unable to use early voting. Voting is even more important because Republicans, the Tea Party, and Big Money absolutely do not want you to vote (especially if you are a Woman, Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBT/Queer, disabled, etc) and have done and are doing every thing they can to prevent you from voting.
GO VOTE.
And when you vote, make sure to verify your sections before you hit “cast ballot.” There have been too many cases of machines switching votes when people have selected a Democratic candidate.
And when you vote, remember to practice what you preach.
Allow others the same rights and privileges you love.
Allow others to have their freedom of speech.
Remember that you do not have the freedom to use your freedom to prevent others from having freedom, this includes basic rights of marriage and survival.
Remember that no one set of theological, cultural, political, or economic mores are supposed to rule and control others.
If the United States is ever going to truly be a free society, everyone needs the freedom to live as he/she likes. So-called morality should never be codified, per se.
When you enter the voting both recognize that you are just 1 of 7,000,000,000 plus people living on this planet, this “pale blue dot.” Remember that today’s struggles are generally “meaningless,” in the grand scheme of things. But, too, remember that your vote has consequences. And on a very serious level, has life and death consequences. Some Republicans, for instance, would like to see all LGBTs or all people of some other minority group murdered or killed off some how. Seriously.
One side, most of the Republicans and Tea Party candidates, have values and opinions that will only take the nation back and hurt people and perpetuate the White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy. The Republican candidate for Lt. Governor in Texas, for instance, believes God speaks to the nation through the television show Duck Dynasty. We do not need this kind of person in office. And religion, ideally, should never be a part of public discourses, especially if we truly believe in freedom of religion (see this blog post of mine). There are so many different people who have no religious beliefs or very different religious beliefs. And so-called morality, is highly subjective/relative in many cases. (I love the example shared by a friend that goes: You are on a boat with your mom and significant other. The boat is sinking. You can only save one person. Who do you save?) As one quotation puts it, if religion is the only thing keeping you moral (whatever that means to you and your specific world views), you not a very moral person.
True, things, regardless of who is elected, generally have not changed that much in the long term. But, given the changing nature of our demographics and the progressively fast push for true equality, things are pretty different this time. That’s the hope and fear of everyone, on both sides.
And, finally, remember there is not that much to fear in the world. Embracing critical thinking (something officially opposed by Republicans), difference, diversity, science, art, and education make the world a slightly better place for everyone.
Go vote. Vote for a better world.
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 