I am thankful most days of my life that I am not an American. I do, however, live very close by – heck I can see Rochester from my balcony (and that’s TRUE). I can drive to Art Park in Lewiston in an hour and a half.
But, since I’m not American, there is one thing I will never get to do, and that is vote in an American election. But if I could, it finally is abundantly clear to me that I could never – no, not ever – consider myself a Republican. And it is therefore excessively unlikely that I could ever vote for one.
Why, you ask? Let me give a bunch of reasons:
But, since I’m not American, there is one thing I will never get to do, and that is vote in an American election. But if I could, it finally is abundantly clear to me that I could never – no, not ever – consider myself a Republican. And it is therefore excessively unlikely that I could ever vote for one.
Why, you ask? Let me give a bunch of reasons:
- I actually care about democracy, and believe in effective opposition to governments in power.
- I believe that elections matter, and because they matter, should be paid for out of taxpayers’ dollars, so that parties have a more equal opportunity to make their case to the people who will be tasked with electing them.
- I believe that governments make their best decisions on the basis of facts, science and concern for human beings.
- I like the truth – really, I’m quite fond of it.
- I have the capacity to feel shame when I have done something truly egregious.
- I can admit when I’ve been wrong, when confronted with the facts that show me that I have been.
- I think people matter more than money, and I think poor people are just as human as rich people.
- When I was young, I learned that it is wrong to change the rules of the game just so you can win.
- I prefer hating bad policy to hating people who disagree with me.
- I won’t pretend to hate people who I secretly want to be like (you straight folks are okay – but I really don’t want to go to bed with you).