Thursday, September 4, 2008

the obligatory Palin post

"I’d rather go moose hunting than be involved with politics."

Sarah Palin's dad said that, but I certainly could have.

I feel his pain. I don't like politics, don't understand the process, and don't particularly want to. In the past 25 years that I've been voting, I've based my decisions on a simple formula. How does this candidate line up with Catholic teaching? Is he/she prolife?

It's a simple strategy that has served me well.

The first election that I really got emotional about was the Bush/Clinton contest in 1992. I remember feeling so despondent when Mr. Clinton won. What disturbed me the most was that so many of my Catholic friends didn't seem to care that Clinton supported abortion rights. For me, it was all about the babies. It was not the economy, stupid, and who cares about character? Let's focus on the babies.

I still focus on the babies, and while that does keep things simple in many regards, I am not naive. I know that these things, like most, are complicated. Are these candidates qualified? Are they people of good character? Are they fit to lead our country?

I was, honestly, not very excited about John McCain. He was more prolife than Mr. Obama, so he had my vote. That was it. But when Mrs. Palin joined the contest, I must admit that I got a tiny bit excited.

My husband says that a vote for Sarah Palin is a vote for me. That's amusing, but we do have a thing or two in common. I'm just amazed that a woman like her -- a prolife woman, the mother of five -- is a candidate for vice president of our country. The recent chatter about her pregnant daughter is compelling. Is it Mrs. Palin's "fault" that her daughter is pregnant? Is this about sin and scandal? Would readily available contraceptives -- not the abstinence education that Palin promotes -- have prevented this seventeen year-old's blast into adulthood?

Is it my fault when my kids don't listen to me? You can imagine where I stand on this. I'm just not passionate enough about the political process to spend lots of time here writing a commentary.

I want a world where God is honored. I want a country where we forgive the sins of others, and let God do the judging. I want to live in a place where each life is honored and nurtured and welcomed.

Instead, I live here, in this real world, in the United States of the 21st Century.
Eden is a long way off, a distant memory.

Let's do our best to vote for candidates who are aiming to know, love and serve God. And let's do our best to live individual lives of virtue that lead other souls to Christ.

Most of us lack the political savvy to make much of a difference in that arena. We cast our votes and go home. Let's work to make that home a place that reflects our goals as Catholics.

Let's live without judgment and hostility. Let's save the babies and each other. Let's be such atractive examples of the Christian life that everyone will want to find out more about Our Lord.

None of the candidates are perfect. None ever will be. Let's work to do the best we can to attract, promote, build up, edify, strengthen, and nurture.

I'd go moose hunting now, if I could. Instead I'll get back to the work of being a humble Catholic wife and mom trying to love others as she loves herself.

That's the best I can offer.

5 comments:

Jamie Jo said...

I agree with you 100%!! Voting pro-life, being a one issue voter really makes things less complicated, doesn't it?

I didn't care for McCain until he picked Palin either, but over at "praying for Grace" (.blogspot.com) Barbara has a great video featuring a John McCain add, it's wonderful, he's growing on me...maybe someone like Palin will warm his heart on his pro-life stance, make it a little warmer.

PS, I loved and finished your book, I loved the last chapter and loved why you named your blog what you did. It inspired me to write about my brother on Tuesday. Thank you, many blessings to you!

Soul Pockets said...

I knew I was going to vote for the most pro-life candidate, but was not enthused about either of them. When Palin showed up I was very happy. Some people say Catholics focus too much on the Pro-life issue when it comes to politics, sadly some Catholic's think the same way. Nothing is more important than the respect and dignity for life. Do I care if my president wants to save the environment, stop the war, and fix the economy? Sure I do, but I think murdering millions of babies, and the mentality that the elderly and those with special needs are disposable is the most important issue.

CJ Sweet said...

I love love love Sarah Palin. I actually liked John McCain anyway, but Sarah Palin is amazing! Anyone with 5 kids, 1 special needs, is A++ in my book! And if I have to be judged as incompetant for every time my kids don't listen to me in life, then I am in big trouble. I am a one-issue voter too, but it's nice to have someone out there to get excited about, isn't it? :-)

Shelly said...

it's amazing how the whole country got *excited* when she joined the #2 on the ticket. it's funny how everyones like "you'd think she were running for the presidency!"

Shelly said...

oh, and like you - I'm *all* for the babies. that's the *only* issue for me 'til that is overturned. and, i'm proud of it.