Why I’m voting for Barack Obama, and why I hope you will too – Reason 3
[Thanks for all the positive responses to this series of posts. You can find Part 1 here ... and Part 2 here. Reminder - I'm speaking here for myself as a private US citizen, and not on behalf of any group. ]
Reason 3: The Least of These
I’m a Matthew 25 guy. That means that I take very seriously Jesus’ words about caring for “the least of these.” I don’t believe a nation’s moral greatness is measured by how many tax breaks it gives its richest individuals and corporations, or by it's kill-power in terms of weapons and readiness to use them, but rather by how it cares for its most vulnerable people – its children, its sick, its disabled, its unemployed, its minorities.
So when I come to an election, I don’t just ask, “Which candidate will do the most for me and my nuclear family?” I extend my concern.
I extend it to my extended family, which includes people with special needs and disabilities, people with chronic illnesses, gay people, poor people, people of advanced age, people with histories of addiction and crime and mental illness. How will they be treated in a McCain administration? How will they be treated in an Obama administration?
I extend my concern even farther. How about people who live less than an hour from my front door – in inner-city Washington DC, in impoverished sections of Baltimore – how will they fare? Which president will be most concerned about them? Or how about people in states like Ohio and Michigan … where hundreds of thousands of people are unemployed because too many American corporations shipped jobs overseas? Or people in Katrina-devastated areas of Mississippi and Louisiana? Or people in the coal country of Kentucky or East Tennessee and West Virginia, whose lives are being devastated by the “externalized costs” of “cheap coal?”
I don’t stop there either. I go beyond the US. I think about slums where I have walked, people I have met, shacks I have sat in and shanties I have eaten meals in … from Mexico to Chile to South Africa to Burundi. Which candidate will do the most for the least of the least of these?
And when I ask these questions, it’s not just a matter of foreign aid, as important as that may be. It’s a matter of trade as well: which candidate is most interested in trade policies that avoid exploitation abroad as well as at home? And it’s also a matter of war, because a nation at war has fewer resources to be generous.
The gap between rich and poor is growing greater and greater, in this country and around the world. So I ask myself, which candidate is concerned about strengthening the economy in robust ways that will not simply help oil companies, coal companies, and job exporters make higher profits, but will instead support the development of new “green” businesses that have the most promising future and can provide meaningful jobs here and abroad that workers can take true pride in?
Which candidate best understands poverty and economic vulnerability through the closest experience of it? Which one promises to bring the most resources – energy, intelligence, creativity, and commitment – to helping the least of these?
I don’t doubt that Senator McCain would make national defense his top priority as president, and I don’t doubt that he would be most ready to sustain or expand our war-making activities around the world. But I’m ashamed of our nation being known for rushing to war. I would like to be known for helping the poor.
In the end, I truly believe that a nation that helps the poor will have fewer enemies – and therefore more national security – than one that pursues its own national interest through war. As the Apostle Paul said, “Do not look out only for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Your attitude should be that of Christ Jesus.” That other-oriented mindset is, to me, a powerful reason to support Barack Obama for president.
(You may be wondering, “What about the unborn? Aren't they among the least of these? And what about other living creatures - endangered species and the threatened ecosystems on which they depend? Aren’t they among the least of these?” I plan to address these issues in upcoming posts. Stay tuned. For more on Matthew 25, check out the Matthew 25 Network.)
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Debate redux
In an earlier post, I explained my impression that Senator McCain is a "fight first" guy. He certainly reinforced that image tonight - contemptuous, combative, fault-finding, angry.
In contrast, Senator Obama reflected a calm, reasonable, irenic, strong, and wise demeanor. I think Andrew Sullivan's comments are spot on ... it was graceful of Obama to affirm McCain, although sadly, McCain showed none of that grace. I also agree with Sullivan that it is indeed significant that McCain seemed to acknowledge that the current president has indeed been engaged in torture of prisoners.
I thought it was quite ironic that Senator McCain attacked Obama's experience, when Sarah Palin is the person he chose to be one 72-year-old-heartbeat away from the presidency, whose readiness was evidenced here.
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Political ads, political lies, political truth …
Like a lot of people, I'm disturbed - actually, infuriated - by dishonest political ads. I find it strange that a toothpaste company can't lie about its competitors nor can it misrepresent its own product without being liable to lawsuit, but there are no laws against lying among political candidates. So, I'm disappointed when either campaign spins, stretches, or breaks faith with the truth.
As an enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama, I was saddened to read this ...
And I was disturbed when an Obama supporter said things like this ...
Sadly, Senator McCain's campaign has repeatedly stooped to deeply disturbing levels, as explained here and here.
As has his vice presidential candidate, as explained here and here ...
So, my hope is that Democrats will complain when Democratic candidates are less than honest and honorable, and Republicans will do the same. If we let our candidates get away with sleaze, if they win the election but lose their integrity, we'll get what we deserve after the elections.
See the Put Away Falsehood Campaign for accurate responses to falsehoods being spread about Barack Obama, and see Fact Check's "whopper roundup" for both campaigns here.
The words of the Apostle Paul are certainly relevant:
"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are all of the same body" (Ephesians 4:25).
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Letter to American Christians
This important letter is from our brothers and sisters in the global south ... I hope you'll spread the word.
(Thanks to Mike Todd for passing on this link.)
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Wall Street Bailout
Two really helpful responses ... make that three ... no four:
First, from Chuck Collins ... author of The Moral Measure of the Economy (one of the best books on a Christian view of economics I've ever seen - highly recommended).
Second, from Sojourners ... where you can send a message telling our government not to bail out Wall Street without caring for "Main Street."
Third, from Economic Pundit Jon Stewart
And Bob Carlton gets it right here. He says ...
Devinder Sarma frames the contrast in priorities in STWR (Share The World's Resources):
The one trillion dollar bailout package that President Bush is promising could have wiped out the last traces of poverty, hunger, malnutrition and squalor from the face of the Earth - if only our global leadership prioritised the poor with the same level of urgency as the financial crisis
It is shocking to me how silent American churchianity has been in the midst of this collapse. America's Pastor has not said one word in the last 20 days about what is happening to people's homes & their retirement, as well as the $1 trillion plan for financial PEACE. Mainline leaders have been silent as well, ironic given how much of their funding comes from the very investment bankers who drove this collapse. Those who tout themselves as traditionalist or orthodox have been fairly silent, despite their emphasis on free markets as an idea that is almost Biblical.
Be sure to watch the beautiful music video at the bottom of the page.
0 Comments2 Minutes