Politics...ugh!

A very opinionated subject I'm sure.

So...I may sound a little  uneducated on this topic.  Just bare with me.  As I've said before, I feel like there are probably more people out there like me, than those who are ubersmart on the subject.  We know what the tv has told us and enough information to be dangerous, but have chosen to or not been able to pay more attention to politics for whatever reason.

I bring this topic up because today, Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, is also the Inauguration Day of President Barack Obama's 2nd term in office.  Many people are off work or out of school for the holiday, myself included.  Did I watch the ceremony? Yes, because whether or not I voted for the man, this is a part of American History and through and through, I am an American.

Now I might be slitting my throat here, and I know I don't have to share, but I will anyway.  Glutton for punishment maybe.  When Obama first ran for President, I was really excited.  Now I won't declare myself on either side, Democrat or Republican, because the label doesn't matter to me.  My vote goes to whomever I feel has the best agenda and a pair big enough to get the job done. 

I mentioned I was excited for Obama to run.  This was for various reasons.

1. He was an amazing speaker and I felt compelled to listen to him when he spoke.  He seemed believable and genuine.  
2. He felt so different in attitude and personality than the last 43 presidents. Granted, I've only been able to vote for the last 15 years and still only recently started paying attention to things more in depth.
3. I thought having a person of color in office was a HUGE step in the evolution of our country.  Today as we remember the dream of Mr. King Jr, my beliefs that anyone can be in office have not changed.

I voted for him the first go around, but I didn't look further into his plans.  I heard the hype about his birth certificate and other questionable facts, but honestly, I've believed politics is just a popularity contest and those most popular WILL put down anyone they feel is beneath them.  Our presidential races have turned to vicious commercials slandering the other candidate.  I feel a true person with the right motivations does not need to put down their competition because they will ultimately stand out among the crowd without having to stoop to that kind of behavior.

Fast forward 4 years to our most recent presidential race.  A lot has happened in our country and I've matured as well.  I paid more attention to the facts (or what I felt were there the facts.  I did my own research and I tried to find out more about myself and my beliefs.  I needed to know more about what was most important to me before I could determine if anyone of the yahoo's running for office was even close.

I've since come to the realization that absolutely none of them will ever know me or my thoughts on things and I will always be picking between the lesser of two evils.  I didn't vote for Obama the second go around based on where our economy was and the visibly unstable future.  I no longer felt my ideas of what made us American and this country great were no longer the same.

After much time researching and countless hours debating who stood the best chance of bringing this country back to the place it once was, I voted for Ron Paul.  He stood no chance of winning, but I as an American took the liberties I have been blessed with and voted for what I believed in. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinions on politics and I'm sure the variety is vast.  I just hope we can continue the dream Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of and pull together to return this country to the status of "...one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

 
~~~If you don't see a silver lining...make one~~~