So this morning I was reading an article about how abortion is dividing the Catholic vote and that if you win Catholics (along with women, "working class" people, blacks, Hispanics, chickens...blah blah blah) that you basically win the swing states, and thus the election. One of the writers on the story spoke with Catholics in Scranton (gotta love 'em) about how they were voting. One guy, of many who the writer interviewed, said that he had supported Kerry 4 years ago, and had voted Hillary during this primary season. When asked who he was voting for now, he said that he was leaning towards McCain "because of the life issue." I am stumped? I don't get it.
This has GOT to be code for something else. A (racial)elephant in the room, perhaps?
Let me explain.
Both Kerry and Clinton support abortion rights and support the ruling of Roe v. Wade (1973), and have made no qualms about going against the Church on this issue (Kerry was banned from receiving communion because of this...but this opens another Pandora's box that I don't have time to argue here). Back to the current issue....
How can a person who voted for two Pro-Choice candidates in the past up and switch to a Pro-Life candidate suddenly, because of the "life issue," an issue that did not sway him in previous election cycles? Could this be the rearing of the proverbial elephant many are afraid to discuss, but has become a VERY REAL reality in this election and an unsaid reason why many say that will NOT vote for Obama?
I welcome thoughts....
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14 hours ago
2 comments:
I waitress part-time in a restaurant that serves many people who are not afraid to go on crazy political rants to people they have never met before. I love when they do this to me because I think they believe most waitresses do not have a mind of their own. I take the opportunity to set them straight (or try to anyway, I am not foolish enough to believe I can actually make them any less ignorant). Recently, I had a customer ask me this: "You know that Obama is half Egyptian?" I said, "That's funny, because his father is from Kenya." Then the guy said, "And his mother is a Muslim." And THIS I think is the real elephant in the room. I think a lot of people are afraid of him based on his name alone. One customer tried to tell me that Obama is the Anti-Christ, as described in the Bible (he said the Book of Revelations said it will be a charismatic, Muslim man in his 40's). According to snopes.com, the Book of Revelations was completed about 400 years before the Islamic religion was even founded. I deal with a lot of people on a weekly basis at the restaurant who seem to be living with the fear that Obama is a secret Muslim terrorist who is out to destroy us all-especially since he will have the nuclear codes in his power.
I am sure that there is a racial elephant roaming around the room as well, but what I keep hearing about (and getting forwarded e-mails about) is religion.
What do you think?
OMG, I shared that Egyptian comment with a co-worker and WE.WERE.DYING! I totally knew Obama was a Muslim terrorist, but it is so nice to see that others have picked up on it too. What gave it away? The mother from Kansas? The living in "exotic" Hawaii? The community organizing? The Harvard education? All of these things automatically said TERRORIST to me.
And for the record, I LOVED your response to that man. He probably was like, oh my, SHE likes him too. She must also be a terrorist. All- O-Biden supporters are of course!
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