Do You Want My Vote?

Dear President Obama, Mr. Romney, and any other politician who thinks they’ve got the women’s voting block figured out:

First, STOP! Stop trying so hard. I’m a woman. I’m friends with women. We aren’t a mindless block of people completely consumed by fashion, emoting on command, and perfecting our ability to occasionally fly on brooms. You can’t figure us out. We’re changeable. That’s ok. Respect our diversity.

Second: Telling me that I’m capable of anything a man does is condescending and trite. After spending a lot of time thinking about this concept, completing women’s studies classes, analyzing glass ceilings and accepting everyday realities, I’ve realized that women ARE capable of doing everything a man does… and a man is capable of doing everything a woman does. All humans are gifted with abilities. Possessing breasts, ovaries, a penis, or muscle mass doesn’t specifically qualify a person for one job or another. Stop trying to fuel the gender wars and explore a genuine embracing of diversity… evaluate each person fairly based on their skills and giftings and let’s see where that gets us.

Third: Reject thinking I’m making voting decisions based on buzz words like “abortion” and “same sex marriage.” I do care about these things, as every human should. But they aren’t my number one priority (though they’re on the top 10 list). Actually, if we’re going to talk social issues, please mention the fact that the U.S. is a world leader for human trafficking (that’s SLAVERY and it’s EVIL); that our country’s children are growing up without family security because their parents can’t get it together (that’s our FUTURE and they deserve MORE); and our politicians and government officials have decided to say whatever will get them elected rather than sticking to a time-honored practice: Truth-Telling (that’s EARNING future TRUST by accurately reporting past facts).

Instead, if you want MY vote:

Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. Tell me the Truth. Respect me enough as a citizen to acknowledge problems and bring me in on the process of creating the country our Founders established.

Stop pandering to Hollywood and reality television — I love my entertainment, but these outlets are providing anesthetic to our culture… we’re going numb because it’s preferable to being knowledgable and informed of current events. (And genuinely scared of what’s happening around us.) Allow entertainment to assume it’s proper place – as a pastime instead of a be-all-end-all.

Challenge me to use my brain — common sense! — and recognize economics, education, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity are everyone’s responsibility – not just the elect few.

If you want my vote, explain why I can create a functional budget for my family that provides for the necessities of our life like food and shelter, pays off debt, provides for some fun activities, and promotes savings. Right now your inability to deal with money has a direct effect on the cost of my gas, groceries, interest payments, and life. Fix it without blame pointing. No excuses, just fix it.

Expect More. I believe if you raise the bar people will rise to meet it… so create best practices and policies that don’t enable laziness. Utilize the human capital in local communities, we’re capable, we just haven’t been asked to do anything significant for awhile!

Inspire Me… With More than Rhetoric. People are giving up. Every day, every moment. They believe this beast of a country is too messed up to fix, that their vote is worthless, that cynicism is the only true course of action. If you want my vote, inspire me. Go back to the statements and values that my relatives fought and died to acquire a little more than 200 years ago. Tell me about the concepts from the Federalist Papers, the observations of Tocqueville, the personal letters between family members who were martyred for daring to chase Liberty. Show Me Why It Matters Right Now. (Sadly, our public education system has missed stressing this lesson for several decades.) Enlist me as a fighter for the cause of democracy, opportunity, and hard work. Show me hard work is honorable by example. Help me understand why we should stand in respect when the flag of our country passes by.

America isn’t a fad that comes into play when two amazing towers are destroyed by evil. It needs to be a lifestyle, an attitude, a determination. Show me those things… you’ll get my vote.

Sincerely,

Me

Thoughts, Opinions? Hopes, Dreams, Aspirations? What would get your vote this election?

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