Are We Asking the Right Questions?

I have made it a point to avoid any political or election related disscussions in the past few months. While I haven't been able to entirely, I have done my very best to either cut these conversations very short, or simply be a casual observer who says very little.
It's not that I don't have an opinion but simply that I don't want to share it.
I realize that this may seem rather lazy and uncaring, but that's not the case. I am normally what could be called an outspoken person. Ok, so I've been called loud and opinionated in the past. The reality is that I'm sick of politics. I have been following the election close enough, I have seen "Farenheit 9-11", I have been to Micheal Moore's webpage, I have read numerous articles but yet, I avoid conversations about all of the above.
But something occured at the restaurant this afternoon that spurs me to finally give my opinion.

In reality, I feel sorry for our president. Not because he's George W. Bush, but because he's the president. I feel sorry for anyone in office actually. I would hate to live everyday of my current life with the knowledge that whatever decisions I make that day will be the topic at countless dinner tables that night. I realize that this is a choice they have made, but still, that's an enourmous amount of pressure to live up to everyday. I certainly cannot live my life well enough to be held to that level of accountability.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the reason I will now break my silence and comment on politics and the election.
I was vacuuming the restaurant this afternoon, and in between spurts of vacuuming and stopping to move tables, one of the owners (Jim, who's a 65 year-old cute grandfatherly sort) talked to me about voting. He thinks it's incredibly sad that so many college students don't vote simply because they don't make the effort to fill out an absentee ballot and wanted to make sure I would do so. I don't remember exactly who asked what next, but it ended up with me somewhat jokingly asking Jim who he thought I should vote for.
Now I need to explain that Jim's a very quiet fellow most of the time. But he's the kind of man that everyone makes sure to say hi to when they come in, and some sit for hours talking his ear off while his lunch gets cold. He's great at running the bait shop, and listening to countless tall tales of "the one that got away".
He often shakes his head at us waitresses many antics. His wife Marlene runs the restaurant and cooks in the evenings. She informed me the other morning that Jim had commented to her regarding me that "Beth talks so fast. I can't think that fast.". I had to laugh at that.

Anyway, when I jokingly asked Jim who he thought I should vote for, he got serious and said "Well, I don't want to tell you what to do, but I will say this. Kerry has been and is a huge supporter of abortion. Not only does he support abortion, but he's in favor of gay marriage. Many gay groups have commented that they can't wait to implement gay marriage in all 50 states after he's elected, because he'll let it happen." I was clueless how Jim felt about this. "And Beth, we can't let that happen." Whew, no argument about to happen here. I agreed with him that I thought abortion was horrible, and Jim said "I know you do. I know your background and understand you enough to know what you believe. So Beth, I just want to make sure you're going to vote, because we need to stop abortion. I really believe that's the reason that we have the problems, even the wars that we do in this country, because abortion is legal." I agreed that it was a huge problem, and then continued vacuuming. There was a little more to the conversation than that, a little more detailed, but you get the gist of it.

It was a simple 5-minute conversation, but one that has inspired and encouraged me. Not only do I feel somewhat of a camaraderie with Jim now, but I now know how to comment on the election.
Yes, I've seen and been stunned by "Farenheit 9-11". I'm not ignorant of the many mistakes that our president has made. They turn my stomache at times. I hate the fact that there's sin in the world, that we are imperfect people, and that there will never be peace until heaven. I hate the fact that war is a necessary evil.
I don't necessarily support the war, but I know that it will always be, that there won't be peace until heaven. I support our troups and pray for wisdom for our president.
As I said, I'm not ignorant of the mistakes he's made, but something now outweighs them.
Even if Kerry can stop the war and save countless soldier's lives, he won't save the babies.

I can hear some of you now, "Those are 2 separate issues!". And maybe they are, but Jim raises a good point.
Abortion and the like have torn our country apart. I weep for the many mother's who have lost sons and daughters to the wars. But I've cried and held a friend who's just learned she's pregnant. I've wept tears of agony until I puked at learning someone I grew up with had an abortion. I've felt hate, bitterness, and sorrow for what happened to that baby. I've seen how that abortion contributed to tearing her life apart. I see deep sorrows that drive people to gay relationships.
And yes, I do believe these things being legal greatly impact the state of our country. I do not believe we would be in the mess we are today if only we had stood for what was right long ago.

I cherish our soldier's lives. I cherish the Iraqi lives that are lost. But war will always be.
I cherish babies. I cherish heartbroken girls and boys who are looking for love in the wrong places.
And so, I will most likely vote for George W. Bush. He's signed into law the ban on partial-birth abortion. He's trying to preserve marriage in this country. Yes, he's far from perfect. But so are we.
Maybe we need to start removing our own planks and then look for specs elsewhere.
I think we've been asking the wrong questions. I'm going to stop asking so many questions about the war, and ask questions about the policies and laws that will be instituted once all this war stuff is put on a back shelf somewhere.
Will the future Einsteins and Curries and Luthers of the world have a chance if we keep killing them?
What about a couple I know who can't have kids, and want to adopt?
Neither of these issues are mutually exclusive, but let's start asking the right questions.