Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Yes We Did!


[update: I've been really trying to keep to myself about all of the negative/misinformed attacks about Barack Obama that have been going around via email and blogs. But I would just like to say that as a Mormon who constantly hears false things about her church in the media and in person in countries around the world: don't believe everything you hear. If people believed everything they heard about the Mormons then we would be:

1) Amish (according to many Hungarians)
2) Polygamists (and along with that, child abusers marrying off our 11 year old daughters)
3) Not Christian
4) Homo-phobic
5) Horned creatures
6) Sexists
7) Racists

But none of that is true! Go to the source to find out the truth.

So, before you go believing that Obama is:

1) Muslim (not that it would be a problem if he were)
2) Raised by terrorists
3) Best friends with a terrorist
4) Advised by terrorists
5) A Socialist
6) Robin Hood the Sequel

Please, go to the source to find out the truth.

There. I had to say something. But please don't leave mean comments or get mad at me. I just had to say that I firmly believe that Barack Obama is a good person, a good father, a good leader, and a man who has shown through his life that he has the best interest of people at heart. I'm not asking you to agree. I'm only asking you to not pass along false beliefs.]

34 comments:

The Tuck Family said...

I'm glad to hear that somebody's happy. What a political landslide....

Sarah said...

Wahoooooooooo!

{Erica} said...

YAY for Obama. YAY for prop 8!

EmmaP said...

i couldn't agree more. what gets me is when people assume that because i am conservative in many beliefs - including my religion - that automatically makes me a republican, or that I would even consider voting for mccain. Well - i am one who likes to do my research and i take my voting rights/priveliges very seriosuly. I am proud to say that I have never voted a straight ballot. Yesterday I voted for some democrats, some republicans, a libertarian and even a constitutionalist. I believe in really trying to understand the person behind the banner and understanding their causes and their motives. I believe that despite what the media wants us to believe - that most politicians are not egotistical. They genuinely want what is best for mankind and they are passionate about it - er um - with the exception of that "totally awesome" moron! tee hee! good post!

Anonymous said...

what if you do your research and cant come to terms with someone who is not pro-life? Isnt that against your religion? You are confusing to me.

Dan said...

anonymous, read this: http://fightthesmears.com/articles/15/wildaccusations

Dan said...

Thanks for that post. I wanted to comment but I am all fired up and can’t post things that will make the McCain supporters mad, oh well.

No Kidding, do people really believe that Obama can pull the wool over the eyes of an entire country and ruin our systems? I don't think so. His role is to improve what has already been done to make this a better place to live, work and have a family. That has been his message and McCain's message from Day 1.

The demonstration of disrespect and spreading of rumors and false accusations HAS TO STOP. Especially by those who consider themselves members of The Church of Jesus Christ. Honestly, would Jesus, whom we have covenanted to model our lives after, do such vile works? Those who have spread bad rumors in ignorance, use your brain.

There is plenty bad that can be said about McCain when it comes to “Mormon Values”. Like for example, is everyone clear that he has always been a womanizer, even worse than Clinton? At least Clinton never left Hilary. McCain left his disfigured first wife and three kids and then married his rich trophy wife a month later. What about that, huh? How much do family values matter to Mormons? It’s pretty important to me and the whole gospel scheme as far as I understand it.

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_john_mccain_cheat_on_his_first.html

No one’s perfect so don’t expect them to be and don’t make them out for worse than they are. Stick to the facts.

We all need to support OUR president and pray for him and our other elected leaders no matter who they are (black, white, male or female).

Rachel said...

All I will say is I am glad I live in a free country where we can all vote for whom ever we please. What a neat and incredible blessing. God Bless America! Land of the Free! Home of the Brave!

Anonymous said...

Just because I dont support Obama does not in the least bit mean I support McCain. It was a lose, lose. Time will illustrate this whole thing.

Jennifer said...

I know what you mean, Megs, about not wanting people to post mean, hateful things about people. My husband and I have wondered aloud how many really good people are kept out of leading our states and nation because they aren't willing to have people be SO AWFUL to them!! Anyway, I didn't vote for Obama but I found myself a little teary when he won and everybody went crazy. It was awesome to see history HAPPEN. I think he's a good person, and I always thought it would be so cool to have a black president! And, yes, YAY for prop 8, too!

The Willeyes said...

The fact of the matter is...whether you wanted him or not...he won. So, lets support OUR new president and pray our country as a whole gets better. That's what we all need to be worried about.

Our country needs solidarity now not more division. It should never have come down to race, gender or religion. That is not what our great nation is about!

There is no one that is perfect so now we need to band together and support him so we all win. Thanks for the great post Megs.

Ashley said...

