Many R 2 Blame 4 Trump

 THERE IS PLENTY OF BLAME TO SHARE

+Bishop Durrell Watkins, D.Min. 

   I'm super annoyed. I know, take a number. But I'm not just annoyed by Our Clockwork Orange administration, or by Christian Nationalism (more broadly known as white supremacism), or by the earth crying out in pain (& her tears can cayse us quite a bit of pain) in response to abuse humanity has inflicted upon her. I'm annoyed by the all too common narrative that VP Harris was a bad choice & JB before her (& thst narrative is what made her a candidate).  If only the D's had made wiser choices(!). Um, no.

   I don't buy that  we had bad candidates (when T has a chance in hell, quality isn't the issue, & Harris is as good a leader as we might hope for & better than we deserved). I don't buy that D's are too liberal or too conservative, too much like GOP, too little like Rust belt America. Few D candidates are as left of center as FDR who saved this country from ruin. Both FDR & Johnson promised government help to address poverty and in differing measure, to address racial discrimination. And even if Dems are left of the vibe of the moment, their job is to sell their ideas, not hide/disguise/deny them to win elections. 

   This is a racist, homophobic, sexist country (one's singular lesbian friend or one hardline POC candidate does not negate this), wealth (even by those who lack it) is our religion, & the commercialized American church has embraced the greed & hatred & called them holy. Oligarchy, racism, neo-fascist leanings, & theocracy have conspired together to dominate this country, destroy its diversity, & diminish its compassion. This has been in the works for 40 years & they made a grab for power (complete with attacking the capital & being pardoned for it!!) when they knew few ppl of consequence would stand in their way. That is not the cause of any one or seven Dem tickets. 

Inexiable nonvoters are hugely to blame, as is the media who sold fact checking & truth telling for ratings & $$ while giving free air time to the most loathsome voices in American politics. 

   The coalition of evil told us they were coming (a rare instance of honesty) & the mild middle & pusillanimous media held the door open for them as they came. 

   And, the largest share of blame goes to every eligible voter who saw women's rights bulldozed, trans* people demonized, social safety nets put on the chopping block (as I angrily mix metaphors), & racist rhetoric normalized & thought, "Hell yeah, that sounds pretty good". 

   As culpable are those who saw how ugly it all was & supported it anyway for tax breaks or cult like loyalty to a brand. "I don't feel that way" means squat all if you in fact vote that way.

   We've lost house, senate, scotus, and WH...that coup took decades, not one Tuesday in one November. With little left to lose we may as well offer the bold alternative. They call centrists the "far left." I wish we could organize a loud & fully committed Left. We can at least speak up as conscience demands & vote every single time (local too). 

   But for now, the "how did we get here" question cannot be answered with "people didn't like the old guy who wasn't demonic & they didn't like the woman of color, so what could they do but empower an amoral dictator?" 

   No. People chose perfidy & cruelty & avarice and now we have chaos (as we did in his first term, but now there are fewer adults to restrain him and his dementia has worsened). Maybe we'll learn from this...but I have doubt.

   This is a huge mess. We can all do what we can, if not with real hope of healing, then as least with the consolation of having engaged in moral resistance. But this burning dinosaur turd is not because a Black woman was thrust into a candidacy with only 100 days to build a movement. It's because we've watched bigotry & greed grow larger, stronger, & more organized for over 4 decades without calling it out consistently & with conviction. Some are now coming to the realization that may have been a mistake. (dw)

Hateful Administrations: We've seen them before, we'll survive them again

The text of my homily for the Nov. 6 Post-Election Prayer Service at Sunshine Cathedral:

Pastoral Response to the Election
Bishop Durrell Watkins, D.Min.
11-6-24

I am not a party loyalist, nor am I always enthusiastic about the leadership of my default party. But I am always troubled by people being demonized, whether they are immigrants or transgender persons or drag artists or women who want to own their own bodies.
And when vulnerable populations are targeted, I tend to speak up and stand up and sometimes even act out.

