Tough Decisions

On August 28, 2012 Chris Christie’s said “There’s times when you have to choose between being loved and being respected…Our founding fathers had the wisdom to know social acceptance or popularity were fleeting and that this country’s principles had to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and emotions of the times… In recent years we have too often chosen the same path, tonight I say enough, tonight we choose respect over love.”

I agree with what Christie said but not in what he implied. Tough decisions are when you set aside your personal beliefs and do what’s best for the people which is what John Kennedy, our only Catholic president did. In a 1960 Texas speech, Kennedy said "I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office"; he also said "I do not speak for my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me, the separation of church and state is absolute". The first amendment, passed in 1789, was summed up in Franklin Roosevelt’s 1941 speech identifying what makes our country great – Freedom of speech, to worship (religion), from want and from fear. On February 26, 2012 on ABC’s ‘This Week with George Stephanopoulos’ Rick Santorum said “To say that people of faith have no role in the public square, you bet that makes you throw up, what kind of country do we live in that says only people of non faith can come into the public square and make their case, that makes me throw up.” Santorum’s sentiments have been echoed over and over again by Republicans wanting to forego our founding fathers wisdom and our Constitution.

Respect yourself enough to recognize the Republicans support oil moguls causing earthquakes, taking all natural resources away from our children (to avoid this we must invest in alternative energy) and Wall Street and bankers taking away your retirement and homes. Their platform does not support Social Security or Medicare as we know it for our people 54 years old or younger, equality–the right of all Americans to be treated fairly, the right to work hard to obtain the American Dream as the tax breaks and greed of the rich outweigh the need for jobs and a reduction in poverty. Michael Jackson’s song the Man in the Mirror talks about change occurring with you. Put aside your personal preferences and join with those who came before you and try to once again make this country great.