I wasn’t able to post a full explanation yesterday due to spending the whole day volunteering for America Coming Together and the 21st Century Democrats’ Young Voters Project (which, although nationwide weren’t as effective as we’d hoped were effective in Minnesota where I was working).
First of all, although I’m a US citizen, I’m too young to vote. Yet, I’m more politically active and informed than either of my parents.
In this poll, I voted for John Kerry. Unfortunately, as too many votes are, it was more of a vote against George Bush than anything else. Although I don’t agree with Kerry on a lot of things, Bush makes him look great.
There are many issues that have me very upset with Bush:
- Iraq – war is ugly and it is never right unless it is necessary. The in Iraq was indeed ugly, and it was also not necessary, thus it was not right.
America is not safer today than it was four years ago. George Bush has bred hatred of America worldwide. For every terrorist camp he’s destroyed, he’s given many more people reasons to become terrorists.
Furthermore, the precedent the war sets is horrible.
First of all, there are many countries being oppressed by evil dictators – and some of them, such as North Korea, are and have been a much more substantial threat to our National Security, and even if Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction, North Korea would have still been a bigger threat. Also remember that there was NO connection between Iraq and 9/11.
Secondly, saying that we have the right to invade a country we think has weapons and intent to harm us gives countries like North Korea precedent to attack us. Hey, we have weapons of mass destruction that could reach North Korea, and Bush listed North Korea on his “Axis of Evil” as a target.
Using Bush’s logic, North Korea would have the right (and maybe even the duty) to invade us…
- Gun Control – When he let the Assault Weapons ban expire September 13th, Bush made it easier for terrorists to access guns.
- Civil & Human Rights – specifically, at this point, GLBT rights. Bush has said he “doesn’t know” if gay people choose to be gay and supports putting discrimination against GLBT people into the constitution.
Some people may say that the proposed amendment doesn’t just stop GLBT people – that it would also stop two same-sex friends from getting married just for the heck of it. I would point out that two opposite-sex friends with no intent of ever starting a family can get married under the current system.
Homosexuality is not a choice, does not require treatment, and cannot be altered – the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, The American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Social Workers all agree – yet Bush still remains uncertain if homosexuality is a choice.
We should not discriminate based on who people are and what they do with their lives (as long as it does not cause significant direct harm to others) simply because we do not approve of them.
- Health Care – I strongly believe that health care should be a right, not a privilege.
People should not have to pay for the right to live.
In America, 44 millions do not have health insurance. This is unacceptable.
Bush prohibited the government from getting competitive prices on drugs, in effect writing the drug companies a multi-million dollar check while causing health care costs to rise for all Americans.
Some might say – I can predict it, lol – that without $$, drug companies cannot sufficiently fund research. Hmm, I have an idea…:
Stem cells! Now, I am a vegetarian, am against almost all wars, have a very confusing stance on abortion (am against it personally, but realize that it is both impractical and not my place as a male to take away a women’s right to choose), yet I think it is vital to humanity that we continue with stem cell research.
If we can justify taking human lives to attempt to “liberate” the people of Iraq (note that many if not most of them do not consider it a liberation), we can certainly do the same to attempt to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's. There are some things worth dying for, and a cure for things like Alzheimer's is one of them.
George Bush claims now that he will be unite our country. However, as I look back to four years ago, it is all to clear that he made the same claims then, and look what has happened.
America and the world are worse off because of Bush’s reelection.
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