My dad, whom I love without condition, took the time today to send a heartfelt letter as to why he is voting for McCain. My dad is a wonderful person, a great dad and grandfather. He has always been there for everyone in my family without question. I have always been able to disagree with him without any ramifications.
Follow me below the fold for some background information about my father and to explain the reasons as to why I would share such a personal letter.
Here is his letter:
I have lived a good life. I have had time to reflect on things I have done and for the most part, I think, I have done the right thing and made the correct decisions. I don't remember a time that I have been afraid when making decisions, apprehensive perhaps, but never afraid. However, all in all, I am where I am as a result of my decisions and am been blessed with a great family. The size of the family never bothered me. I put my faith in God and relied very heavily on your mother many times when I was not present to assist in making decisions.
Now I am afraid, not for Jan and I but for the rest of the family. My 74+ years of life has provided me with some insight to history and the coming election is probably the most important that you will ever experience. It also will be important to your mother and I for a few years but for the rest of the family it will affect you the remainder of your life.
I know the choices presented are not the most desirable that we could have had, but it is what it is. During my time I have not missed a vote except for the time we spent on Okinawa. I have voted both democratic and republican, and lately more republican.
This time I have paid close attention to both candidates and I have decided to vote for McCain, not that I think everything he has promised will come to be if he is elected, but I am afraid of the possibility that everything Obama has promised will come to be if he is elected. Obama's promise to 'spread the wealth around' will be the start, and with accomplices Reid in the Senate and Pelosi in the House the United States will be on the fast track to Socialism. I have been fortunate not to have lived under socialism, but I felt that the nearest the US has come to it was during the Carter administration which was a disaster.
Besides Obama's promise to 'spread the wealth around' his views on abortion and same sex marriage are two that are polar opposites of what I think are right and just. You may feel different but I hope not. Jan and my christian values have guided us so far and would pray that some would have rubbed off on our children.
The government we presently have may not be what I would think is ideal, but an alternative with Obama as president will be much worse. Many of the values I have tried to live by will be seriously compromised or completely disappear. Even the Constitution will be under assault with extremely liberal Judges being appointed that will read into it whatever is convenient at the time. The Constitution and Bill of Rights has been the basis of the US's freedom and greatness. There is no place for a Bill of Entitlements, which will result from a more Socialist form of Government. France is a model for a failing system of government that will essentially fail in your lifetime without some drastic re-alignment of governmental priorities.
My vote is for McCain will, not for how the choice will be for me, but for how I truly believe the choice will be for my children and grandchildren. No matter what, I do encourage you to vote and get involved in the democratic process while you can.
My father was born in Oklahoma in 1934. The depression was on and times were extremely difficult. After my grandmother gave birth to my aunt who had Down's Syndrome, she was abandoned by her husband and divorced shortly afterwards. My grandmother moved quite often to find work and my dad went to at least 10 different schools growing up. He rarely saw his father. I only met him once when I was 10. Luckily for my father, my grandmother was from a family of 11. Her sibling were willing to help raise and mentor both my father and his older brother. My father remembers being very poor, but also remembers being very loved and surrounded by family.
After attending 6 different high schools, he graduated and went on to college where he met my mother. They were married within 9 months and have been married for 51 years. They raised 5 daughters (I am one of them) and a son and have 21 grandchildren and 1 great grand daughter.
All of my siblings except for my brother and myself live within 50 miles of them. They have a true sense of family and have been loving and accepting of all of our trials and tribulations. I never, and I can say this without exaggerating, have ever heard my father speak unkindly of anyone.
This leads me to my confusion over why would my father, a man that I admire and love with all my heart, vote for someone as despicable as McCain? How can I counter his letter?