Mountain Sage

Below are my reasons for the decision I have made….it has been a journey of discovery for me.  I had to really think about what I believe and what my responsibility in this election really is.

One of the more frightening aspects of the Bush administration has been the resurgence of the Religious Right.  The Religious Right became powerful under the Reagan Administration but slipped in power during the Clinton Administration and then came roaring back, emboldened by George W. Bush’s declaration of being a born again Christian.

I believe the Religious have a right to their beliefs and their opinions as long as it stops at my doorstep and doesn’t insinuate itself into legislation and policy.

Right emboldened by Schiavo case
SOURCE

We all saw the painful outcome of the religious right insinuating itself into what should have been a medical and family decision.  Day after day it was a veritable media circus that ended in the government involving itself against public opinion.  Congress went so far as to pass legislation mandating a federal review of her case in spite of the legislation being extremely unpopular with the public:

The public, by 63 percent-28 percent, supports the removal of Schiavo’s feeding tube, and by a 25-point margin opposes a law mandating federal review of her case. Congress passed such legislation and President Bush signed it early today.

That legislative action is distinctly unpopular: Not only do 60 percent oppose it, more — 70 percent — call it inappropriate for Congress to get involved in this way. And by a lopsided 67 percent-19 percent, most think the elected officials trying to keep Schiavo alive are doing so more for political advantage than out of concern for her or for the principles involved.

SOURCE

Another favorite topic the religious right involves itself in is gay rights and gay marriage.  I do not believe there is such a thing as equal but separate nor do I believe that anyone’s personal beliefs should deny another American the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Emboldened by the political right’s growing influence on public policy, opponents of school activities aimed at educating students about homosexuality or promoting acceptance of gay people are mounting challenges to such programs, at individual schools, at statehouses and in Congress. SOURCE

Emboldened churches join forces to scupper new law on gay rights
SOURCE

As Governor, Sarah Palin  vetoed legislation that would have denied same-sex partners of state employees health and retirement benefits. She vetoed the legislation only because the Alaska Supreme Court had ruled that such a denial of benefits was unconstitutional. But she indicated that she would support a ballot question on the matter to allow the people of Alaska to make health and retirement benefits for same-sex partners of state employees illegal.

Sarah Palin supports the Alaska 1998 constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman….something that is in line with her personal beliefs.

The re-election of Bush and the increase in Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate have emboldened the Religious Right. The groups want action on their agenda, and they want it now. SOURCE

I believe the election of Sarah Palin as Vice President will likewise embolden anti-choice activists.  They will have their very own female anti-abortion spokesperson in the Whitehouse and I believe they will exert pressure to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Let me share why I support Roe v. Wade and abortion rights for all women:
I do not want to see women returning to back alleys for illegal abortions and history tells us women WILL have abortions.  I personally know of a number of women who had illegal abortions out of desperation and it was a horrendous ordeal.
I believe that a woman’s body is her own and she and only she has the right to determine whether or not she will carry a pregnancy to term.
I do not believe there can be equality of the sexes as long as one sex is held captive by their reproductive system.
I do not believe the Bible forbids abortion.  In fact, I think there is very little in the Bible that addresses the issue at all and I believe a Biblical argument can be made for “life” NOT starting at conception.
I believe every child should be born into a family that wants it and that children are not commodities to be given away like stray puppies….adoption is a very viable and noble option for those who want to carry a child to term and do not feel they can keep that child, but I know many religious right organizations that have used a lot of pressure on women to have babies by insinuating that it’s sinful to not have that baby because there is a good Christian couple who wants to adopt it.  No woman is obligated to provide someone else with a child.

While many polls show that Americans overwhelming support abortion rights, as we saw with the Schiavo situation, public opinion is not always the guiding force for legislation.

Americans strongly wish to keep abortion legal.
A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 56 percent of respondents nationwide favored keeping abortion legal in all or most cases. The survey of 1,082 adults, conducted in April 2005, showed that only 14 percent of those surveyed wanted to keep abortion illegal in all cases, with another 27 percent wanting most cases to be illegal.
Voters don’t want the government and politicians involved in their choice about abortion. In a recent survey by The Mellman Group, 62 percent of respondents felt the government should not interfere with a woman’s access to abortion. Only 33 percent believe the government should restrict access.   SOURCE

I have heard the argument that Sarah Palin wouldn’t attempt to push her religious views and personal beliefs about abortion on anyone else, but I completely disagree with that assessment.

In November 2006, then gubernatorial candidate Sarah Palin declared that she would not support an abortion for her own daughter even if she had been raped.

Granting exceptions only if the mother’s life was in danger, Palin said that when it came to her daughter, “I would choose life.”  SOURCE

I believe anyone with that strong of a belief against abortion will in fact do anything within her power to see that abortion is made illegal.  In fact Palin said, in response to a question from On The Issues:

Q: Your stand on abortion?

A: I’m pro-life. I’ll do all I can to see every baby is created with a future and potential. The legislature should do all it can to protect human life.

Source: Q&A with Newsmax.com’s Mike Coppock Aug 29, 2008  SOURCE

If you disagree with my belief that she would in fact try to make abortion illegal PLEASE re-read her statement….THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD DO ALL IT CAN TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE.

It boils down to trust based on her statements…I don’t trust her, as I did Hillary Clinton, to see that Roe v. Wade remains intact.

And yes, I am familiar with the 30% solution and I’ve read this on a number of blogs:  Apparently, it is a well-recognized fact that no significant progress is ever made on womens’ issues in any country unless the federal government is made up of at least 30% women.
I have not been able to verify that fact and I’m not willing to gamble that it is true at the possible expense of Roe v. Wade and the further entwining of the religious right with government.

So where does that leave me?  I feel Barack Obama is a fraud perpetrated on the American people aided and abetted by the DNC, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Howard Dean, Donna Brazille and Ted Kennedy.  I cannot in all good conscience vote for a man who I believe is the left’s version of George Bush.

I have finally come to the conclusion that there is no good choice.  There is no lesser of the two evils in my mind….so, for the first time this year I will be voting third party.  It was my intention to vote for Cynthia McKinney but in light of some recent statements by her that wandered into tinfoil hat territory I have re-thought that decision and have decided to cast my vote for Ralph Nader.