From pensioners to Queer families to transgender members of society to immigrants to climate scientists to civil rights activists – folk are afraid right now, for themselves and for their loved ones.
There is no reason to dismiss their fears. We can hope that the worst of what they fear will not happen, we can assure ourselves that we will stand together and support one another come what may, but anxiety today is to be expected.

But you know what? I’ve been afraid before. When our government wouldn’t say the word AIDS, and hesitated with funding research for it, and when I lived during a time of sodomy laws and my every act of intimacy was a crime…I was not infrequently scared. 

In high school, obviously gay but not out – not even really to myself, every day was miserable. The battle for marriage equality gave me plenty of agita. The last three elections weren’t good at all for my hypertension. 

But I was born in the era of civil rights struggle and I was a child during the sexual revolution and the peace movement and Stonewall and women’s liberation and I’ve been alive for the passing of and the dismantling of Roe v. Wade. 

This isn’t my first time to be faced with uncertain times and to hear almost hourly threatening rhetoric. But I’m still here, and so are you. I’m a product of Queer Nation and ACT UP. I’ve battled with family, church and state my whole life. I battled hatred and fear and discrimination in the midst of a viral holocaust.
So one thing I know about scary times is that we are equal to them. 

We feel fear, and we do what needs to be done anyway.
We feel fear, and help one another find a bit of bravery.
We feel fear and we let it fuel creativity and resilience and determination.
And we love one another through the scary times. 

No referendum, no court ruling, no abusive use of scripture, no family rejection, no negative ad campaign, no election of anyone to any office…nothing can diminish the power of our love and nothing can keep us from sharing it with one another. 

We have dealt with bullies our whole lives.
Sometimes we hid, sometimes we ran, sometimes we fought, sometimes we won, but we survived, and we will survive.
Greater is the love within us than the hatred that’s in the world. 

So, if you’re worried about your civil rights, your safety, the way other vulnerable populations might be treated, I can’t tell you that you don’t have good reason for that. But I can tell you that we’re in it together, and together, our voice is magnified, our courage is amplified, our resilience is fortifide, and our creativity is glorified. 

We’ll love each other through this and every challenge, as we always have. It’s one of many things we’re super good at. Today is sad, but the badassery of our love is intact. Amen.

Don't Blame LGBTQ - We Voted Against Cruelty & Injustice in Huge Numbers

 "LGBT voters, a larger share of the electorate than ever, shift away from Trump Vice President Kamala Harris led President-elect Donald Trump 86% to 12% among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters, according to the NBC News Exit Poll Desk."

Bless my tribe.

"Harris’ performance among LGBT voters was stronger than that of any Democratic candidate in the last five presidential elections."

That for real makes me proud.

LGBTQ voters doubled since 2008.

People are hurting and afraid after the 2024 election

 People are hurting, afraid, bereaved, bewildered, angry, sad...it is not helpful for someone who has the luxury of not having those same concerns tell them to relax, be calm, stay positive, have faith, in the end it'll be okay or "God's got this." There may be truth in those platitudes, and we will be more or less okay, but that does not preclude struggle, disappointment, & injustices along the way; and, it does not mean that we feel okay today. People worried about deportation, bans based on their faith, stripping away of their bodily autonomy, access to healthcare, or their marriage being invalidated don't need those not in similar peril to be dismissive of their experience. Yes we hope. Yes we work & believe in the work. And, we also can be overwhelmed by disturbing news, by cruelty, by attacks against our agency & right to live authentically. Some of us may need a minute, & it costs nothing to allow people time to process their feelings, start getting a plan together, connect with their tribe, & find their path back to hope.

Time to Give a Damn

The GOP abandoned democracy (& compassion & human kindness) for the hope of an extremist theocracy,

While the complacent sat out election after election,

And when things get difficult a significant numbers of my fellow libs resort to self sabotage (like demanding that someone who has produced record results in 3.5 years stand down bc he's not a debate ninja & be replaced by someone who would have a couple of months to mount a defense against a well funded autocracy machine that has spent 40 years perfecting their demonic agenda...

