BlueGlowy Records

I find it odd that this election has stirred the feelings it had.  Over the course of the last 3 years, I’ve done alot of soul searching about how I am, and what kind of person I am, and this 2 year election cycle has seen me bouncing between candidates as I found that path.

It’s sort of an story, and I don’t know that anyone will care that much, but I feel like putting it down right now.

I joined the Air Force under Bill Clinton, and things were pretty good. Sure he made stupid mistakes, and did some things that weren’t the greatest to the military, but I never really felt the repercussions of that as I was just coming into my own as an adult at the tail end of his presidency.  What I saw when I joined the Air Force was a Military that had its issues but overall treated its people well, gave us regular pay raises, and didn’t work us to death.

During the 2000 election, I frankly didn’t even care that much.  I was still a kid really, only just barely 20 years old.  All I really knew at that point was Bush was son of Bush, and Gore “invented the internet”, and his wife was Tipper who I hated from the old PMRC stuff, so I couldn’t be bothered to vote for Douchebag or Turd Sandwich.

In my time in the USAF, up till shortly before the ‘04 election, I became more liberal as I watched my pay not keep up with inflation, our military hospitals close, our housing become more difficult to get and our hours get ALOT longer post 9/11.  I got lucky getting transferred to a training base in ‘03 right before the war kicked off, and I got my butt out of the military in ‘04 under “Force Restructuring”.  Basically, this was the government saying “We can’t afford all the people we have, so who wants to quit? Oh BTW, whoever is left gets to work longer hours kthx.”

I remember going back and forth with my dad during that 04 election cycle, and I ended up voting Kerry, basically to vote AGAINST Bush.  I really didn’t like Kerry much better, but he wasn’t Bush, so that got him points.

After that, I started on a sort of spiritual journey, and found myself becoming more conservative during this time.  I gave a listen to Jerry Doyle, Michael Savage and Glenn Beck.  I found myself leaning to Giuliani and McCain during the campaigning, as I struggled to find my own path in the world.

And then I discovered Skepticism, and found who I was.  Rational thought, intelligent conversation, and a world view not based on superstitions.   And I listened. And I learned.  And I regained my appreciation for Science, and the wonders the real universe has.  Who needs Gods and Superstitions when reality is so cool without them?

At this point, I had registered Republican, as I appreciated the concepts of fiscal conservatism, but the social implications of being a Republican begin to weigh on me.  I stayed with McCain, supporting alot of his ideas, as I couldn’t deal with Hillary in the White House.  When Sen. Obama gained the nomination, I looked at what he was saying, and it became an even more difficult choice.

Both men are fine men, honorable and respectful.  But McCain’s next move became a disastrous one, and I feel it was his downfall.  Governor Sarah Palin.  Her radical anti-science stance, her end-times doomsday religion, and her open prejudice against gays and lesbians sealed my vote for Obama.

At first, it became a vote AGAINST her.  I could not in good conscience vote for someone who supported her, and this still saddens me about McCain.  But then I started to really listen to Obama, and I don’t believe I’ve ever been more proud and hopeful for this country.

Listening to his speech, I was moved nearly to tears, proud for the direction we are now headed in, and proof that our democracy DOES work, believe it or not.

I don’t know if this really had a point, but I just had to say that I’m extremely happy for this new path we’re on, one of rationalism, diplomacy, democracy, and hope.  Good show America.