Yes, I know you're all upset about the fact that President Obama won re-election, and that Democrats kept the Senate. You know who you are; people I know from real life or in passing on Facebook. I know you're probably thinking that I'm gloating right now (and maybe I am...just a little), but I'm not writing about that in this diary. I'm here to console, and perhaps explain why, when I cast my ballot yesterday for the President.
First, I want to say, that freedom in America did not "end". Rather, freedom actually expanded. Gay people can now marry in three more states, and Obamacare, once in full effect, will be freeing people from the worry of having no health insurance for when they get sick or injured. The benefits from Obamacare that are already in effect will continue. And when it comes time to replace a possible retirement from the Supreme Court, Roe vs. Wade will remain, and decisions like Citizens United (which is why so much money was dumped into the election this time around) will not continue to corrupt our system even worse. Plutocracy, which is the system that Mitt Romney and his billionaire donors want for this country is not "freedom". Far from it, in fact, since it benefits the few as opposed to the many. Theocracy, which is what Paul Ryan and other Christian Reconstructionists want for this country is not "freedom". Dictating religious beliefs and not respecting the belief of others is a slap in the face to the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment of our Constitution, which reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I'm not a Christian, and haven't been for some time since my teen years. I'm a Solitary Wiccan. I don't force or proselytize my beliefs on others and I expect that same respect in return.
So, if you're curious as to why your side lost the White House and the US Senate, here are some points to know:
1. Rape apologia should have no place in political discourse. The fact that your party ran candidates who failed Biology 101 when it comes to basic human reproduction and said gross things about the experiences of women (like me) who have gone through the trauma that rape entails and everything that comes with it, has pissed off women in my situation enough that these guys lost. Most reasonable people tend to believe that when a woman goes through such an experience, that she at least be allowed the basic dignity to decide whether or not that pregnancy continues. (And I know a lot of you are at least reasonable enough to understand that.)
2. Your party needs to evolve into the 21st century when it comes to women's rights, LGBT rights, worker's rights, and the rights of people of color. The demographics are not in your favor.
3. People on a state level saw how Republican politicians have governed when they held all the power and didn't like what they saw.
4. Most people like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Being someone who relies on Medicaid for my needed medication for depression and anxiety disorders, preserving Medicaid and expanding it were very important to me. Paul Ryan's budget, for all intents and purposes, would have destroyed these programs.
My personal rule is this when voting for candidates - the deal breakers are always going to be my reproductive choices and my right to make the decision that is best for me and whether or not I can exercise those rights. It's also LGBT rights. If you're against one or both, you don't get my vote, regardless of party. It's as simple as that. I also won't abide destruction of the New Deal and the Great Society. If you want to do away with those things, that's fine. Just don't expect me to join in.