Unruly Behavior

Ok, I have this wacky, far left wing friend in California. He's been sending to me via e-mail, mixed in with the Jokes and Stories, what he things is wrong with Bush/Cheney for the past few years. I've known him since about 1997. Last time I saw him was probably 1999. So not a really close friend, wasn't ever expecting to see him in person again anyway. But the e-mails were cool, his Holiday newsletter is always a good fun read, and he the first diabetic I remember meeting, so we've talked about my health a bit the past year.

Then on Thursday, I got the following e-mail from him. I've removed his name and e-mail address, he does not know aout this blog:

People who voted Republican were stupid and ignorant.

If you voted for Bush/Cheney, please stop all contact with me.

You are contemptible and despicable.

I guess this is just part of the problem with Politics in our country today, if you buy into the other side's bullshit to much, or even worse, into your own side's bullshit too much, you end up polarized and bitter.

If either presidential canidate was as bad as the other side would have had you believe, the best thing we could have done was ship them both off to another part of the world.

Here is my problem: I am a social liberal, but fiscally conservative. I don't care if gays get married; while I believe that abortion is wrong, I don't think you'll ever stop it through legislation; I think that welfare is a waste of my resources and should be stopped; and that the government takes more than enough of my money for the levels of services that they provide.

There is no party for me. Neither the Democrats or Republicans represent my values. So when election time comes, I have to look at the canidates and evaluate which one will come cloest to my views in an area that will benefit me, or if certian things are going well for me, which one will rock the boat the least.

So for this election I listened, I thought, and I voted. I voted in more than just the presidential election, and I did not vote, nor have I ever, a straight ticket. I voted for all three parties in Texas as a matter of fact. I chose who I thought was the best canidate for the job.

In the choice for president, my decision was based primairly on economics, and the benefits that I have had from the tax cuts of the past four years. Yet, I'm not rich, I'm barely middle class, and still I had over $2000 in tax cuts last year, and will have even more this year. So by now, I'm guessing you can guess which way I voted for president.

Here are some other problems I had with the democratic attitude this year. I remember seeing Ben Affleck up there with Kerry, complaining tht he had saved $1.5M in tax cuts due to President Bush. John Kerry also kept saying over and over how he and his bitch of a wife Teresa, did not need the Bush tax cuts.

Here is what they didn't say or mention: You can pay more than the minimum due at tax time. If you want to pay more, it is your option. Ben, go ahead and pay that extra $1.5M if you think you missed out on paying. John, Psycho Bitch, pay the extra taxes on your ketchup made overseas if you feel you missed out.

In closing - I've voted every chand I've had since I turned 18 in 1986. This is the only Presidential election in which I have voted and the canidate I voted for has won. Only one. I've never hated anyone for voting for another canidate. They are entitled to their opinion. If your canidate didn't sell a majority of voters to their side, and sales is that this is, then you have to move on, support the winner, because they are your President/VP/Judge/City Councilman/Whatever.

NO MATTER HOW YOU VOTED THE PERSON ELECTED REPRESENTS YOU.

This is a republic, not a democracy, your vote counts. If Bush had won 80% to 20% he would have had a different message from the people. The close race got the point across to some degree I am sure. Get over it and work to change the things you can now, and bide your time if you think other things should be changed later.