I have voted in every election. local and national, since I turned 18-years-old, minus the last one because I forgot to turn in my ballot (ugh!). While unfortunate, it doesn't have as much bearing as this upcoming election in November. While I'm bummed that I missed that ballot turn in, I won't be missing the upcoming 2016 presidential election...and you shouldn't either.
In each case where I was voting, I always voted my party line when voting for candidates. Usually, not because they were Republican, but because I agree with the values they were representing. But sometimes I wasn't familiar with both candidates to really know what they stood for, and in those cases, I just voted with my party. It's a cop out, I know, but it's not a strategy that can be employed in this election. I think candidates and parties are counting on it, but there comes a time when it's not good enough anymore.
In elections past, it was often a choosing between "the lesser of two evils." We were afraid to split the vote. In other words, it's Candidate A vs. Candidate B as the front runners. And while I may like Candidate C, I don't want to vote for Candidate C because I know there aren't enough people to vote for Candidate C for him/her to win. In other words, I vote for who I think will win rather than vote for who I want to win.
In his book, Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell explores the phenomenon of reaching the point in which an ongoing trend changes. Examples include the reemergence of Hush Puppies shoes from near extinction within a less than 2 year period, drastic changes in crime rates, and teen smoking trends, among others. "The Tipping Point is the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point." It's a fascinating read (and you can pick it up at my affiliate link here). My point in mentioning this is that I believe we are at that point in history.
We are at a point where something is going to give. Few people trust Hillary and those that were supporting Donald, well, his supporters are jumping off the bandwagon right and left. I wouldn't leave my daughter alone in a room with either of them. That's not what we want for any President Candidate, let alone a President.
So what's left? What are we supposed to do when neither choice is good--not only is neither choice not good, but they are both awful? Do we vote our party lines or do we make the leap to vote who we believe in? While no candidate is perfect or without some aspect that we disagree with, some are definitely better than others. Gary Johnson is a respectable, viable candidate--who has record of winning when not expected to. He's a successful business man that ran and grew a very successful construction company from nothing--without declaring bankruptcy along the way. The biggest thing Gary Johnson has going for him is that he is anti-big government. I would encourage you to check him out.
It's time. It's time to tip the scales and show our government that we are no longer apathetic to the voting process. We are informed and watching what they are doing. We're not falling for it anymore. You are responsible. I am responsible. To not vote is to vote the side you don't want to win. The process is broken. I get it, but that's not a reason to give up. We have the voice to change this. Like King Saul's son, Jonathan, when faced with an impossible situation and outnumbered by a strong enemy, we have to do something and God will meet us where we're at...even if we feel like the only one. Let's create a ripple effect. Share this post on all your favorite social media outlets. Let's let our voice be heard. Let's create ripples. It's time. Vote. Vote your conscience. I cannot in good conscience vote for either Hillary or Donald. I really can't.
MAKE it a beautiful day, friends.
Instead of sending you to my other outlets today, I'll offer you a couple of articles with what I believe to be sound logic on these election matters. It's not an easy decision. We need to be informed and honestly pray for God's direction and forgiveness of sins as we move forward.
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