What This Election Has Meant to Me

Today is Election Day.  Today along with every local and state election this is the day we will decide who will lead our country for the next four years.

This is also the first election my girls are old enough to sort of understand.  Muri is taking American Government in school this year, so she has an additional resource to help in understanding the ins and outs the whys and why nots of the process.

The next Presidential Election she will be old enough to vote. Meg will be a year too young.    They did participate in a mock election at school this year and I am proud of them for deciding on their own who their vote would be for.  I may not agree with their reasoning (and have sometimes laughed at it because #Idon’tlikehishair)  for choosing their candidate, but I am proud of them for making the choice on their own.

I have my reasons for my vote, and they are my reasons just as yours are yours.  I don’t agree with either candidate 100% on all policies on all issues.  But who among us does?  I have spent an unusual amount of time on Twitter these past few days and have become disheartened.  Maybe it’s just my Twitter stream, and I can say I have a mix of both Obama supporters and Romney supporters.  In the past few days, the Obama supporters have become rude, and mean, and disrespectful to both Romney as well as Romney supporters.  Frankly, if you can’t have basic respect for the person, no matter who they are, then you’ve lost all credibility with me and your vote shouldn’t count.  I have said before is someone was behaving towards your child they way you are towards other people you would be all up in arms screaming BULLY!  So do you want to be the pot or the kettle today?

Tonight the election will be over.  The votes cast and counted.  We will go back to life as we remember it long before the campaign season began.  But for me, after this election, especially this week, there are people out there I will never look at the same way again.  I will have lost some of my respect for them, and their words will mean little to me.

In this election, along with teaching my girls the process of voting, how our Presidents are elected, how state and national government works, I have also taught them to respect other opinions.  I have taught them that everyone has the right to make their choice.  We all have our reasons, and the reason they vote for someone probably isn’t the reason you would vote.  But that’s ok.  Respect the people, respect the candidates, and most of all respect The Office.  Because no matter who wins tomorrow, he will be our President for the next four years and he deserves our respect.