A purple Geo Metro pulls up next to hubby and I on our way to a local Publix for some dinner grub... The entire side panel of the car is spray painted with big white letters: "Vote American, Vote McCain".
I love the fact that so many are willing to deface their personal (and, in some instances, public) property to get the message across. I love that no cop will pull him over because he has stuff written on his car. I love the fact that I can disagree with his choice of a presidential candidate. It's all good. Freedom to voice our opinions in any way, shape or form is imperative for this democracy to function - I am all for it.
The thing that irks me though, is that the message of Obama's ‘un-Americanness' stuck with so many, that they make it the central issue of this election. The man driving this car will walk in to the voting booth tomorrow and cast his ballot against a person with a funny name and olive skin, not because he disagrees with his policies, but because his name is not John, or Joe, or anything Anglo-Saxon sounding. He will indeed vote his prejudices, as will many others.
If vote American means voting our fears and prejudices, in his own mind he will be casting a patriotic vote. I always thought of this country as a Land Of Hope and Opportunity, the Land of Freedom and Eqality, and the Land of Courage. There is no courage in being afraid of those different from ourselves....
J-Mac, a man I admire immensely, will also vote for John McCain, but for reasons of policy. He will exercise his right to vote responsibly. I think the greatest threat to our democracy is posed not from without by al-Queda or Iraq or any faction that despises us at the moment, but by John Doe's with little capacity for thought, little curiosity about the world around them, and the power to vote.
Whatever you do tomorrow, for those of you who have not cast your ballot yet, vote responsibly.
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