Kansan Blog #5

I must credit the inspiration for this blog post to John Allen of Christ Community Church.

Ah, bumper stickers. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're offensive, and sometimes you just don't get them at all.
But what do they mean this election season?
It's simple: they let the world know what your affiliation is. You wouldn't dare go out in public without letting everyone know exactly where you stand, right? You display that puppy proudly, leaving no room for possible stereotypes at all.
But come November, what do you do with quite permanent stickers that don't really apply at all?
Just in case the other guy is elected, you leave the sticker on your bumper.
If things go south and the president turns out to be a total !@#$^#%$#@, you have that sticker as a backup, saying that you're not responsible for what's happening in Washington.
And that's a problem.
We as Americans are so used to getting everything we as individuals want and not nearly as much used to caring about America as a singular unit. Sure the Constitution gives us the right to petition, the right to be nasty towards the government, but at what cost?
We're supposed to be the United States of America (emphasis added). If all we care about is getting our favorite in the White House or making sure everyone knows we didn't vote for the guy in there currently (you all do know that in April of 2009, everyone's gonna hate the president no matter who he is, right?), then where is the United? Are we just the States of America Who Occasionally Agree But Don't Really Like To Admit It?
The point of this election is not to have the United States of Obama vs. the United States of McCain. The point of this election is to elect as a country he who we think as a country will lead us the best. Yes, we'll disagree and vote for one or the other, but come November, a change should happen.
Don't leave your McCain sticker on if Obama gets elected.
Don't leave your Obama sticker on if McCain gets elected.
When the smoke clears in November, he will be OUR president. We need to stand behind him, recognize him as our choice as a country, and move forward.
We are a democracy for a reason. Let's keep the United in United States.
Discussion

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pantheon
6 October 2008
at 11:42 a.m.
Suggest removal

No. If one is elected over the other, I want you to look at percentages. That percent that voted for the loser? They voted for the loser. That's what they wanted. When the results are announced, you may feel a disturbance in the Force, as though many voices cried out and were suddenly silenced. That's American democracy. That's unity through faith, and strength through unity. If two people say something and you believe something else, shut up. If you're ready to shut up, that's fine. Some of us, though, are people. And you can pry our guns from our cold dead fingers.

fchambers
5 November 2008
at 9:08 a.m.
Suggest removal

I understand that its important that we rally 'round the president -I wrote a similar article in 2004 after Bush beat Kerry. But that does not make it any easier to accept the decision that was made. I think people just need a few weeks to recover. Its like a breakup. It takes 6 months to get over someone you have been dating a year, and a day for every month after that you year were dating. Some of us have been "dating" our candidates since 2006.

csommerville
5 November 2008
at 11:23 a.m.
Suggest removal

Holy crap no. This is an ELECTION. We haven't been "dating" candidates, and good grief, if we have, then there's some problems there. Time to recover? That's also known as being a poor sport and making sure that everyone knows you weren't responsible for the man elected.
This isn't a breakup, this isn't a relationship. Grow up, realize that you can't change (no pun intended) what happened last night, and get on with your life.