Some of My Best Friends Are Republican

How did the country get so divided? Wasn’t there a time when we could agree to disagree? I disagree with a lot of people.

I disagree with my daughter who thinks High School Musical 2 is the greatest movie ever made.

I disagree with my son who thinks it’s okay that his room looks like a garbage dump.

I disagree with my mother about the need to have every single dish, knife, fork, and spoon, washed and put away before bedtime. (I tried to tell her this when I was 14 and got grounded.)

I disagree with my brother about which one of us is the least like our mother. (Please don’t tell her…she will ground me again)

And, most of all, I disagree with my husband about every opinion he has.

I disagree with these people, but I love them!

There are times when I disagree with friends and acquaintances about politics, but it doesn’t affect our relationships. There’s nothing like a good debate among friends!

Is the country really as partisan as the pundits try to make us?

I think most Americans want the same things: job opportunities (in this country), a living wage, merit pay, the ability to buy a house (and keep it), adequate health care, quality education for our children and the ability to send them to college, and something to live on when we get older. And, if we have to send our children to war to defend American interests…we want to know our commander-in-chief, his advisors, and our Congress… have thought out all possible options.

I bet most people would agree with this.

So why then can’t we come together to solve our problems?

Okay, so I guess this is a ‘naïve’ point of view….however, it doesn’t take years of ‘experience’ to know we are in gridlock as a country because of partisan divisions. Whoever is in power wastes time trying to get ‘even’ with the other side. Red versus Blue; Democrats versus Republicans…NOTHING IS GETTING DONE! Getting elected and maintaining office is more important than governing. The only happy folk are the special interests who are able to buy their own candidates.

My Republican friends share the same family values as my Democratic friends. Yes, there are many issues we disagree on, but it’s not always along political party lines. There are Democrats firmly opposed to abortion…there are Republicans who support gay marriage. It’s not always black and white….only on the news shows.

Some of my best friends (and my brother) are Republican. They are not attack dogs or part of a right-wing conspiracy. They just tend to relate more to the positions of the Republican party. I think they are wrong sometimes, (okay…many times) but, I respect their opinions.

I am a Democrat (for now.) I am not a lunatic, and my heart does not bleed for people who expect handouts. I will however, argue day and night over the needs of the afflicted, the young, the elderly, and the downtrodden. My Republican friends respect this.

Scripture tells us …..There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. This is not a season for battles. It is a season for reconciliation. The candidate who best exemplifies this will be our next president.

I believe that person is Barack Obama.