YAY! I am from Alabama and there are only a handful of us down here. I look through my blogs I read daily and it seems to be even worse. But a majority of Americans voted for Barack Obama so we know they're out there. I wish there were more around here. Thanks for your post and keep fighting the good fight. Yes We Did!!

Maren said...

Hooray for Obama!

Holli and Billy said...

Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to be posting a link to this post of yours on our blog because I wanted to say much the same thing.....

-billy

TreverandDawnell said...

Yeah, my computer is finally letting me post! Anyway, I wanted to say that Obama gave a great speech last night. It looks like he has some great ideas and I hope that he is able to put them into motion and help better all of our lives! You are great Megan!

Mary Jane said...

Megan- loved your views on this. I hope you don't mind, but I put a link on my blog to yours. I wish I had more guts to say things like you. I also LOVED what Dan said!

Holdinator said...

This was a brave post, and thank you for posting it. The misconceptions and lies about Senator (now President-elect) Obama are frustrating to say the least. I have a lot of faith that his attitude of enthusiasm and optimism will bring about positive changes for our country.

Amanda D said...

I didn't vote for Obama, but I will support him as our president. I pray that he is the man that so many believe he is. I have been feeling excitement, nervousness and hope all rolled into one.

Hill Call said...

You are much more elegant about than I would have been, so thank you for saying something. Ignorance is the most frustrating and polarizing part of politics, but what do I know, I voted for Obama cause he really motivated the cool kids to get out there and vote!

Anonymous said...

I am not the same anon. that commented before.

I have some questions. I'm not asking them to be contentious, I really want to know.

1. Is Obama pro-life or pro-choice? Infanticide, Abortion? Does it matter? Life is life.
2. How do you justify Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright?
3. Isn't universal health coverage just a fancy name for socialized medicine? Socialized medicine isn't working in other countries. I can't see why it would work here.
4. It seems to me that Obama's tax plans punish those who work hard. Where's the incentive to work hard and take risks if the government is going to tax you like crazy. My parents, who make good money, but are not crazy wealthy, already pay 50%+ of their income in taxes. How much more do you want? Why work hard if it's all going to get taken away?
5. Why should the government pay for a college education? It is difficult to do. I know, my husband and I did it. He worked like crazy and so did I. We had a baby. We scrimped and saved. There were a lot of late nights, but we did it. He graduated. We had no debt. We did it ourselves. What is wrong with working hard?

I really want to know what Obama supporters think of these questions. Please.

Obama will now be our president, my president. I am an American, and so proud of that. But I cannot support policies that take us away from hard work and responsibility. I just simply don't believe that's what this country was founded on.

K said...

Megs, you are aware that our perspectives about this man and what he seems to want to do with our country differ. But we are the same in wanting a good man who is humble and seeks wisdom to be our leader. I don't understand the ad hominem attacks - attacks that don't address the issues, but that instead are leveled against the people who are expressing their opinions (you'd better go talk to your bishop about those skewed politics of yours - HA).

I think that when people don't have any real info and nothing substantial to say get all emotionally charged up, they just start calling names and saying ugly, personal things to other people.

I'm glad that you are thoughtfully exploring the dark side (just kidding), because what you have to say always makes me think. And I want to be a thinking person. Both of us may be trying to think very clearly, and still manage to come up with differing conclusions. At that point, we each must just accept the fact that the other one is a little bit crazy, but we love them anyway, and anyway - one horse does not a race make.

The thing that worries me most about your man is that phrase "re=distribution of wealth." It couldn't sound more Marxist to me. But we will pray and hope and work for a world that will be safe and wonderful for our children and our grandchildren - and we will work side by side for that. And I, for one under those circumstances, will count myself in very good company.

K said...

Ummmm. There was no pun intended when I said "dark side." Like I say, I don't think in skin colors. Just when I was reading to find all the mistakes I made (too late), I caught that.

Megan said...

Anonymous,

good questions. I'll try to answer them all but it will take me awhile since they really can't be answered simply or briefly.

First, abortion and the mistaken idea that Obama supports infanticide: Barack Obama is pro-choice, meaning he supports the woman's right to choose. As the father of 2, I doubt it is a choice that he and Michelle would personally take or suggest to anyone. Never the less, that is his stance.

Let me say that this is the most negative part of the democratic party in my eyes. I believe that this is the issue that makes the democratic party so evil in the eyes of many members of my church. I don't believe that abortion is right. it is evil. it is definitely wrong. but it is not the only issue at hand, so I choose to look at the whole picture or all of the issues at stake.

the rest of my response is from the obama website, he has a whole website dedicated to the false accusations circulated by the media.

You can’t just go around accusing someone of wanting to kill babies without a good reason, and these new “born alive” accusations against Barack Obama go way too far.

We’re talking about the father of two little girls here. I’m sure some of you are parents -- would you be OK with it if someone accused you of wanting to kill infants?

