I asked a friend of mine, who is a conservative, pro-life, Christian why he is supporting Barak Obama. The following is his letter explaining why and my response to him addressing his concerns. I am sure there are others out there who are torn, so I am posting this to help you all get the information you need. This is part one of a two part series. Names have been removed to protect identity.
Well Josh, it's great to hear from you!
I appreciate your compliments and I'll be frank. There are two basic reasons that I feel so strongly in favor of Barack Obama. Number one, when I read his book, I sincerely felt the power of the Holy Spirit. Now that doesn't happen with any other candidate in any other election I've ever experienced. I sincerely believe that his vision for America is God's will. I don't know why God would grant me that peace and that amazing blessing if it was not meant to be...
But secondly, the war is an important argument. See, I'm not PRO abortion, and neither is Barack. That's the biggest issue Obama and I differ on, because I'm Pro Life and he's Pro Choice. NEITHER of us are pro abortion. If you listen to his speech (or read his book) the point is that he wants Americans to change their attitude about abortion. Instead of providing it as an option for unwanted pregnancy, he wants parents to own up and teach their children about safe sex practices. He wants men to take care of their children, even if it's a difficult choice. The argument that Obama is PRO ABORTION is rhetoric from the enemy and a misunderstanding of his stance.
Aside from that, Obama believes in protecting America. He does NOT believe in preemptive strikes around the world. He said himself we should have finished the job in Afghanistan where the terrorists who actually ATTACKED US are still hiding. I think he's 100% correct on that. We should not have been in Iraq. I said it then, at the same time Obama did. Honestly, I couldn't agree more with him on so many of these issues. Why send American boys off to die?
I realize as a vet you might have a different opinion on the war. My dad is a Vietnam Vet and is NOT happy with my politics right now. I sincerely feel convicted about the war... and I don't believe in stopping the terrorrists like this any more than I think "the domino effect" was a reality in Vietnam. I don't intend to spit on the graves of your comrades, or even your sacrifice either. I think what you all do and did is BRAVE and true American patriotism, but I'm not sure I think the war should go on... as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure it needs to stop. We will not FORCE the people of Iraq to democracy. If they want it, they will adopt it.
So many people on the right will vote McCain/Pallin for the simple reason that they think Obama kills babies. That grieves my heart, honestly, because that is NOT AT ALL his point. So many more American teenage men will die fighting a war that was over two years ago, to cowards who blow themselves up in their cars. So many more Americans will struggle to survive in world of twisted an inefficient bureaucracy, instead of electing Obama/Biden, who have a plan to repair those problems. In this day and age, we should be helping one another.
This probably isn't enough to change your mind and I understand that. Most Christians I talk to don't even give Obama the time to listen to him for a second. Most Christians I know might as well live in a bubble for the next three weeks, because they've been voting straight ticket Republican since Lincoln was assassinated.
People make an argument "oh, he's a good speaker, but he won't really do much to help America." If I'm going to elect someone to represent America on the global stage, I'd appreciate if he can pronounce words correctly and doesn't make new words up when he gets confused. I'm appalled and ashamed that I voted for Bush. I'm not making that mistake again.
Feel free to reply, ask questions, or think I'm a lefty. I'm really not a lefty. I'm actually still conservative, but I'm tired of seeing the inefficiency of the open economy and what it does to people. We need better access to healthcare and education. This is not a Spencerian world... because God calls us to love our neighbors, not defeat them for survival.
Here is my response:
Great to hear from you too, man! First of all, I know you aren't a lefty. It is good to be able to have an open and honest dialogue about where we stand in this Presidential election, which is, I believe, the most important one of our time. To often when I try to talk to people they refuse to listen, so this is great!
I want to address the points you brought up and then bring up some points of my own for you to consider as well. Now, I realize that you seem very firm in your convictions, which is a good place to be. I am also very firm in mine; but, as I am sure you are, I am open to listening to what you have to say and willing to consider its merit. This letter is probably going to be quite long, so I warn you now.
