John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
Yesterday, I heard from several well-known politicians that they would not support a Donald Trump nomination, even when he garnished the majority of votes. I am reminded of the adage, a house divided cannot stand.
For over 20 years I served as an election judge. I've experienced watching people from other cultures voting for the first time and watching their smiles when their vote has been cast. I've watched thousands as they voted for the man who would soon shock the world to become governor of Minnesota.
Voting is a rite of passage for many people. For a young person, voting says to the world that I am no longer a child, but an adult able to make my decisions in the political process and who I believe should run the country.
For still others, voting is an emotional thing because wherever they immigrated from they were not afforded that opportunity. Some experienced tragic losses when family members were taken in the night never to return. Still others were thrown into dungeons where tortured awaits them because of their particular beliefs they held.
America is truly a melting pot made up of all nationalities, creeds, and religions. It is one of the rare countries where a person has the freedom to worship without fear of retaliation or death. Those freedoms are ingrained in the United States Constitution, a document that some nations could only dream of having while other more repressive regime's wish they could destroy.
In every major war, America has fought there have been braved soldiers of all religious backgrounds fighting side by side for the cause of protecting those precious freedoms. Many of those brave men and women died in battle protecting those freedoms that some of us take for granted.
To better understand those sacrifices pretend you are in the shoes of a young man or woman giving your mom and dad a warm embrace before stepping onto the Jefferson Lines bus not knowing if and when you would see them again.
For some, that hug you gave mom and dad may be the last one they would ever receive from you. Some may come back from war with traumatic experiences they cannot get out of their mind. Some may come back to the sounds of taps. In the back of your mind, you wonder if you would ever live to see your parents, your wife, your husband or your children again. Your eyes are dripping wet from seeing the sadness in your loved one's eyes as your bus pulls away.
Pretend you are in the shoes of that sad wide eye child who is sniffling so bad that they get the hiccups because you know that mom or dad are leaving you for the cause of freedom which you are too little to understand. In your mind, you just know you won't have your mom or dad to hug or read bed time stories to you.
Pretend for a moment you are the spouse who watches as two soldiers stand at the end of your driveway making their way to your front door with gloved hands and formal military dress. As soon as they said those words," The Secretary of Defense regrets to inform you" you feel shockwaves going through your entire body as the reality of your son's, daughter's wife, Husband's death is announced. You collapse on the driveway in heavy sobs.
Alas, our military men and woman and their families have paid a heavy sacrifice just so our freedoms can be protected and so we can cast our vote. The image that best captures the essence of those men and women is the Viet Nam memorial where the deceased soldiers are looking back at the one who survive the war. Each is a reminder of those sacrifices.
We cannot excuse ourselves from the political process simply because we don't like the person running. We honor those deceased men and woman by voting on election day because it was their sacrifice that preserves the freedom to participate in the political process.
We live in the greatest country in all the world. Repressive regimes are intensely jealous of our form of government. They would like to see us fall. Weaker economies around the world are thankful for being able to manufacture American products so their people can work and support their families.
Our American form of government is more than just the man in the White House. It is form of government made up of checks and balances. It is the reason why America will always be the greatest nation in all the earth.
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