• At the time Barack voted against a bill containing language designed to protect infants who were “born alive,” such protection was already on the books as Illinois state law.
• The accusations against Barack are so reckless that not even the Republican state senator who sponsored the bill will support them. In fact, he freely admits that “None of those who voted against SB-1082 favored infanticide.”
• The bill was opposed by many legislators and groups like the Illinois Medical Society because of the unintended impact it would have had on other laws and legal precedents in Illinois.
• Barack is on the record saying that he would have supported a similar bill that came up in Congress -- but that didn’t pose a threat to a woman’s right to choose the way the Illinois bill did.

Megan said...

Anonymous,
I hope you're reading these responses because if you want to know, then I want to help.

About Rev. Wright:

First, I'll share my 2 cents, then I'll share Barack's own words.

1) Just because something is said over the pulpit at your church does not believe that you completely agree. As a member of the LDS faith, there have been many testimony meetings and other such meetings where I have cringed at the false beliefs some share and espouse as true doctrine. Not all the time OF COURSE but on occasion. On my mission for example there were so many many times that I would pray no one would say something strange that they shouldn't be saying while at church. People are imperfect. That being said, here is how Barack Obama explains his relationship with Reverend Wright:

"The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States."

http://www.barackobama.com/2008/03/14/on_my_faith_and_my_church.php

Megan said...

I'm gonna stop there and get some sleep. Anonymous, if you're reading please let me know so that I can continue. If you're not reading then I'll stop. Or if you would like to give me your email, then I can write out my responses to these questions in that form.

Thanks for reading!

Megan said...

Okay Anonymous,
I can't stop and go to sleep. I just keep thinking about your questions, so I'm going to continue.

About Obama's health care plan. He does not advocate Socialized Healthcare nor does he support our current system as is, but rather something more in the middle. Here is his plan:

Plan for a Healthy America
Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan

On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.
The Obama-Biden plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan. Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.
Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year.
If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.
Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses - Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.
Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.
Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.
Lower costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees.
Prevent insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors.
Make employer contributions more fair by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employees health care.
Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.
Ensure everyone who needs it will receive a tax credit for their premiums.
Reduce Costs and Save a Typical American Family up to $2,500 as reforms phase in:
Lower drug costs by allowing the importation of safe medicines from other developed countries, increasing the use of generic drugs in public programs and taking on drug companies that block cheaper generic medicines from the market
Require hospitals to collect and report health care cost and quality data
Reduce the costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees.
Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care.
The Obama-Biden plan will promote public health. It will require coverage of preventive services, including cancer screenings, and increase state and local preparedness for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
A Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility: Barack Obama will pay for his $50 - $65 billion health care reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

Anonymous said...

I really appreciate you answering my questions. That must have taken a very long time. I don't know that you and I will ever agree on President-Elect Obama. But you have made it possible for me to see your point of view and to understand where you are coming from.

I appreciate your participation in and passion for the American system. We are all Americans. We should all be involved and educated. And most important, we should all be passionate about the welfare of our country. It is the greatest country in the world.

Megan said...

Anonymous, I'm back to talk about taxes. I don't really understand why everyone is so upset about "Socialist Obama" overtaxing the rich to save the poor. Its not the picture I see.

If you know Barack Obama's (and his wife Michelle's) stories, you know that they both came from lower class families that scrimped and saved and worked their tales off to get them through ivy league schools and recieve law degrees. They know how to work. They never had anything handed to them and they don't want to give anybody a free ride, especially not at the expense of others. They just know that the economy is in trouble. People are losing jobs. Gas and food prices are insane. The housing market is ridiculous. The middle class is in trouble. Obama's propsed tax cuts will give relief where its needed most. But the upper class and large companies who provide jobs, insurance, and stimulation to the economy will likewise be compensated. To me, its a fair plan.

Here is his plan:

Barack Obama’s tax plan delivers broad-based tax relief to middle class families and cuts taxes for small businesses and companies that create jobs in America, while restoring fairness to our tax code and returning to fiscal responsibility. Coupled with Obama’s commitment to invest in key areas like health, clean energy, innovation and education, his tax plan will help restore bottom-up economic growth that helps create good jobs in America and empowers all families achieve the American dream.

