Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Christian Piatt

Home
Progressive Christian
December NewSpin Column

December NewSpin Column

Last updated on: December 15, 2008 at 4:02 pm by Christian Piatt

December NewSpin Column 2008-12-15T16:02:33+00:00 Christian Piatt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A November retrospective

This year’s ballot should have come with a disclaimer that no one with heart conditions, a propensity for fainting or other weaknesses of disposition should attempt to fill out the three-page behemoth without supervision.

Republican Secretary of State Mike Coffman certainly seems to get it though. By trying to block the involvement of thousands of newly registered voters – most of whom are registered as Democrats – les than ninety days out from perhaps the biggest election in our lifetime, he’s actually providing a valuable public service.

After all, you don’t want such a big responsibility placed in the hands of rookies, right? Leave this one to the voting veterans, my friends.

Actually, it turns out Coffman buckled under pressure and agreed to let these new registrants vote provisionally, so it looks like the newbies ended up having as much say as those with years of voting experience under their belts. No weighted averages or anything.

Next thing you know, these folks are going to argue to let women vote or something.

Though I knew voting this year would be more involved than usual, I figured that at least my choice of presidents would be easy, but no such luck. Instead of two choices, for which I had emotionally prepared myself, there were upwards of two hundred and thirty seven candidates. Between the Constitution Party, the Greens, Libertarians and others, I felt overwhelmed.

We’ll just leave that one blank.

Next, there’s the matter of the judges. Since when am I supposed to know anything about judges? I’ve never committed a felony, so why would I? And isn’t picking judges what the executive branch is for? Besides, they haven’t earned the right to my vote like McCain and Obama, who I got to know so well in thirty-second intervals and diluted sound bytes over the past two years.

We’ll go with a “yes” for everyone whose name doesn’t sound too fascist.

Then there are all of these amendments to wade through. Sure, there have been commercials about all the big ones, but no one can seem to agree. If you vote one way, you hate children, and if you vote the other, you’re a bloodthirsty commie.

Remember, commies hate children too. Let’s not discriminate.

Here’s one about making it harder to add amendments to the ballot. That’s an easy one: check. This much thinking makes my brain hurt.

Finally, there are a few of these questions about eliminating antiquated language from the constitution. Really? What’s that about? Do we really need our constitution to sound hip? Are they replacing all of the “thous” and “wherefores” with “yo,” “jiggy,” and “krunk?” There’s something to be said for keeping up with the times, but that outdated language is part of the document’s charm.

By now, I’m surrounded by the remains of sports drink bottles and No-Doz packets, and I’m pretty sure that I’m experiencing the onset of carpal tunnel. The good news is, I’ve never felt so frigging patriotic in my life.

As I dab by glistening forehead with my Thomas Kincaid limited-issue stars-and-stripes hand-painted wristbands, I think back to the founding fathers, and all of the hardship they must have endured, writing all of those words down – and with a feather, no less!

At least I have my Mont Blanc at the ready, filling in the vacuous gaps between the “yes” and “no” arrows with the deftness of a stealth fighter. My snack stockpile has dwindled and the incessant staring at the ballot pages has resulted in some traumatic eye strain, but at least I can hold my head high and say with pride that I did my civic duty.

But just imagine if I had actually researched all those things before I filled them in!

On a more serious note, I’m not too much of a man to admit that I actually got misty the night of the election, particularly during Barack Obama’s Victory speech. My first thought, which I contemplated with much relief, was that my soon-to-be born daughter would no nothing of George Bush’s presidency short of what is conveyed to her in the history books.

But much more than an absence of a negative was the presence of something I had not experienced in my adult lifetime with respect to politics: hope. I’m not talking about sound-byte, campaign-trail sort of hope either, and I should point out that my hope transcends any candidate or single issue.

The hope I felt, and thus far, continue to feel, is steeped in something bigger: something within me that has begun to believe in the national ethos of American resiliency, and in our willingness to change, to evolve and to take risk. In this historic election, we have broken a barrier that never can be put back in its place in American history, and though racial divides, economic disparities and ideological conflict still exist, we learned that, as a people, we believe in something bigger.

There will be days when Obama’s presidency is challenged, and when his near-messianic popularity will diminish. No one human being, however visionary or great, can change the world on their own. But if the American people truly commit to the vision of change they have pronounced at least in rhetoric, and if we each covenant to own our share of the responsibility to lift ourselves and one another up, unwilling to settle for “good enough,” the change we seek will come.

It’s nice to believe this is possible once again, no matter who our leaders happen to be. It’s up to all of us, and the good news is that I’m starting to believe once again that we’ll do the right thing in the end.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 24, 2008

Christian Piatt LIVE @ Downtown Bar Tues. Nov 25

Next Post

December 17, 2008 Piatt LOST book now available in Kindle Edition

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category atonement belief bible Bill O'Reilly Buddhism CCM children christian piatt christianity Contemporary Christian Music current events derek flood Easter education Everyday Sunday faith faith and culture Frank Schaeffer great commission Haaz Sleiman Hobby Lobby Homebrewed Culture humor ISIS Jesus John Paul Lederach Killing Jesus LGBTQ marc driscoll Mission Year Music My Jesus Project Nat Geo parenting politics popular culture postChristian prison reform Ray rice religion republicans sacrifice sexuality theology Uncategorized video violence wild goose festival World Vision young adults

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which city is known as the "City of Palms" in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Bethany Jericho Jerusalem Damascus