I can't imagine there's a person out there who doesn't at least care a little about politics at this moment but here is my political post. I don't want to be too repetitive here, but it seems too important NOT to talk about.
Obviously, we all have preferred candidates. Obviously, we all have a preferred set of policy based on our values. Politics matter because policy matters because policy affects people and people matter. (as said by Allie Stuckey).
Do I think a Biden/Harris administration will be good for the country?
I don't.
Sorry, guys. I think some of you saw Donald Trump as the antithesis of what you believe you believe (if that makes sense) and thought the other direction would be better. I'm not telling you what you believe; I'm suggesting that the media in general skews a certain way and if you pay attention to any form of media, you're inclined to think the way they want you to think. This is similar to how many Americans don't actually understand what BLM means and what the founders of that movement believe. No one outright tells us these things and unless you have the time or interest to really dig in, a person doesn't often get all of the information.
There's nothing wrong with disliking Trump. I don't love the guy. I like his policy. Remember, policy matters because people matter because policy affects how we live.
This is a really shallow example... for all of you who love your Amazon Round-up posts: you know that Biden/Harris don't believe in capitalism, right? Or, maybe Biden does deep down? Harris just believes in leftism. Those who will run the show are the radical left and they are the ones who believe in socialism. If you like to shop, you voted against your interests.
I saw a tweet by someone on the far left that said she was stress-shopping during election week and she *knows* capitalism is "bad" but she couldn't help it. Okay?
^This is a very low-level example of how it's impossible to square away a Biden/Harris vote if you don't know what you believe, just because others are telling you that Donald Trump is a fascist (note: a fascist dictator cannot simply be voted out of office in a Constitutional Republic). AND...one more note about fascism...for all of the folks who are calling the current President a fascist, many of them are also calling for nationwide lockdowns and mask mandates, which is actual fascism and totalitarianism.
However:
Under Biden/Harris, I think taxes will go up, I think rights will start to disappear or be questioned in a way that they previously haven't been...school choice will disappear, jobs will vanish, gun rights will diminish, and free speech will be in jeopardy. Foreign policy will circle the drain. We will be dealing with Iran, Russia, and China again; there's a reason why those countries don't like Trump. They knew Obama/Biden was an easy administration to manipulate. Biden has a horrible foreign policy record. Harris has no foreign policy experience and I wasn't particularly hopeful that she was willing to learn about it after hearing her nothing answers in the VP debate.
I won't get into the character and personal corruption of Biden/Harris (there's a lot), because I'm thinking about the well-being of the country and the well-being of the country doesn't need to rest on the personal life/interests of the President.
The good news: Coronavirus will be effectively handled now, I'm sure. Biden said he will shut down the virus. If you listen to any left-wing pundit or leftist, Donald Trump was personally responsible for the mishandling of the response to the coronavirus, which is fascinating because it's still running rampant in Europe. Now that Biden will be in charge, mask mandates, more lockdowns that will absolutely destroy businesses and lives, and school shutdowns will happen.
Those who are calling for lockdowns are missing nothing but their social lives. I'm assuming most can work from home. If we're going to speak of privilege in 2020, that's where we need to start.
And to those who believe school shutdowns/virtual learning is good: what exactly is good about it?* Kids aren't learning and parents are stretched to their limits. School isn't daycare but parents rely on it so they can go to work. This is making life unbearable for many families.
Alllll of this to say: If you have spent 4 years being permanently angry and bitter and morose and depressed and ...I don't know...just plain mad, you have wasted 4 years.
I didn't like Obama. But I thrived personally and professionally during his administration because very little of his Presidency affected my day-to-day life at first. Maybe I was young and naive? Probably.
I lived in 4 states, traveled the country, got married, taught at 5 schools, got two dogs, started a blog, made hundreds of friends and acquaintances, experienced highs, lows, etc.
He had very little to do with the state of my happiness. Politics should not be the end all, be all for your happiness. But some policies affect how we live more than others do so we can have the discussion of what Obama did that wasn't great if you'd like.
However, if you are a Christian, you fall into an entirely separate category. Politics is NOT our end-all. It is not the goal. By saying God is sovereign, I'm not saying just to turn to God and not care about what is happening in our country; we should care. It's our duty as citizens. I'm saying that this does not surprise God (just as coronavirus and the whole of 2020 was not a surprise to God). He is sovereign over all of it and all of us.
A few things to note though, because I would be remiss if I didn't mention: To those acting as if Biden is our personal savior...he's not. To those saying a Catholic is back in the White House and that's...good? Um, he was denied communion because of his stance on abortion. He is less Catholic than me concerning his actual beliefs, and I'm not Catholic at all.
If you are a Christian and you weighed the options and you voted for the party that stands for abortion up until the point of birth (and don't say it never happens..if it never happens, we don't need legislation for it), I truly don't know how you fit those puzzle pieces together. Your vote is your vote; I'm just curious. It's ironic that this comes from the party who also says "science is real" as a tagline. This is something else I don't understand: Like, literally, who doesn't believe in science? Since "climate" is synonymous with "science" these days, no one is actually denying a changing climate. Will the world end in 7 years because of the climate? Doubtful.
My point:
If you voted for Biden and are upset about how close the election was, it may be a clue that there are a lot of people out there who disagree with your political beliefs.** Disagreement over policy doesn't mean racist, xenophobic, transphobic, bigoted, or whatever else. The entirety of the United States is not your specific cohort on the internet. I follow an equal number of liberals and conservatives. I consider it to be important to understand all sides of an argument and not cement myself into a bubble.
Feel free to comment (or email me if you don't want to comment!).
I welcome productive discussion!
*COVID is a whole different topic and I'm not going to voice all of my opinions on that in this post.
**Worth noting that states have not certified their votes yet and the "projected winner" is not the same as the "President-Elect".