Folks better start voting and acting like they know that the worst of human ugliness is powerfully on the move.

GOP...abandon never popularly elected, twice impeached, 34x felon, racist, pathological liar Mango Mussolini.

Cult of Apathy...stop it. SCOTUS is lost for at least a generation, Roe is gutted, Voting Rights act is gutted, Affirmative Action is gutted, and presidents now have just been given dictatorial powers ... while we still have some rights (& ps they're toast if Project 2025 is enacted), plz start pretending to give a shit. We've lost more than a free nation ever should. Don't hand what's left to those who are working tirelessly for a theocratic oligarchy.

Liberals...we're good at saying what's wrong & how it should be, and then at strategy time fucking it all up to guarantee we'll always have things to complain about. Support Biden, his team, his record, his organization, and if he drops dead during his acceptance speech there will be a competent and experienced administration ready to move forward that very minute.

Let's see...far right, sit it outs, liberals...yeah, got us all. Now do better. Our lives & liberties (as many as still exist) are literally on the line. (dw)

Midterm Election Prayer

Midterm Election Prayer
By Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Spirit of shared life,
In the United States it is election time again.
It is time to choose our House of Representatives, a third of our Senate, and many of our governors and local officials.
We can’t ask you to do what we will not, but we can invite you into our thinking, into our actions, into our attitudes, and into our service.
It is both a right and a responsibility of all citizens to vote.
May we have the courage to resist voter suppression.
May we have the desire to participate in shaping the direction of our nation.
May we know that our votes matter, and are needed.
And may we vote according to conscience and character.
May our votes be influenced by both head and heart.
May our votes protect equality, promote justice, preserve peace, and proclaim a respect for the dignity of all people.
Inspire us to vote in this election, and in every election that follows.
May we do our best to be our best, in the name of all that is good and holy. Amen.

Angry With Non-Voters

IF the election had broken down like this: 65% voter turnout with those who voted supporting Trump 51%, Clinton 47%, Other candidates 2%...I would still hate the current administration's agenda, but I would have to accept it. I would have to admit that a narrow but signficant and legitimate majority wanted this and that's democracy, that a vision different from the one that inspires me prevailed. "Suck it up and make the most of what I believe is a bad situation" would be my advise to myself. BUT that isn't how it broke down! Instead, about HALF the electorate stayed home, the person who would be swown in as the 45th POTUS got 3 million fewer votes than his opponent and only 27% of the country actually voted for him. Gay rights, women's rights, voting rights, the dignity of immigrants, hope for refugees, the environment, PEACE, the arts, public broadcasting, education, and safety and dignity for the majority of seniors are ALL in jeaporday now - Not because 27% of the country voted for a vision I detest, but because about half the country didn't vote at all. And in all honesty, I'm still struggling with that. It was civic malfeasance for which our whole country and possibly most of the world will be paying for years to come. The people who "won" are just people I happen to disagree with; the people who didn't care one way or the other what happens to the lives of the people who make up this country are the ones I remain angry with...I will forgive because my sanity depends on it, but I'm not there yet.

Not Worried YET About Voter Turnout

So, I see people lamenting about the less than robust Democratic primary turnout. Let me throw some positive spin on the situation. The GOP turnout is apparently hearty. That's good (people engaging in politics is a good thing). However, they started out with close to 20 candidates, and still 5ish that are hanging on. Perhaps there are only two REAL contenders at this point, but still, that was a lot of candidates each with a fan base, and some of those former candidates have thrown support to some of the survivors. That's a lot of energy. 

Meanwhile, the Dems have two (really), and and while the discourse between their camps is disappointing sometimes, in reality, neither camp REALLY believes the other would be a disastrous choice. So, if I'm marginally more in favor of Clinders over Santon, but could pretty easily live with Santon instead of Clinders, I might be less motivated to take off work early to cast a vote. 

So, I'm not worried yet about primary turnout. I am choosing to hope that regardless of primary numbers, people come out in DROVES in November to vote. 

