1) National defense. The number one priority of any nation's government is the protection of its people. We are at war, whether we like it or not; keeping our people safe is our government's most important responsibility. When considering whether we ought to vote or not, we must consider whether there is a significant difference in which candidate will keep our nation safe.
2) The appointment of Supreme Court justices. Undoubtedly the new president will face vacancies on the Supreme Court. Justice John Paul Stevens is almost 88 and is unlikely to stay in office for another four years; and Ruth Bader Ginsburg is nearing 75. With so many Supreme Court decisions currently being 5-4, whoever becomes the new president will likely determine the direction of the Supreme Court, influencing public policy powerfully for maybe as long as 30 years. Even if a particular candidate is not ideal, we must ask ourselves whether there's a difference between the candidates in their likelihood of choosing justices who will uphold our values.
Today's Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on the topic entitled, "Dobson's Choice." It's not a long article, and it makes a critically important point about why we ought not to abdicate our right to be involved in choosing the next president. Here's a quote:
Mr. McCain's harshest critics argue that his judicial picks could easily be as bad as anyone tapped by Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama. This is caricature, but even if it had merit, the likes of Mr. Dobson would be trading the risk that Mr. McCain picks moderates for the court for the certainty that his opponent would appoint liberals.
Especially if you are frustrated with the status quo and considering whether you even ought to vote this November, please take the time to read the article and consider carefully the core issues involved. (This article is only accessible to non-subscribers for 7 days.)
Do we dare risk the safety of our country and the makeup of the Supreme Court for the purpose of making a point?
4 comments:
Both reasons are why I cannot vote McCain or any conservative candidate. The Supreme court being the priority of the two concerns for me.
I really like Huckabee, regardless of his party affiliation, but the Supreme Court issue would keep me from voting for him in a heartbeat.
And I applaud you for broaching the subject and encouraging others to do the same. I have always encouraged everybody I know to study the candidates/issues and vote... regardless of their party affiliation or choice in candidates/issues!
Shawna,
I had a feeling you'd have a comment on this issue! ;) And I think I understand where you're coming from here as well. I wish more people considered the real issues involved; too often I get the feeling people choose based on the candidates' physical appearance or whether they like them rather than on more substantive questions (whether that's the economy, the environment, the family, or whatever).
Thank you for the support.
Yes, I tend to stand out a bit politically in the homeschooling community. But I am not as liberal as many think...I tend to be a bit of a conservative liberal, if that makes sense. I have even considered changing my party affiliation to Independent simply because the issues that concern me don't seem to fit nicely into either Democratic nor Republican camps. And I have never been one to vote the party line... but I still cannot seem to fit comfortably these days into one camp.
Oh well... not really what you needed to hear LOL
Shawna,
I'm not surprised to hear you're a "conservative liberal." It seems to me it's hard to homeschool and not have certain values different from the liberal establishment. But I understand the difficulty finding a home in a given political party; though I undoubtedly hold more conservative positions than you do, I'm also uncomfortable with the direction my own political party is taking these days. Sometimes I really HATE the two-party system, you know? More political parties means a better fit for individuals; but at the same time it makes it more difficult to elect national leadership. What do you think - would we be better off with a parliamentary system, where leaders would have to pull together a coalition in order to get elected?
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