SUPER-EXTRA

I was listening to a radio station one morning and the reporter was interviewing potential voters and their views. When the third guy gave his opinion it drove home an ugly truth. Racism is alive and well. When asked why he would not vote for Obama, the gentleman calmly replied…”I just cannot vote for a colored man for President.” His statement was almost as surprising as my lack of reaction. His words had no effect on me either way. I was not surprised this ignorant white man refused to vote for Barack Obama simply because he was black. It’s not the first time ignorance has been spread through the airways. This was just the latest example. But then I quickly realized… I’m voting for Obama because he’s black. I’m just as ignorant as the guy I accused of being ignorant. His vote is strictly based on race as mine was. He refuses to vote for Obama because he’s black and I insist on voting for Obama because he’s black. Am I a racist? Ignorance truly has no bias. Ignorance is lack of knowledge. I had to accept the fact me and this guy actually had a lot in common. I sought to change that. Here is what I learned.

ABORTION:

McCain is pro-life

Obama is pro-choice

TAXES:

Obama: Individuals and small businesses making less than $250, 000 a year will get a tax cut. He is seeking 80 million dollars in tax breaks for those considered poor and elderly. The tax breaks will be compensated by raising taxes on those who are considered rich and large corporations.

McCain: Proposes a freeze on raising taxes for any one. And reducing taxes on big businesses. The theory is by reducing taxes for big businesses these companies will have more money to expand and create more jobs.

IRAQ:

Obama: Pushing for set dates for military withdrawal. He has been critical of the US going to IRAQ and also of the way the war is conducted.

McCain: was very critical of the way the war was being conducted initially. He is very supportive of the “surge” strategy. He does not believe in setting dates for withdrawal for the war.

HEALTH:

McCain: For refundable tax credits for individuals/families. He wants no mandate for universal coverage.

Obama: For free health care for everyone. If you get health-care from your employer then you will continue to do so. If you are not covered by your employer or are unemployed, your health needs will be provided by govt. subsidies.

MARRIAGE:

Both oppose same sex marriage.

Obama: Supports civil unions. He has fought to ensure equal protection for same-sex couples in an attempt to prevent hate crimes. Although Obama does not believe in same sex marriages he believes the ultimate decision to all same sex marriages should be left to each individual state.

McCain: Does not support civil unions. He worked to ban gay marriage in his state of Arizona.

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My Views:
1. I am pro-choice. I don’t believe any one has the right to tell a woman what to do with her body.

2. The TAX issue is interesting. I make less than $250,000, so I would love a tax cut. But if I was rich I would have to think about this issue a lot more. Honestly, it would be a close call.
3. I believe there has to be an exit strategy of the war in IRAQ, but we should not be setting any type of specific dates. I believe setting a withdrawal time-frame allows our enemies to just burrow down and wait it out until we leave on the date we set. However, McCain stated at a town hall meeting…..
Q: President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years — (cut off by McCain)

McCAIN: Make it a hundred.

Q: Is that … (cut off)

McCAIN: We’ve been in South Korea … we’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea 50 years or so. That would be fine with me…… ”

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While I don’t totally agree with either candidate, I have to side with Obama on the Iraq issue.

4. Everyone should have access to affordable HEALTH-care. So many children have died needlessly simply because their parents didn’t have insurance to care for easily treatable illnesses. Hard working individuals who clock in everyday and work hard for their families should have the opportunity to care for their families just as much as anyone else.
5. I believe MARRIAGE is defined as a union between a man and a woman. A word is defined and it ends there. That being said….Who are we to judge? I believe God loves all his children. I have seen gay couples more in love then some straight couples I know. I don’t believe people should be punished for who they fall in love with. Gay couples should have civil union rights that allow their partner access to life insurance and health benefits of their partner.
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So I am proud to say I am voting for Obama because I side with most of his views. But many people may vote for McCain because his views tend to side with their religious beliefs. I respect those who side with McCain because of their religious beliefs. Many McCain supporters are also rich and like the benefits of McCain’s plan. I also respect their reasons.
But don’t take my word for it. Do your own research and gather enough information to make your own informed decision. We are all naturally biased. Bias is not an excuse for ignorance. Your vote should depend on your moral/religious views, personal opinion, and general outlook on the world around you. If you vote for Barack Obama because he’s black your vote will still count. But please consider you are not much different than the “so-called” ignorant redneck who is voting for McCain.

Her first boyfriend who was dumb enough to cheat on her. You allowed her to move on and take the first steps into my arms. You gained her trust and her love and chose to not appreciate or cherish it. Thanks.

Can’t forget the next boyfriend who neglected to tell her he was married. You crushed what little faith she had left in men. You destroyed her spirit. She lost all hope in relationships, trust, and happiness with a man. Thanks for stopping by.

And last but not least, her father, who never gained the title of Dad. You were too sorry to stick around but I’m so glad you came. It was best you did not stick around if you were not man enough to show her what love and respect was from a man. You made the right decision since you were a punk. I want to thank all of you. All of you delivered her to me.

Despite all of your sinful efforts, she is heavenly. Her touch makes me forget how cold I am. Her voice makes me forget how bad my day was. She kisses my lips and breathes hope into me. I dip into her soul and stir up fantasies of our future together. I stare into her eyes and realize she’s looking for something within me. Her past has made her forget how it should be. Fear and pain have created walls around her being. Her, an Angel who lost sight of her wings. And me, killing her softly.

I blew my back out on Sunday. I called and told my job I will not be in due to my injury. I made a couple of other calls. I knew the jokes would follow and I was not disappointed. “She was good to you huh, man”. Another person said: “I told you about dancing crazy”. I picked her up off her feet on the dance floor one time. She never forgot it.  I called my mother and told her I would not make it today because of my back. After that, I hobbled to my bed and laid flat on my back. Staring at the ceiling, I asked… “Ok, god, you got my attention.” I wasn’t mad because I wasn’t going to complete what I had planned to do that day. I wasn’t shedding a tear cause of the pain. Instead, I used this time to catch up with her (God). She’s been trying to talk to me for years and I’ve ignored her. She dropped so many little hints but I was to busy to notice. We had a good conversation. I let her say her peace. She was right. I couldn’t disagree or argue with anything she said. I simply responded, “You right, I don’t want to fight no more”.

What are you ignoring? Is your body saying you need to rest but you “have too much to do”? Is your mind racing about what you should be doing? Are you too busy trying to impress those who do not really care about you in the long run? Do you even know what is really going on with you? Stop for a moment and just listen. More importantly, be honest with yourself. If you not happy, take time out and figure out why. If your life is in turmoil then take time to figure out why. But it’s not enough to acknowledge why. You then have to accept the reason and take action. Only when you are honest with yourself can you begin to heal.

After two days of no relief, I walked into the chiropractor’s office. While lying on the chiropractor’s chair, she kept asking…”Have you ever had pain in your back before? “Did anything ever happen regarding your back?” I said “no” several times before it finally dawned on me. For years, I’ve noticed very small pains in my back. It would feel a little stiff in the morning, but it would only last for about 10 minutes. I was helping my brother lift an outdoor furniture set into my truck a couple of years ago and I lost all my strength. I thought it was odd, but didn’t think about it again after that day. Throughout the years there have been more signs that something was wrong with my back, but I never took time to find out what the problem was. All of a sudden, lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, I had plenty of time. Don’t wait till you’re on your back. Don’t wait till you’re too old. Don’t wait for someone to love you. Don’t wait to be accepted by superficial people. Stop and listen. Then do something about it.