Political emails

My sister-in-law sent me a snarky forward about Obama and how nobody voting for him can articulate why they're doing it besides resorting to the nebulous rhetoric of "change."

Personally, I have little faith in either candidate...I think that both of them will do both positive and negative things. But I have issues with the closed-mindedness. So I composed a snarky email to send back to her. Instead, I'm going to put it here so that I don't hurt her feelings.

Here it is:

I'd rather a statesman than a soldier. But, if tradition holds, which it probably will, then we'll end up with the soldier. Immanual Kant said so ages ago, and he's been right so far....the masses prefer the sublimity of the experience of war.

Don't worry about Obama. The big bad black man and his articulate feminist wife, even if they make it to the White House, won't stay there for long. Somebody will in all likelihood shoot him, if he gets that far.

I'm sick to death of the whole thing...I can't even vote in this election. But I can tell you that I'd rather someone who's in a position to be taught by people smarter than he is (by doing things like seeking support of people from the opposing party, ie Colin Powell) than someone who owes his money and career to interest groups and has politics so ingrained in his family that he can't help but be indebted, and I'd rather a first lady with a law degree than an arm candy model actress that some guy cheated on his crippled wife to be able to marry.

I think I've said enough. Please don't involve me in politics unless you'd like more of the same. I don't send you my political ideas (or many other ones for that matter) because I know you won't like them...I'd love the same courtesy.

The old rule...religion and politics. Just don't mess with 'em!

In rereading this email it sounds really snarky...that's not how I mean it. I'm just bugged by politics and the extreme wastefulness of campaign spending that could do wonders for our country, and support several small Central American nations. I love you to death!
Em

So I didn't send it. Aren't you proud of me? There's this part of me that wants to play devil's advocate just because EVERY PERSON I KNOW outside of school seems to think that the only way to be a good American and good Mormon, is to vote Republican. Always. Anyway. Rant ended.

Campaigning

So what if instead of spending fundraised money on ads and annoying calls, a candidate were to donate it to schools in urban areas and improvement projects in small dying towns.

Do you think they'd win?

I don't even know if it would be legal...

It's official

So, I'm going to have another baby. Ben helped, too, so I guess I should say we. But I'll be the one doing the having...so I get to say "I". :-)

We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, though my RIDICULOUS morning sickness makes Ben hope it's a boy.

BeeBoo talks about the baby in her tummy. :-D

The baby's due on Bee's birthday. Right in the middle of finals week....

Frustrating

So, I'm glad that I don't live in California. Because that means I don't have to vote on Proposition 8. I don't understand the whole thing, really. The full text of the thing just states that the California constitution will now include a clause defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

I personally think that that's the ideal situation. Heck, it's the way I'm going to raise BeeBoo and whatever babies follow. What I get confused about, though, is why something so linked to religion needs to be politicized.

I've really been generating ulcers about the fact that the LDS church has decided to be SO actively involved in the process. It's beyond just the normal "get out and vote the way you feel is right." In a recent broadcast they've asked people to commit to vote a certain way, and to convince other people to do so. It just seems so out of the norm for what I'm used to.

Probably the thing that has nagged me most is a discussion we had with some folks while visiting family. Both people in this couple insisted on browbeating me into the idea that voting for Proposition 8 is the only option as a good Mormon, if I lived in CA and could do so. One of the arguments that the wife used was that the Catholic church was going to lose its tax-exempt status because their social services won't adopt out to gay couples. That made me think about the consequences for the Church and not performing same-sex marriages in the temple...so I thought maybe she had a point. Well, turns out, it's bunk. The Catholic church may lose money from secular organizations that are subject to non-discrimination laws and therefore can't fund Catholic social services, but the church itself won't be harmed. I HATE WHEN PEOPLE BUILD ARGUMENTS ON THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE.

Mostly because it just confuses me even more on an issue that I just don't know how to feel about.

Sooooooo sick

So, if I manage to make it through two hours of teaching without puking in front of my students, I will consider today a grand success.

I just want to go home.