I’m a Repubrat

This little auntie doesn’t like to get political, but as I’m listening to the Eagles sing about war and peace, I’m reminded of something a friend told me last year. “More Democrats have taken us into war than Republicans.” Another Democrat friend recently added, “And more Republicans have gotten us out of those wars.”

Not one to take words spoken to me for granted, this journalist takes to research. Sure enough, America has lost 200,000 more lives in war under Democrat leadership than Republicans (650,000 vs. 450,000). Our founding fathers lost 5,600. See two of the many links below. I’m open to discussion and clarification if these approximate numbers are off.

We have short memories when we don’t read our history books, but our grandparents might have been able to enlighten us on times of war. I’m primarily a Republican who abhors war; however, if someone were to threaten or hurt my daughter, I would have no problem declaring war of an appropriate sort. Think genitals.

We all have wars. They take on varying forms: divorce, custody battles, insurance companies not covering charges, speaking truth to dishonest judges, teachers not being fair, contracts and promises not being kept. Conflict of any kind stresses me out.

I am also not in favor of overpopulation, which Republicans appear to condone, because it’s killing more than people, such as fauna, flora, air quality, water quality, peace, quality of life.

The fact is, I appear to Republicans to be a Democrat. Maybe I’m both.

I am a Repubrat.* I have never fit into any box or category in intelligence and personality tests, nor do I in the political arena. They tell me I’m balanced, and you know, I feel balanced. I believe it’s okay to have opinions, beliefs, and values—and stand up for them! Be a blend like many humans. It’s fine not to live categorized (she says when the United States Census is calculating again).

Just because you’re a Christian, doesn’t make you a Republican.
Just because you’re an environmentalist, doesn’t mean you’re a Democrat.
Just because you believe abortion is okay, doesn’t mean you believe overpopulation is bad.
Just because you don’t believe in abortion and like to have lots of kids, doesn’t make you a Republican.
Just because you’re gay, doesn’t mean you’re a Democrat. Well, I’d better ask my gay friends about that point.

I like Barack Obama, very much. After listening to his audio book The Audacity of Hope, I remarked, “If I were to choose a husband, he would be like Obama.”

And though I didn’t vote for him, he is my president as long as I’m an American, no matter what my party affiliation, and will stand by him—something a lot of Americans didn’t do with Bush. Even I am guilty of that. Today I feel bad about some of the things I said—sometimes it’s better to be silent. I don’t know the whole story and will never.

When our kids mess up, we don’t disown them if we’re good parents.

And when Barack Obama messes up—which he will, they all do—I will stand behind him, because we the people of the United States elected him to be our commander in chief, our leader, our president.

* Now, friends, please don’t confuse this with reprobate: an unprincipled person (often used humorously or affectionately).

(Puzzle piece number 32 of 38.)

copyright © 2009 by Auntie Eartha. All rights reserved.

If you like it, link it!
http://auntieeartha.blogspot.com/2009/02/im-repubrat.html

http://retiary.org/misc_pages/us_presidents_and_wars.html
http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/american-wars.html

Inauguration Day

What a glorious day for the United States of America!

We the people in our republic, democratically elected a gentleman of African American, English, and Irish descent. Many of my friends must feel profound joy in helping bring Barack Obama to his position of Commander in Chief, particularly my black friends, who may not have imagined this success possible.

My sister, whom I met October 6, 1986, isn’t much older than I. She remembers having to nurture her thirst from a drinking fountain for blacks only. It’s hard to imagine a world like that, yet prejudice exists. I know.

And though the reflections in Ecclesiastes 3 say…

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.” [NIV]

…my prayer is that the world will see America’s vision to work hard and in peace toward a loving, sustainable home planet, and we will all work together to plant, to build, to dance, to embrace, to be silent, to love in peace [using more contraception], and in a sense, to be born again.

copyright © 2009 by Auntie Eartha. All rights reserved.

If you like it, link it!
http://auntieeartha.blogspot.com/2009/01/inauguration-day.html