One of the biggest issues that you brought up for me is the abortion issue. You stated that Obama is not pro abortion, but rather pro choice. Ok. What would you say to the fact that Obama voted against a bill in the Illinois state senate that recognized that a baby born alive during a botched abortion attempt has the same rights as every other human being? He voted against that bill three times, even after the provisions that he asked for were instated. This was not voting to keep abortion legal; this was a vote to keep infanticide legal. An exact federal version of the bill was supported by many pro-choice Democrats, including Hillary Clinton. He also does not support a ban on partial birth abortion, which the American people, including many on the pro-choice side, overwhelmingly support.
To me, Obama seems about as pro-abortion as you can get. He is willing to go so far as to allow infanticide in order to protect this leftist sacrament. Anyone can say anything in a speech or a book. Look at their record to see where they really stand. It takes a cold heart to vote against medical attention for a dying infant. I am not trying to get emotional here. Emotion is what the left often bases their arguments on rather than reason or logic. I am stating the facts and coming to a logical conclusion. Obama has an extreme pro-abortion record. Therefore, Obama is pro-abortion.
From reading some of what you had to say, I take it that you are not in favor of legislating morality, such as laws against abortion, homosexual marriage, etc. What do you say to all the laws on the books that address immoral behavior such as murder, rape, perjury, and theft? A law that protects someone's unalienable individual liberties, such as Life, Liberty, or the Pursuit of Happiness, is not unconstitutional. The Constitution was founded to protect those individual liberties above all else, even from the masses. This is why the Constitution recognizes rather than grants rights. This is a very important distinction. These rights that all humans have are not granted by government, they are endowed by our Creator. Thus, government is established to protect these individual rights.
The Founding Fathers were more concerned about a tyranny of the many than they were about a tyranny of one. This is amazing considering they had just come out from under a tyranny of one under King George III! They brilliantly recognized that individual liberties trump a vote from the masses. Alexander Hamilton declared that in "republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates."[1] James Madison talked about "the danger from legislative usurpations, which, by assembling all power in the same hands, must lead to the same tyranny as is threatened by executive usurpations."[2] In other words, in a republic, the tyranny of the masses is just as likely, if not more, than a tyranny of one. That is one of the reasons why the Founding Fathers were so adamant on checks and balances. Another was that they understood that absolute power corrupts absolutely. But I digress.
Are laws restricting abortion Constitutional? Absolutely! Such laws would be protecting an individual's unalienable right to Life. Are laws defining marriage as only between one man and one woman unconstitutional? Absolutely not! They do not infringe on anyone's individual liberties. The homosexual community is not asking for a right that everyone has except for them; they are asking for a special right. They have the same right that anyone else has to marry one person at a time of the opposite sex. I do not have a right to have multiple wives or marry my sister. I do not have a right to marry my dog. Neither do I have a right to marry someone of the same sex. To demand that I be able to do any of the above is to demand a special right. Where does it end?
Now, lets move on to the War. Radical Islamic Terrorism is a very different enemy than what America is used to facing. They have been waging a war on us for over 30 years. For over two decades, we did nothing. We did not retaliate, except perhaps to blow up an aspirin factory to divert attention from a White House intern or try a few of them in US criminal court ('93 WTC bombing). Yet the attacks continued and they steadily got worse and worse until that fateful day on September 11, 2001. We are now taking the fight to the enemy where ever they are, and we have not been attacked since. This is not a coincidence. So my first point is we must wage a military campaign against the enemy. A police action is reactive rather than proactive. When you react to terrorism rather than prevent it, you lose. If you react to a dirty bomb in DC, you have already lost. Millions are now dead. For the first two decades, we reacted to the threat from radical Islamic Terrorism. Now, we are actively preventing it by taking the fight to the enemy.
