I voted last week in order to avoid long lines today.
Yes, I held my nose and voted Trump!
Perhaps the following blogger can better explain my reasoning(s) and those of my fellow Conservatives, for doing so.
No matter who you intend to vote for, please go out and do so. But, please read and consider the following before you do. You won't regret it.
My name is Andy Andrews. I am a husband and a father. I have written
several books, a couple of which have been moderately successful. In a
national discussion of celebrity, money, or power, however, I would not
be mentioned.
My family and friends love me though, and in Alabama, where I was
born, I like to believe there are those who are happy that I still live
here. As for my books, they seem to defy conventional literary
description and are most often characterized as “stories of common
sense.” That’s fine with me. In fact, it’s exactly what I was after all
along.
Through the years, for whatever reason, I decided to make “common
sense” my personal quest. The most important part of that quest, I
determined, would be to somehow develop the ability to harness common
sense for the benefit of other people. Specifically, I prayed to learn
how to take complicated subjects that were confusing people and explain
to them the “bottom line truth” in a simple, understandable fashion. I
wanted to be able to do this in order that they might utilize that
understanding in ways that would make their lives better—that would
prosper them and their families.
That brings me to today, the looming 2016 presidential election, and
perhaps the most critically important issue I have ever attempted to
explain:
Why You Must Vote
(even if you must hold your nose while doing so. And…)
Why There Are Only Two Candidates from Which to Choose
First, allow me to say that I am not an admirer of either candidate. I
never have been. My wife and I have two teenaged sons and, like you, we
are aware that manners and good behavior are a reflection of character.
That said, it is ironic that many of us now find ourselves in the
position of choosing a president of the United States whose conduct we
would not tolerate in our own family.
But choose we must, for this is the first election in our lifetimes
that has virtually nothing to do with the “personality” who will serve
as our president. This election is about the Supreme Court.
This time, forget everything else. Forget crimes that may have been
committed. Forget any alleged sexual assault. Forget the possibility of
treasonous acts, adultery, fraud, vindictiveness, and mean or childish
behavior. Think only of the Supreme Court. For the first time in your
life, you really are about to determine what this country will be like
for the rest of your life. This is true, also, for the lives of your
children and your children’s children.
As a people, we have not had a choice before us with more power to
heal or destroy since the civil war. The United States of America is
clearly about to move down one of two roads. No rhetoric can disguise
either path. And once the Supreme Court is in place, no Congress or
Senate can change that path.
This coming Tuesday, November 8, 2016, you and I will choose which of
two people will become president. Soon after being inaugurated, that
person will begin the process of selecting the person who will fill the
vacant seat on the Supreme Court—the one who will tip the scales one way
or the other. Laws will be upheld or overturned. New laws will be
imposed or not. In either case, the way you are allowed to live will
soon be determined by the Supreme Court. The court’s majority will be
determined by the new president. But one thing is certain: after
Tuesday, you will have no more say in the matter.
Lest you think this might be a temporary situation, able to be
shifted or redone by the next president, it is critical to understand
that whichever of the two major candidates we elect this Tuesday will be
the person who will set the Supreme Court in stone for generations. The
person we elect this Tuesday will not be making one Supreme Court
appointment, but perhaps as many as four!
Considering possible retirements and death, look at the court’s
current makeup: The vacant seat is that of Justice Scalia who recently
died at the age of 79. Of the eight justices that remain, five—Roberts,
Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, and Kagan—are under the age of 70. The rest
are far older. Justice Breyer is 78, Justice Kennedy is 80, and Justice
Ginsburg is 83 and has been treated for pancreatic cancer.
Supreme Court appointments are for life. This means that the justices
serve until they resign, retire, or die. Therefore, a president able to
appoint even one member of the court is able to determine the direction
of the country. Especially in the situation that exists at present…
The court has voted 5-4 on crucial decisions for years. The swing
vote (Scalia) died. The person we elect as president this Tuesday will
appoint Scalia’s replacement—the new swing vote.
Pay Close Attention: During the next four years of the president’s
term, he or she will likely appoint a second Supreme Court justice. The
votes on crucial decisions will then be decided by a vote of 6-3. The
opportunity to appoint a third and even a fourth justice to the court
will allow whomever we elect on Tuesday the ability to cement the
Supreme Court’s voting—think 7-2 or imagine 8-1—for as long as you live.
So it all comes down to this:
First, be aware that there is no possibility of a third party winning
this election. None. Therefore, a vote for a third party candidate is a
wasted vote. “But I am voting my conscience,” you say. Fine. Just
remember that it will be your body (not your conscience) and your
children who will live in the world our Supreme Court is about to
create. Forever.
Do you want a say in what that world will be like? I’m sorry, but there are only two choices. Him or her.
Yes, I understand. You are furious at being put in a position to have
to choose between the “lesser of two evils.” I do understand. It is
infuriating. On the other hand, you must understand that “the lesser of
two evils” is the only choice you’ve ever had in any election in which
you’ve ever voted in your life! Jesus has never run for office. That
leaves only the rest of us—you and me—well-meaning, good-hearted people
who, despite our best intentions, have still managed to lie, cheat, and
say things out loud for which we remain grateful to this day that no one
recorded during what we thought was a private conversation.
It is time to put away our self-righteousness. It is time to wake up
and understand that we have no ability—zero—to make either candidate
feel our contempt with our vote. Even if we did, they would not care!
ONE OF THESE TWO PEOPLE WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT. Neither you nor I
will change that fact by voting for someone else or by not voting at
all.
The only way you can possibly vote this time and have it matter is to
vote for the America in which you wish to live. That America will be
defined by the Supreme Court justices chosen by one of the two major
candidates.