Women's sovereignty over their own bodies, the survival of marriage equality, the continuation of economic recovery, access to higher education and to healthcare, a non-hijacked supreme court, and true religious freedom (including the freedom to live safely as a Muslim, or as a non-religious person, or as a gay-positive/pro-choice/transgender-affirming religious person) are all on the line. I'm guessing those issues will be much more compelling when it just a two person race. I do hope so. 

So, Dems (and 3rd partiers), the GOP is showing us how to be good, engaged citizens throughout the process. Let's thank them and follow their example. But in any case, get your asses out there, stand in line in the rain for hours if you must, and VOTE (and demand that your vote be counted if there are any shenanigans) in November. A lot is at stake.

Stranger in My Own Land

I am perplexed (as, apparently, many progressives are):
Social Security is the most effective and popuplar social program in US history; State after state has done what the Federal government won't~increase minimum wage; Marijuana is now legal in a handful of states; Marriage equality is now a reality in 3/5 of the country (often thanks to GOP appointed judges!); AND the people who have demanded, accepted, and celebrated Social Security, Minimum Wage hikes, legalized pot, and Marriage equality voted for Reps, Senators, and Governors who oppose ALL OF THAT. Some sociologist can become famous if s/he will figure out why centrist people either vote for (or don't vote at all) right wing ideologues who oppose what they actually value. Of course gerrymandering, the assault on the Voting Rights Acts, and Citizens United have made it difficult for marginalized people to have a voice in government, but even with those obstacles, I still can't make sense of a nation that twice consecutively votes for a progressive president also voting consistently (or not at all) for legislators who work tirelessly to oppose that president's vision. I am a stranger in my own land.

Homophobia Isn't Over

HOMOPHOBIA IS NOT OVER by Durrell Watkins, D.Min.

"You homos have it good enough. There are ‘real’ issues to deal with.” That is a message that never ceases to amaze and infuriate me.

People who say that are telling us to stop complaining about churches telling us that we are damned, about parents beating and abandoning their gay and trans kids, about bullies tormenting non-binary youth, about LGBT kids winding up homeless, addicted, or attempting suicide, about governors putting our rights to a vote or declaring our lives and families to be unmentionable, and to stop complaining when politicians use transphobic rhetoric or when homophobic preachers export their hate to nations where people can be imprisoned and killed for being gay, and in some cases can be punished for simply helping or defending LGBT people. Those who want to silence LGBTQ+ people want to be free to be callous and cruel without being bothered by our objections. 

Caring about LBGTQQIAA rights does not mean that we should not and do not also care about economic justice, racism, misogyny, peace, the environment, immigration, gun safety, universal health care and other important issues. We each do what we can for what we have the most passion about because it’s all important...but if you tell me my Queer life is not as important as other lives because in your estimation my life is good enough (or even better than you believe it has a right to be), then you will have lost me as a conversation partner.

Climate change is a real issue and it must be addressed. Economic justice must be pursued. Racism is a sickness that plagues this country at every level. The on-going colonization of women’s bodies is vile and vicious. Wars, addiction, reproductive freedom, affordable higher education, food insecurity…these are all important issues and we can work and pray and vote with each of these issues in mind. And while we do so, we can still care about LGBTQ rights and safety. There is enough love in our hearts to want justice, happiness, and prosperity for all people. 

Please vote in every election. The church can’t make contributions to campaigns or as a church endorse candidates, but as a spiritual and community leader, I can encourage you to vote and to vote in ways that you believe will preserve the rights and welfare of all people. 

            LGBTQ+ folk have been around forever and we will be around forever more. And we have a right to do what we can to protect and celebrate our community, and that in no way keeps us from noticing and caring about others who have also suffered simply because of who they are. Let us wish for “liberty and justice for ALL” and then pray and work and vote for that very outcome.

Barbra Streisand Calls us to move forward, not back

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbra-streisand/obama-vs-romney-a-clear-c_b_1894001.html

from the article by Barbra Streisand (for full text clink link above)

"Obama has been more fiscally conservative than any other president in recent history, with the exception of President Bill Clinton.

