Election

Class yesterday was spent talking about the papers that we wrote over the weekend. It was an in depth discussion of two articles written about the cultural use of the word “retard”.  There were about two or three people who seemed to really understand rhetorical strategy and how to analyze it. It is cool to hear their opinions and how they are developing their opinions. But I think the other people in the class should have a chance to talk about what they wrote as well. I would say that 80% of the class barely says anything at all. They need to speak up! Two or three people who are more vocal than the rest of the class shouldn’t dominate the conversation.

It is election time. Everybody seems to be talking about the election and whose party is going to get elected. I haven’t voted and I don’t think I will. I don’t know anything about any of the candidates and I feel like I shouldn’t vote unless I am educated about what is going on. People on facebook are ranting about how their party is going to win this election and what not. It gets pretty annoying. My parents are pretty staunch Republicans but I have turned out to be pretty neutral when it comes to politics. It makes me sad to see people put so much hope in political candidates, parties, and our government in general. Candidates will fail, parties will let down, and the government is unable to fix anything.

So why do we rant so much about our parties and their goals? There has been tremendous change in America due to politics and our government. Yet, things are still broken. We have gotten better. But new problems are springing up like weeds. Some old problems, like racism, are just lurking beneath the surface now. Still, Americans place their hopes and fears in the hands of a candidate or party every two years. And life still ends up hurting us. I’m all for voting. We are blessed to live in a land where we can voice our opinions through elections. I personally think democracy works better than a dictatorship. I am just not going to put my hope in some political party’s campaign for change in my life.

It was awesome to see President Obama get elected two years ago. Getting to see the first black president get elected was a unique moment in my life. But has Obama really enacted that much change in our lives? I understand that I am young and taxes and whatnot are not a major worry in my life yet. It is just that with every President major life change will not come. We are going to have problems in this world until Jesus comes back. Even if a President or Congress enacted “sweeping” changes where everybody in America was rich, successful, healthy, or whatever else voters desire, we cannot escape the fact that we have major flaws as humans since our break with God. Politics cannot fix the chasm that sin has brought into our lives.

I am not sure if I will ever vote. My parents will get onto me about voting if I don’t. If I don’t vote, I don’t think it will affect me at all. My hope isn’t based on parties and politics anyway. They can’t save me and never will be able to. I hope Christ opens the eyes of my peers and contemporaries to see this truth. Because it seems with each election, Americans put politics on a higher pedestal than before. If you say you will run to Canada or Mexico if your party loses power, I think it is time you have a heart check. Because what you really want from politics is the fulfillment of your desire to be included on the winning side of things. You can’t bear the thought of the opposite party taking power and running things differently.

It is now officially fall in Texas. It’s about time! I think I said something like this in one of my blogs a few weeks ago. But then the weather became warmer so I had to change my stance. It is official now. I hope.