Presidential Debates, and a confession.

CNN.com - Debate expected to be a defining moment - Sep 30, 2004

The presidential debates, as I'm sure most you know will be held in my neck of the woods today (which meant that I couldn't leave work yesterday evening for another 30 minutes, because the presidential motorcade had shut down the street in front of the garage).

Now, I know in polite company it's not a good thing to talk about religion, sex, or politics... but here goes.

I'll be watching, and then afterward, I'll be attending a rally for Kerry.

But, in the spirit of openness and disclosure, I feel the need for a confession.
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Forgive me, for I have sinned. It has been nearly four years since my transgression, but the regret is with me just like it was yesterday. Nearly four years ago, I voted in my first presidential election. And what happened? Well, I'm too embarassed to say. No. It's really that bad. I voted for W.

(dodges rotting tomatoes, shoes, and ice picks thrown in my direction).

I bought into the lies. *Sniffle* I thought his administration would be one of "compassionate conservatism" (*snort* *choke*). I thought he would drive the parties together in order to make our country a better place to live, I believed the bipartisan b.s.. I thought he could stimulate the growth of small businesses. I thought he cared about education.

I was wrong, and I'm sorry for it. I will live with this shame for the rest of my life.

I support our men and women in the armed forces (I was a former ROTC girl), which is why I do not support the war in Iraq. I support their heroism, but I do not feel that it should be rewarded by being forced to come home in a body bag, and certainly not at the orders of someone who never fulfilled their own military duties.

I support education, which means that I believe funding should actually be spent on books, desks, teacher's salaries... things that help students learn and provide them with the means for a better life. Not to waste the BILLIONS of dollars we have in a place we had no business going into without help.

I support Christian family values, which in my view, includes the rights of people (regardless of sexual orientation) to marry and raise a family. I hate it when people cloak themselves in spiritual hypocrisy and pick and choose which portions of the Bible they wish to rely on to spew hatred.

I support small and mid sized businesses, and people who struggle from paycheck to paycheck. I was there myself not too long ago. In the last year, my two best friends, my mom, and my grandfather have all lost their jobs. They're still out of work. My husband graduated Valedictorian of his law school class, and he can't find a job. Don't tell me the market is picking up.

Bush's tax break isn't putting food on the table for the working class. Its' lining the pockets of the rich. We need real reform in corporate governance.

I believe that it is hypocrisy for us to claim to be a civilized society and not provide the most basic health care and housing to our masses.

I believe to be a safer America, we must be respected in the global community, not merely feared for being unchecked warmongers. We need some level of respectability in our leadership.

Why, do you ask, have I had a sudden bout of conscience? This need to air my dirty laundry? I think of it as people who gave their "testimony" about what caused them to come to Christ during my days as a wayward youth in a Southern Baptist church. I tell you, with the hopes that others, who made the same mistake, will be able to see through the charade. I tell you with the hopes that if you did vote for him, you may "see the light" and realize he has failed us. He has made a mockery of democracy and a fool of America. And I just can't stand for it. Not this time. My vote deserves more. Our country deserves more. The world deserves more.

Because I believe that it's time for a change. I've learned that Bush is not to be trusted. Not with our image as a country, our security, the lives of our soldiers, our national funds, our dreams, or the hopes of our future generations.

You fooled me once W. It's not going to happen again.