Occupy Wall Street?

The way I see it the Occupy Wall Street movement is in a position to do some good or destroy this country.

As I look at the demands that are being proposed, I do see some logic in what they want.

http://coupmedia.org/occupywallstreet/occupy-wall-street-official-demands-2009

Nevertheless, if the people of this country want to start making changes, start by voting! According to this web site: http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html, only about 41% of eligible voters voted in the 2010 mid-term elections. How do the citizens of the country expect to influence Washington if we don't express our dissatisfaction with the ballot? If the citizens of this country do not utilize this right, why should the candidates and legislators worry about what the people demand? If we don’t care enough to cast a ballot, how much do we care about what happens in the state capital or in Washington?  

It does not appear that the people are expressing too much concern about the conditions of their community,either. Our local school district is in serious distress. There are three seats up for election on the school board and only four people are willing to run for election. A proposition on the ballot is asking for a small tax increase to help fund public education, whose budget has been decimated over the last two years. The people of the state need to step up and show they care about what is happening in their community and state. If the people cannot take the time to go to a polling place or put their ballot in the mail box, then they get what they deserve.

During the Civil Rights movement, people bled in the streets fighting for the right to vote. How many of the people who benefited from those battles are taking advantage of the benefits that generation fought so hard? 

None of the reforms the Occupy groups want will matter if the people do not let there voices be heard in the voting booth. The presidential election is a year away. How many people are going to show up to cast their vote? If the People are unhappy then they need to let Washington know it. A less than 60% turnout is not going to send the message to Washington that the people demand change. Those in Washington will know that money talks and bullshit walks(down Wall Street). If you choose not to vote, then pack up your tent, go home, take a bath, and shut the hell up! 

Religion and the Campaign

The way I see it, people make too much of a presidential candidate's religious affiliation.

I have been a Catholic my entire life, though I call myself a “Recovering Catholic” thanks to my 12 years of Catholic education. I have also been a Democrat for 25 years. Twenty-three years ago I married into a Mormon family. I mention these facts because there are people who are critical of one of the Presidential candidates because he is Mormon, much like people were critical of Kennedy for being Catholic when he ran for President.

From my perspective the LDS Church is not much different from most other Christian denominations. Anyone who does not think Mormons are Christian has not seen my credit card statements in January. Do Mormons have some unique beliefs? Of course, but nothing I have been a part of has made me question their sanity (with the exception of my mother-in-law, but that has nothing to do with her faith) or to think them nothing more than a cult. The millions of followers world wide should be enough to debunk the cult notion. Its not like they think aliens populated the earth, or play with snakes in church. What I have learned from the Mormons I have known over the last 23 years is that they are good, Christian people with strong family values who love their country. Christianity is a full spectrum religion, whether one is Catholic, Baptist, Evangelical, Methodist, Eastern Orthodox, or LDS, and all should be respected for their convictions in their beliefs.

That being said, why does anyone care what flavor of Christianity a political candidate prefers? Or whether the person is a Christian at all? Though I don’t think a non-Christian president will be elected in my lifetime. This is, in my opinion, our greatest prejudice in this country. True, our religious up-bringing does have a tremendous influence on our personal belief systems, but I know of nothing in any of the teachings of these aforementioned religions which could endanger the welfare of the nation.

Should we not be more concerned whether a candidate will do what is best for the country and its citizens? Look at a candidate’s stance on the issues that are impacting this country, not whether he or she is Mormon, Catholic, Jewish, Wiccan, Black, White, man, or woman. Is the candidate a patriotic, loyal American who will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic? Our leaders pledge loyalty to the Constitution, not to a person, a political party, or a religion. I fear that we, as a nation, are forgetting this fact.

It should not matter what the President chooses to do on Sunday, so long as we are allowed to do what we want on Sunday (or Saturday for many). Let us keep religion out of the election. If we continue to uphold the Constitution, our personal liberties will be protected regardless of a President’s religious convictions.