Tomorrow is the first of November, the first day of NaNoWriMo. Tomorrow is the beginning of an epic journey that will see me largely disconnect from Facebook and Twitter. Tomorrow, I begin the process of writing fifty thousand words in thirty days.
Today though, I tell you why I am voting to re-elect our President, and why I believe that you should do the same.
People who know me know that I describe myself as fiscally conservative and socially progressive. I believe that government has a duty to collect taxes in a manner that is fair and then spend those tax dollars in ways that are of benefit to its people. I believe that when a government office or department has done the job it was created to do, we should move on from that department, and cease funding it. I believe that essential medical and technological research should be done with the assistance of the government. I believe that food subsidies are good, because I don't want to pay $10 for a potato. I believe oil tax breaks are bad, because the government shouldn't be in the business of making the rich richer. I believe that "use taxes", like a sales tax, are regressive and unfairly punish people in middle and lower classes. I believe that tax credits for mortgage interest are a good idea, but that they need a cap, as they unfairly benefit the super-wealthy. I believe that everyone should pay income taxes without loop holes, clear, transparent, and sensible income taxes. I believe that the super-wealthy have the duty to pay their fair share. In effect, I believe that both parties have failed us fiscally. So, why am I voting to re-elect the President? Simply put, I believe that both parties have an obligation to us to not needlessly legislate the morality of their religions in a country that was founded on freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state. I believe in equal rights for all. I believe that the Defense of Marriage Act is an egregious waste of time for our representatives. I believe that all should be free to marry. I believe that all people should be free to live their lives in a way that makes them happy. I believe that how, when, and where I worship is a personal choice and that it is not the place of government to make these decisions for me, or to tell me how I should live based on their beliefs. Mostly, I am not voting for the Republican candidate because I believe that he does not share my social beliefs. I believe that a government that interferes in the personal and medical decisions of their populace is not devoting their time to the actual job of government; providing for the welfare, safety, and common defense of their populace. A vote for Mitt Romney isn't a vote for social conservatism. It isn't a vote for fiscal conservatism. It is a vote for institutionalized religion. It is a vote for institutionalized bigotry, a vote for a move backwards in gender roles, in medical care, and in personal freedoms. A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for fear-mongering and deceit. A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for white-haired rich men directing how we behave in our bedrooms and personal lives. A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote against all of the things that this country truly should stand for; liberty and justice for all. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote against these self-evident truths. A vote for Mitt Romney might as well read. "We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all corporations are created equal, and that the government exists only to enrich these corporations who have bought and paid for the right to be heard." I don't want to live in that world. I don't want to live in a world where the White House is bought and paid for by special interest groups interested in enriching themselves at the expense of personal freedoms. Therefore, I will be voting to re-elect President Obama. Neither party can do much about the fiscal issues confronting our country, but only one of the candidates believes in equal rights for all. That man is my President, and will be again.