"President Obama has been far better at creating jobs than President George W. Bush. During the 7 years and 8 months of George Bush's presidency, before the financial crash, only 2.6 million new private sector jobs were created. In the final month of George Bush's presidency, the country lost 800,000 jobs, and in the last six months of the Bush Administration, the country lost over 3.5 million jobs.

"However, in the last 30 months under President Obama's leadership, nearly 4.6 million new private sector jobs were created (averaging about 150,000 new jobs per month). In President Obama's last 2 ½ years in office, 40% more jobs were created than in nearly all of President Bush's eight years in office.

"The last President who was elected amidst a severe economic crisis and high unemployment was Franklin D. Roosevelt. His policies strengthened government so that it would protect the people (creating Glass-Steagall to regulate the banks, the FDIC to insure bank depositors, the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate the stock market, and Social Security to help people build a safety net for their retirement). FDR's strategy to spend money to create jobs and stimulate the economy is what ultimately helped pull the country out of a depression.

"Even though the country's most respected economists have agreed on what history has already proven -- that MORE federal spending, not austerity, is necessary to stimulate the economy and create jobs, today's Republicans categorically reject this strategy. They are running on a platform of further deregulation and cutting spending to the bone, so that those earning millions will get more tax cuts, even though it means Americans who need a safety net won't have it.

"Unlike Mitt Romney, President Obama believes we need to invest in education, energy, innovation and infrastructure and reform our tax system to create good jobs, grow our economy and pay down the debt in a reasoned way. He believes in an inclusive country where all people deserve equal protection and treatment under the law, as well as equal opportunity, whether they are gay, straight, black, brown, white, religious, atheist, old or young.

"The choice is clear. Would you vote for a person who pays his taxes or someone who wiggles his way out of them? Do you want a President who has gained the respect of the world community or someone who on a recent diplomatic trip abroad provoked the ire and ridicule of other world leaders? Do we want a country where everyone is fending for themselves or where everyone is pitching in and working together? Do we want to go backward with Mitt Romney or move forward with President Obama?"

How I will vote...

Who will I vote for? That's no one's business; but I don't mind confessing that I will be voting for a woman's right to choose, for labor rights, for marriage equality, for accessible health care, for social security and medicare and student loans and for a tax system that asks everyone to pay their fair share. The party and the person that will get my vote is my business, but the issues for me are clear. I will be voting my values, and human dignity and equality are chief among my values.

First Night of DNC 2012

Amazing. Sikhs, Muslims, Jewish people, African Americans, Latino/as, people of Asian descent, women and men of all ages, first, second, and third generation Americans, and a huge crowd that roars with approval every time marriage equality is affirmed...a convention that looks like America and that affirms the dignity of all people and all kinds of people. Yea, I'm a little teary...feeling patriotic even :-)

Gotta Vote! Please Vote!!!

The Tea Party is to the Republicans what the Dixiecrats were to the Democrats. They can say its about taxes (and I don't understand who doesn't want to pay their share to make sure that we all have all that we need!), but there is a lot of racism, misogyny, and homophobia in the mix as well. If we don't want heterosexist, white supremacist, fundamentalists becoming the representative face of the US, we all must vote in November!

History Made Last Night...

President Obama, the first African American POTUS, is also the first POTUS to affirm support for marriage equality. His wife, on national television, affirmed support for marriage equality at a convention of the first major party in US history to affirm support for marriage equality. I realize this gives the LDS, the Roman Catholic church, and every fundamentalist the excuse they need to declare a

ll out war on the president, but I am so proud that we have national leaders who will say and do what is right rather than what would protect their own privilege and power. I hope such courage is rewarded. That is the kind of decency, integrity, courage, and inclusivity that we need in our leaders. But come what may, I am just so proud that we have leaders who will say no to discrimination even if it means they will suffer discrimination as a result. I want to be the Obamas when I grow up...