Obama’s Comprehensive Tax Policy Plan for America will:
Cut taxes for 95 percent of workers and their families with a tax cut of $500 for workers or $1,000 for working couples.
Provide generous tax cuts for low- and middle-income seniors, homeowners, the uninsured, and families sending a child to college or looking to save and accumulate wealth.
Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses, cut corporate taxes for firms that invest and create jobs in the United States, and provide tax credits to reduce the cost of healthcare and to reward investments in innovation.
Dramatically simplify taxes by consolidating existing tax credits, eliminating the need for millions of senior citizens to file tax forms, and enabling as many as 40 million middle-class Americans to do their own taxes in less than five minutes without an accountant.
Under the Obama Plan:
Middle class families will see their taxes cut – and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase. The typical middle class family will receive well over $1,000 in tax relief under the Obama plan, and will pay tax rates that are 20% lower than they faced under President Reagan. According to the Tax Policy Center, the Obama plan provides three times as much tax relief for middle class families as the McCain plan.
Families making more than $250,000 will pay either the same or lower tax rates than they paid in the 1990s. Obama will ask the wealthiest 2% of families to give back a portion of the tax cuts they have received over the past eight years to ensure we are restoring fairness and returning to fiscal responsibility. But no family will pay higher tax rates than they would have paid in the 1990s. In fact, dividend rates would be 39 percent lower than what President Bush proposed in his 2001 tax cut.
Obama’s plan will cut taxes overall, reducing revenues to below the levels that prevailed under Ronald Reagan (less than 18.2 percent of GDP). The Obama tax plan is a net tax cut – his tax relief for middle class families is larger than the revenue raised by his tax changes for families over $250,000. Coupled with his commitment to cut unnecessary spending, Obama will pay for this tax relief while bringing down the budget deficit.

see http://www.barackobama.com/taxes/ for more information.

Megan said...

Anonymous,

Your last question was about Obama's plan for providing financial assistance for college. He is not advocating that the government cover tuition costs for all americans or that it is a government responsibility. I hear you that it is a possible, gratifying, and cool thing when you can put yourself through college, but that is not a reality for a lot of people. I don't know where you are from, but here in Utah we are so blessed to have tuition costs that are tens of thousands of dollars cheaper per semester than in other parts of the country. Obama's plan is designed to assist those of us who need it. And its not a free hand out.

When I was in college at BYU, I participated in a program called Americorp. I was involved with working at a middle school. I recieved tuition money in a scholarship from the government deposited at the university for the number of hours that I spent working with our nation's youth.

Obama's plan is similar: provide community service in exchange for help with tuition. To me, it seems like the WPA or any of the other programs FDR came up with to put Americans to work after the great depression. They got money they so desperately needed and the country got a ton of amazing museums, bridges, buildings, roads, etc. You help your community--you get an education. We all win. Or, put yourself through college any way you want to. There is no compulsion in it whatsoever.

Here's Obama's plan:

Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.

Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama and Biden will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/#higher-education

Furthermore, as a former teacher, I appreciate Obama's plans and thoughts on education in general. McCain supported vouchers which are definitely not the answer. Funding private education does not help to improve our nation's public schools. Obama's plans for education are found here:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/#higher-education

thanks for your questions, and really--please look at the obama/biden website. It is easy to navigate and find answers to any questions you may have.

The Betitas said...

Wow megan, you are on a roll!

Debbie said...

When I read your blog reguarding Oboma I thought I was reading my daughters blog. I have something to say on the subject but it would take too long please go to my blog site grandmadebbie5.blogspot.com and read the blog on HOPE. Thankyou for your views.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hill Call said...

Ok I wasn't going to say anything but the anon post above is ridiculous, so Meg delete this if you want to. I LOVE it when people call Obama a Marxist, um do you understand Marxism at all, or even a little? Also the people of this nation elected a senate and congress and president that are liberal so apparently something about what is happening in our Country right now is not something that most people approve of. I am so tired of people thinking that because I am a liberal I cannot be A-patriotic,B- Chirstian, or C- have any values. I love my country and the freedoms I enjoy daily. Apparently my Chirstian beliefs focus a little more on letting people make decisions for themselves rather than telling them what I think Jesus would want them to do. And let me finish with this, how strong are you families values if they are constantly changing with the presidents? Bush's family sure doesn't possess the values I want my family to possess.

Megan said...

Thanks Hill. My goodness I was trying to figure out how to delete that banter when your comment showed up. The thing that I really don't understand is the hatred between the parties. I don't feel the need to go around yelling at people about their political views. I have mine and I'm willing to share them, but I don't appreciate or understand why people have to be so cruel and uninformed. I am not a registered democrat. I have elected plenty of republican and democratic leaders. I feel that I do my civic and religious duty. Our country is not falling apart because we have a president elect who wants us to pull together, serve each other, and figure out what needs to be done to help our nation's families in this difficult economy. Nobody's taxes are going to be higher than they can manage. So please don't go spouting about what Shaun Hannity tells you Obama's gonna do. If you're gonna spout then please spout about what Obama tells you Obama's gonna do. And another thing: I know PLENTY of working mothers--including my own mom--who raise their children with love and teach them to be good, thinking, helping, intelligent, and kind people. So don't blame the nation's problems on them. Thank you and this post is now closed.

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