For once in our lives, whatever “President” we have to watch on
television for the next four years doesn’t matter. We have all suffered
through four or eight years of one presidential face or another and,
this time, we will do it again. That face will not matter. In the long
run, that person’s name will not matter. ONLY THE JUSTICES THAT PERSON
CHOOSES FOR THE SUPREME COURT MATTERS!
Remember that whoever the president of the United States is…whoever
the president might ever be—despite the amount of television time they
get, no matter the round office and forget the cool plane—that person’s
actual power, his or her ability to truly affect your day-to- day life,
is extremely limited. Congress, Senate, the will of the people, the
approval of the media…all are very real factors that prey upon a
president’s ability to do as he or she wishes.
The Supreme Court, on the other hand, is under no such constraints.
Once appointed, there is virtually no oversight or even influence that
can be brought to bear. The media? Polls? Voters? There is no quarterly
review, no coming election. A Supreme Court justice is appointed for
life. His or her word is, quite literally, the law. These are the big
laws, the ones that determine your daily life.
And the only chance you have to shape those laws is by electing the
person who chooses the members of the court. So hold your nose if you
wish, there are only two choices…
Here’s how you decide who to vote for:
Both major candidates have announced exactly the kind of justices
they will choose for the Supreme Court if elected. One candidate has
even listed the names of the judges from which the choice will be made.
Your choice will be plain to see and easy to make. Again, your choice is
not about a person. In the most literal sense, your choice is about the
America in which you wish to live.
Knowing there are many issues that will be determined by the Supreme
Court, let’s quickly examine only a few. From here, you will easily
understand the direction you wish to take.
Second Amendment
Do you believe that guns are inherently bad? Do you believe that
there are too many guns, that gun manufacturers should be held
responsible for what individuals do with them, and that the government
needs to further restrict the public’s right to own and use guns? If so,
you must vote for her. She has publicly promised to appoint judges that
will make these beliefs the basis for laws by which we all will live
for the rest of our lives.
Or do you believe strongly in the “right to bear arms”? Do you
believe that further gun restrictions will only restrict the access
honest citizens have to firearms and ammunition? Do you believe that a
gun—while dangerous—is a tool like a car and that when used incorrectly,
it is the fault of a person, not the fault of the tool? If so, you must
vote for him. He has publicly promised to appoint judges that will make
laws according to this line of thinking. At that point, we will live
with those laws for the rest of our lives.
And this Second Amendment issue will be determined by the Supreme Court.
Abortion
Do you believe that the fetus inside a pregnant woman is a tissue
mass and that a woman should be able to rid her body of that tissue mass
at any time during the nine months prior to that tissue mass being
born? Do you believe that tissue mass only becomes a human being once it
is outside the woman’s body? Do you believe that your tax dollars
should be used to allow anyone who chooses, for whatever reason, to rid
their body of that tissue mass?
Do you believe that counseling centers, funded by churches, set up
for the purpose of encouraging adoption should be forced by law to offer
abortion counseling as an alternative? If so, you must vote for her.
She has publicly promised to appoint judges that will enforce these
beliefs into laws by which you and I must live for the rest of our
lives.
Or do you believe that the baby inside a mother is a human being? Do
you believe that life has a purpose and that, from the moment of
conception, each and every child is unique and valuable?
Do you believe that you should not be forced to fund Planned
Parenthood—the largest abortion provider in America—with your tax
dollars? Do you believe more than 50 million government-approved
abortions in the United States since 1970 are enough? If so, you must
vote for him. He has publicly promised to appoint judges that will
reduce, restrict, and eventually do away with abortion on demand and
what you believe will be made into laws by which you and I will live for
the rest of our lives.
And this abortion issue will be determined by the Supreme Court.
Immigration
Do you believe the United States should move toward a policy of “open
borders”? Do you believe undocumented persons in the United States
illegally should not only be allowed to stay, but issued driver’s
licenses, food stamps, and provided medical care? Do you believe that if
someone wishes to enter our country, they have every right to do so
without explanation? If so, you must vote for her, for she has publicly
promised to appoint judges that will reverse laws currently on the books
regarding immigration. These laws will eventually lead to her stated
“dream of open borders” and a new way of life for us all.
Or do you believe that America’s borders are her first line of
defense? Do you believe that the word “illegal” means just that? Do you
believe that only legally recognized citizens of America have a right to
her benefits and protection as provided by your tax dollars? Do you
believe America has not only the right, but the responsibility to
carefully vet those who seek to enter our country? If so, you must vote
for him, for he has publicly promised to appoint judges that will make
and defend laws in line with those beliefs.
Regulatory Oversight
Do you believe the government is more capable of determining how your
money should be used? Do you believe the government is better able to
determine how your children should be educated? Do you believe the
government should determine who can do business where and with whom? Do
you believe a person should be given priority because of what they
believe, what they are, or what they believe they are? If so, you must
vote for her, for she has publicly promised to appoint judges who will
open our borders, our bathrooms, and our wallets. She has promised laws
to punish those who do not agree.
Or do you believe you can decide what’s best for your family? Do you
believe that if you earn a certain amount of money you should be able to
keep and reinvest the largest part of it to benefit those things you
decide are important? Do you believe the government has been created to
serve the people, not the other way around? If so, you must vote for
him, for he has publicly promised to appoint judges whose rulings allow
prosperity for those who work to deserve it.
These are but a few examples of the two pathways you will choose this
Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Religious freedom, taxes and the economy,
healthcare…in every category you examine, you’ll find drastic
differences in the America that will be shaped by this election. Don’t
be fooled—how you vote matters, because the Supreme Court matters.
So what kind of America will we have for the rest of our lives? This time, you actually get to choose.
