I am disgusted. Not with the outcome of this election, but by the words that have been used to show that we are not as united as we’d like to think. Did I vote for Obama? No, I didn’t. But I am still supportive of our nation’s decision in choosing to keep him as our President.
As a military spouse, choosing a president is extremely important to me. With a husband who serves this country, you can understand how essential it is for me to stay on top of political issues when foreign affairs are involved. And it is even more important for me to stand united with my country while thousands of men and women, including my husband and friends are still fighting for us.
Both Romney and Obama supporters are guilty here. I get that those who voted for Mitt are disappointed. And I understand those who voted for Obama are overjoyed. But we can share our feelings without being foul. Recently I watched a solemn crowd listen to Gov. Romney give his last words in the 2012 election. And as he offered prayers to our President I felt at peace with this decision. But once the cameras showed Obama’s headquarters in Chicago I couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the sight of t-shirts that read “99 problems and Mitt ain’t one” “Once you go black you never go back”, or reading a sign that is in accordance with the Civil Rights Movement that read “We HAVE overcome”. Again, I understand that our country is excited, but associating this debate with the hard times our country faced years and years ago only makes me feel like we have stepped backwards. It hurt me deeply to read that sign that almost alluded to the fact that because I didn’t vote for Obama then I must be against him as a black man. In 2008 I understood and shared in the excitement over electing our first African American President. I remember feeling a bit of joy over it as I did vote for him. But this year’s election shouldn’t have been about that at all. To suggest that those who voted for Romney to be racist (and I have seen statements that have said so) is wrong. How is that uniting us?
But what also hurts are those who have said that our country is “stupid”, or that we are doomed because Obama has been reelected. That to me is ignorance. The majority of our country has made it clear they believe in our President. They support him. And by no means do we all have to agree with this decision, but as a united nation we should respect it. He is just one man. His decisions alone are not what shape this nation. We are not doomed. Our nation isn’t going to fall into socialist hands. We will survive another 4 years. I promise. For some it might be a little harder and for others it may come easier. But that’s all part of our democracy. That is the beauty of our country. And the fact we as a nation decide upon all issues, is one of the most admiring aspects of the Unites States of America.
And for all who are utterly disappointed in how our election system runs, let me remind you that there are hundreds of countries that don’t ever have the choice to pick their leader. Many are forced to live under the rule of a dictator. Be thankful for our countries right to vote.
And I will close with how proud I am of our Presidents speech. Even though I didn’t vote for him, I must have faith in him as my president.
“I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.” - President Barack Obama
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