Dad can attest as to how worried I was about the outcome of this election. While I did not think that it would decide the fate (or end) of the world, I definitely thought it could be a step in that direction.As to how it all turned out? Well, if you haven't been watching the election coverage, Sen. Obama won by a considerable margin (as of 9:40, 338 electoral votes to 156). I guess I feel happy, but now here comes the next big worry. Now, I know that no presidential candidate can complete every single thing they promise along the two-year campaign trail, but I really hope that Prez. Obama will follow through on his word. This is a tricky climate to enter into office to say the least.
Personally, I think think I did a fare job researching the candidates' policies, and I did my best to let their individual characters supplement, not decide, my decision. However, I do think I let some things affect me a lot, particularly how much attack media Sen. McCain released near the end of the stretch. This is not to say that Sen. Obama didn't release these ads as well, but the shear amount of McCain's, not to mention some of the claims made therein, definitely cinched my final vote.
This year's classes in Philosophy and Economics have made me a bit more knowledgeable in understanding the drives behind much of the pomp and process, and I guess this more than anything is what makes me a bit apprehensive towards the future. I just have to remind myself of some of the better things I've come to realize this year. Specifically, that I really believe this world is the best one that can be, and since it is foolish to try and predict the future beyond what I myself can know or change, I might as well not worry about it. Things go wrong all the time, but everything is a process based off of everything before it, so everything bad and evil today is the result of the way this world developed. I'm not saying one can't hope and try to make the world; in fact, I believe that the good we do is a result of natural processes too, and this gives me more hope for the future than anything can. Evil will never completely disappear, but neither will good. I'm not one to define what the definitions of 'good' and 'evil' are; most of things I can think think of have some kind of gray area of disputable worth (minus things like genocide, which I refuse the see any good in.) Still, I don't think that the goodness in humanity will ever be completely stamped out, in whatever form it comes in. Whatever happened here and whatever happens in the future, I can know that good will stay; all I have to worry about is what part I will play in building it up or destroying it.
Wow. Now THAT'S a monologue. Sorry everyone.
I would like to know what everyone else thought of the election if you don't mind sharing. I promise I wont get angry at your opinions, though I may call you a doodyhead. I can't guarantee anything there...
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3 comments:
Kory, you have the most thought-provoking posts! I always think about them for days after I read them.
Anyway, I was very happy at the outcome of the presidential election but I am apprehensive too, because like you said, President elect Obama has some major rough issues to deal with now. I am not happy that proposition 8 passed. I can't believe Californians actually voted to take rights away from one another! What's next- Ken is Jewish and I'm Christian(ish)- are we still okay? What happened to the separation of church and state? I'll stop- I could go on for hours about this one!
I can get bogged down thinking about the things that are wrong with this world too, so I try to remember that things aren't generally good or bad, they just are (although genocide is just bad). We attach meaning to events in our lives and we give them power over our feelings and thoughts. What I've found always helps me feel better is helping someone else in whatever capacity I can. Sometimes it just means going to an NA meeting and talking to another addict. Sometimes it means doing the dishes so Ken comes home to a clean kitchen. Ahh,I digress.
Great post Kory- keep 'em coming!
Well, Kory I didn't think, back in June, that the US would elect an African American (in the truest sense of the term, African father, American mother)as President. Given our history of the past 250 years, it is amazing. He is the right man at the right time in history.
Ha ha, you said "doody"! (So did one of my students this morning; I don't know how he learned that)
But seriously, I have the same feeling of joy and apprehension as you guys. I just feel it's reassuring that now an intelligent, thoughtful man will be the one dealing with these problems.
Gobama!
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