Politics

This is for every person, it’s for the person who wants to stick their head in the sand, or the one who wants to put their fingers in their ears and scream “I’m not listening”. Whenever election season begins people become frustrated with “all the politics”. Considering we are at the peak of this election season that frustration is at an all-time high for people. I have been hearing “all the politics” too; the debates, comments, and grumblings. I have not really forced my political views on people I know, not because I don’t care about politics because I do, but because I have never really cared for the outcome as much as I do today. I want my peers and friends to understand what politics means. It is not some dirty word to bring a bad taste in your mouth, it’s not fighting, or even synonymous with lying. It is the change in our lives, and let me explain how.

First things first, I don’t care what you say about your vote not counting. It does. And if you don’t vote in elections you have no business, no business complaining about what happens to our country. You had your chance to choose the person to best represent your morals, ideas, and views and you passed it up. So if you care one iota, vote.

I also want to address those who don’t really believe the issues people are grumbling about or the legislation that is passed really affects us. Think for a moment on the legal changes that our country has made since its begun…

The Sherman Antitrust Act – passed in 1890, was the first federal antitrust law and is the source of all American antimonopoly laws. It was designed to protect consumers from large corporations that were using unscrupulous means to raise prices artificially.

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916– banned the sale of products from any factory, shop, or cannery that employed children under the age of 14, from any mine that employed children under the age of 16, and from any facility that had children under the age of 16 work at night or for more than 8 hours during the day.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964– prohibited segregation in public places, terminating Jim Crow laws in the South. It also outlawed segregation in businesses, required the integration of schools, eliminated unequal voter registration requirements, and prohibited employment discrimination. The law was a significant step toward equal treatment of both blacks and women in the United States.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act -passed in 1967, is a wide-ranging law that protects workers age 40 or older from employment discrimination.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act – passed in 1978, amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting workplace discrimination based on pregnancy. It also requires employers who offer health insurance to provide coverage for pregnancy-related health needs.

Many of these have been adjusted since they first became legislation. Here are a few other examples of major changes…

13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution– in 1865, this amendment officially abolished slavery in the United States. It passed the Senate on April 8, 1864 and after some political struggle, it made it through the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865.

 14th Amendment of the U.S Constitution– contained three major terms; The Citizenship Clause granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, The Due Process Clause declared that states may not deny any person “life, liberty or property, without due process of law.”, and finally The Equal Protection Clause which said that a state may not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. This amendment marked a significant shift in the way the Constitution was applied in America, and it is cited in more court cased than any other.

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution– granted women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a long and difficult struggle, spanning generations of lobbying efforts and protests by supporters of women’s suffrage.

All of these were issues that were debated, commented on, and grumbled about. As a matter of fact, people struggled with making these changes, some of which lasted for generations. Think about how much these changes have affected our country, people, and specifically, your life. Think about where you would be if these changes did not happen, if the people did not struggle and fight over it. This stuff matters, and usually it’s the stuff that matters that you have to fight for.

Also, let us be thankful we have the ability to voice our opinions in political issues. I know it can become annoying and frustrating, however consider the blessing of being able to say you agree or disagree with issues or candidates. In some countries people have been killed for this… or even less.

There are certain issues that have caused people to pause before they mentally fill in the circle next to a candidate. Personally, I am not letting myself get hung up over one, or even two issues that a candidate and I don’t totally agree on. Why? Let’s face it, I am never going to completely 100% agree with any candidate because they are human beings. They are not perfect. Jesus Christ himself would have to run for presidency in order for me to be able to completely agree with a candidate on every single issue we face today. So it is time to buck up and pick the worthiest candidate to best represent yourself and our country.

Yes, I am very conservative. I am not totally content with the candidates to choose from, but I have to make a choice. I honestly believe some candidates have harmful intentions (they may not think so… or they may) and I believe some have good intentions. I stand behind one.

Let me touch on the “certain issues” topic. We live in tough times. We live in a Babylon (a culture filled with sin, immorality, and wrongdoing). There are some issues that I believe can be addressed by our president and legislators, and there are some issues that can’t. I honestly believe because we live in such times there are some issues I know will only be changed by an act of God, not legislation. And I do not take these issues lightly. I will repeat myself, I do not take these issues lightly. Why? Because one of the most discussed issues today has had an impact on me and my family. However, I understand we live in a worldly culture, and I trust God will work it out in the end. The question to consider is whether you can vote for the candidate that will represent your beliefs on issues that can be changed today, tomorrow, or in the next four years.