Big picture

This election isn't just about the economy. The economy was in free-fall before Nov. 2008 and yes, it is now better. GM lives. Jobs have been created. Taxes on the middle class have been lowered, and attempts to make the super-rich pay their share are underway. Decreasing taxes on the wealthy while spending huge sums for an unjust war used up a surplus and destroyed a balanced budget...but those were 2001-2009 choices, not 2009-2013. So, things are b

etter, but in addition to the economy, gay rights have been promoted, health care has been made more accessible, the person who actually did orchestrate the 9/11 attacks is history, a third of the Supreme Court members are women...more than just the economy is better. Everyone must vote his/her own conscience, but please do vote and please think about more than the economy, and remember, the economy really has improved too.

Let's NOT Go Back to the Middle Ages...PLEASE

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/19/13365658-romney-ryan-respond-to-akin-on-legitimate-rape?lite

"Romney-Ryan Respond to Akin on 'Legitimate Rape'"

A Missour Senatorial candidate Todd Akin opposes a woman's right to choose...he even opposes her right to choose to not carry her rapist's child! The Romney-Ryan campaign is trying to distance itself from this heartless, draconian view, but Romney as Governor of Massachusetts and Ryan in the US Congress both supported anti-choice legislation very similar to Akin's views.


The Flat Earth Society used to just be ridiculous and annoying.
Now they are terrifying because they have a constituency.
An anti-intellecutal, anti-scientific, anti-civil liberties, imperialistic, militaristic, heterosexist, misogynistic, white-supremacist theocracy is what they want and there may be enough fools and wackjobs to make their dream a possibility.

Every individual who does not vote in November is endangering our country. Please, please, please vote.

For your LBGT friends - please vote.
For the accessibility of higher education for more than the rich -please vote.
For every woman you've ever known - please vote.
For the environment on which our very lives depend - please vote.
For the elderly - please vote.
For those who now have health coverage for the first time in their lives - please vote.
For the possibility of peace - please vote.
For liberty and justice for all - please vote.

VOTE.

Rickie Santorum

So, I've been asked why I haven't yet blogged (or otherwise commented) on Sen. Rick Santorum.
The truth is, I don't find him compelling enough to talk about (well, until I'm asked to actually think about him and comment). He is a garden variety theocrat, a rabid homophobe, and an opponent of procreative freedom. He claims to be a conservative, but his conservatism seems to be a mix of wanting the US to serve as the global police force (sounds disturbingly like imperialism), a religious world view from the middle ages that may not be entirely comfortable admitting even still that the world isn't flat, and an unapologetic privileging of maleness and heteronormativity. I'm not sure that's "conservative" as much as its just white male privilege trying to hold onto power.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mean to suggest that Santorum isn't dangerous. I mean, whenever we don't take threats seriously, they have a way of becoming even more threatening. I'm not suggesting that by ignoring him he'll just go away. But his unenlightened, hateful rhetoric, his intolerance of women's agency, and his opposition to equal rights for all people just seem so extreme, so misguided, so antiquated, and so ridiculous, I have a hard time imagining that he would appeal to the majority of Americans, or even to the majority of Republicans. I just am still enough of a humanist to believe that most humans want better representation than that. However, I have been wrong before.

I don't know Sen. Santorum. He must be intelligent; he holds both law and business degrees. He must appeal to some people; he held a senate seat for a dozen years and recently won some primaries/caucuses as he seeks his party's nomination for president. He has a family and I'm sure he loves them and they probably love him, too. He even has a fairly decent smile. He can't be soul-less. He must possess some good qualities. But his inability to separate the right wing of Christianity from faith in general, and his unwillingness to separate personal faith from public office is disturbing, and for me, enough to disqualify him as a national leader.

When people try to legislate their personal faith, it not only shows their faith to be weak (why else would it need political enforcement for it to seem legitimate to them), but it also poses a real danger to everyone who doesn't share their faith...and in a nation that has always prided itself on freedom of (and from ) religion, that is problematic.

I hope Mr. Santorum does not get his party's nomination.
I hope Mr. Santorum never becomes president.
I hope Mr. Santorum never holds public office again.
But I also want to have and express these hopes without demonizing him personally. He is a member of the human family and he, like all people, possesses sacred value. However, that still isn't quite enough to elevate him to the status of world leader.