Obama and Biden would have us return to the failed policies of the Clinton administration. Clinton was tested time and time again and failed every time. Bush was tested once and passed. We haven't been attacked since. Now, by Biden's own admission, Obama will be tested "within six months" of assuming office. Why elect a man who we know the world is going to test? And we know that Obama would not pass the test. Russia, who has been flexing their muscles, invaded a tiny, innocent democracy. Who does Obama blame? What happens when Russia now decides to flex its muscles in the Ukraine, or decides to place missiles in Venezuela? What happens when Venezuela decides that it wants to take over Cuba when Fidel kicks the bucket? What happens when Iran decides it wants to attack Israel, or take over Iraq when we pull out prematurely? What happens when China decides to finally take over Taiwan? What will North Korea do? We know that the Chamberlain-like policy of unconditional diplomacy, surrender, and appeasement will bring about disastrous consequences. This has been the Obama Biden record. The world leaders know what McCain would do, so they aren't going to test him. The American military does not like to go to war because their inexperienced Commander in Chief invites testing from megalomaniacal dictators.
Now Iraq. First of all Iraq had WMDs and used them on its own people. One of the main things that frustrates me about the Bush administration is why they do not get the truth out there more. We were originally supposed to kick off about a week later than we actually did. Suddenly, our intel reported large military convoys moving material from suspected Iraqi WMD sites into Syria and we were told to move now. Why the Bush administration does not talk about this, I do not know. Perhaps it is to protect sources in the CIA, or other classified material. Maybe it is to keep our fragile relationship with Syria on good terms. But I do know that Iraq had WMDs. Secondly, Iraq had 12 years to comply with over a dozen UN resolutions (the diplomatic method) and failed to do so. Everyone, and I mean everyone said that Hussein had or was seeking WMDs and would use them. Every intelligence community said it. Kerry, Clinton, and nearly every Democrat said it. They said we had to go in now. And they were right. As it turned out, we went in a little too late. Hussein was able to get them out of the country.
So, put yourself in the shoes of the POTUS. You have been hit by a devastating terror attack. A rogue dictator has WMDs and is willing to use them. He has stated that he wants to destroy Israel, one of your allies. Do you sit back and wait for it to happen? Or do you demand that he comply with the more than dozen or so UN resolutions or face the consequences. If President Bush had not acted on Iraq, he would have been labeled, justifiably, as an incompetent idiot. As it turned out, he has been labeled as an incompetent idiot by those who would exploit a war and the lives of our troops for political gain.
The Iraqi people DO WANT democracy. The overwhelming turnout in their elections, despite the threat from terrorists who tried to do everything in their power to stop those elections, proves it. I was there. I saw the people coming out of the voter boothes with their purple fingers held high as they thanked us while tears streamed down their faces. But a democratic government, or any government for that matter, is not possible without security against those who would topple said government. In this case, we are talking about Iran, Al Qaeda, and other Islamo-fascist groups. How anyone can argue that we need to pull out now when we are now finally on the brink of victory is beyond me.
Why send American boys off to die? If America does not stand up for freedom and liberty around the world, who will? With great power comes great responsibility. America is an exceptional nation because we have fought for the freedom and liberty of oppressed people around the world throughout our history. One person's freedom is not any less valuable than another, whether they be Iraqi, European, or American. Those who serve in our military understand this. We have been over there. We see what is happening there. We know that we cannot withdraw prematurely and let our comrades die in vain. We see the people there who thank us every day and beg us not to leave. American boys are willing to die to defend freedom, where ever it is threatened. That is what we sign up for. That spirit is what makes America an exceptional nation. A world without America would be a world of oppression and extermination of peoples on an unimaginable scale. God does call us to love our neighbors, but he also calls us to defeat evil. Remember, evil prevails when good men do nothing.
So, four pages later and I see that I have only addressed a couple of your points! Mercy me! If it is ok with you, I would like to follow up tomorrow with another letter addressing your concerns about the economy, Bush's inability to articulate, and the twisted, inefficient, bureaucratic machine in Washington. I think you will find, my friend (a little McCain lingo there ;-)), that Obama's policies would only add the ever expanding government machine and take our economy from a recession into a depression. The last President to raise taxes on anyone in a recession was Herbert Hoover. Look where that got us. Anyway, till next time, toodles and God Bless!
~Josh