So there. I have now expressed views about former Senator Rick Santorum.

My non-sectarian prayer for this election year is: "Let there truly be liberty and justice for ALL and may peace prevail on earth."

Vote in November :-)

VOTE

I speak only for myself today. I am not representing my family, my neighborhood, my parish, or my denomination. Today I write to you not as the pastor of the Sunshine Cathedral, but as a member of the Temple of Democracy. The spirit that inspires me today is the spirit of justice and the sacrament that I hold up is the grace-filled act of making a choice and voting one’s convictions. The creed that fills my heart today comes not from ancient councils, but from the American motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of many, One).

With that uncharacteristically patriotic introduction, let me now add that I hope that every American plans to vote in November’s presidential election. And I hope that all people will consider the important issues and vote for the common good, for “liberty and justice for ALL.”

We shouldn’t vote for the most dynamic individual (Obama might come out ahead if that were the test).

We shouldn’t vote for the person who has spent the most time in politics (that would favor McCain).

We shouldn’t vote for the person with the most impressive education (Obama would win that contest).

We shouldn’t vote for the person who has survived the ravages of war (McCain would be the winner in that case).

We shouldn’t vote for the person who is the best orator (Obama would be the clear winner there).

We shouldn’t vote for someone just for being a person of faith (Obama, Biden, and Palin each share that claim…I’m less familiar with McCain’s spirituality).

We shouldn’t vote for someone just for facing the challenges of racism (as Obama has), nor should we vote for someone just for facing the challenges of sexism (as Palin has).

We shouldn’t vote for someone just for achieving personal success (both tickets feature very successful candidates).

We shouldn’t vote for someone for having the most attractive spouse (that would result in a tie).

We shouldn’t vote for someone for having “family values” (they all love their families).

All candidates this year have impressive credentials and have overcome some amazing odds. As individuals, we might admire any or all of them. What we are left to vote for is vision, commitment, and a plan of action to insure equal opportunity, equal rights, and equal protection under the law. So…

We SHOULD vote for the person who we believe will lead this country in the ways of peace and prosperity.

We SHOULD vote for the person who will promote freedom OF and FROM religion, and the separation of religion and state.

We SHOULD vote for the person who stands for equality for ALL citizens.

We SHOULD vote for the person who will care for our environment.

We SHOULD vote for the person who will try to provide quality care to children, elderly, and all who need medical care.

We SHOULD vote for the person who will try to make education through college accessible to the greatest number of people.

We SHOULD vote for the person will protect us from enemies while also protecting our civil liberties.

We SHOULD vote for the person who we believe best understands how to stimulate the economy without overlooking the neediest among us.

And we SHOULD always work to end homophobia in both parties and among all candidates.

In the past, both parties have offered good ideas and good leaders who have been a blessing to this country. So, we aren’t called to party loyalty or to the personality that we feel most drawn to; we are challenged in this election with weighing the ideas, the promises, and the plans of each candidate and making an informed and responsible choice for the good of our nation and our world.

Whoever you support, encourage them to keep the discourse respectful in these final campaign weeks. Let’s insist that these candidates discuss ideas and issues and not personally attack each other. We don’t want the person who can deliver the nastiest zinger; we want the person who will help our country be as good as it can be for as many people as possible.

Finally, if you believe in prayer, please pray for the candidates this year. Three Senators and a Governor are trying to balance their own health, the well-being of their families, the responsibilities of the current offices they hold, and the demands of the campaign trail. And whoever wins will inherit a sluggish economy and a war, and hopefully, whoever wins will try to bring unity and civility to a nation that is deeply divided on many issues. These candidates need our prayerful support as they run, and the winner will need extra wisdom and energy after winning. So, hold these candidates in prayer.

I can’t tell you who to vote for, but I am asking that you consider the issues very carefully and on Election Day, prayerfully cast your vote. If everyone does that, we’re all bound to win.