Yesterday I spoke to my Aunt and we shared our concerns about the “state of the world.” We both lamented that we feel overwhelmed, scared, and stressed out with the state of things in this country. It’s such a blanket statement… but it has to do with faith and courage. We both have the COURAGE to get out there and do everything we can to make our world better… but we don’t have the FAITH that it will be enough.
During the discussion, she asked me a question that sent shivers up my spine:
“What if they find Osama on November 3rd?”
The Answer:
“We’d be done.”
I’ve repeated those few lines of exchange in my head over and over since yesterday’s original conversation. And I know that it is true. If that happened, The conservatives would have you believe that the WAR ON TERROR that has been raging for 7 years is finally done and it would be all because of the Republican party. McCain would clamor to the news and tell them that the mission finally was accomplished and that he was right all along. And on November 4th, he’d be elected President of the most powerful country on this planet.
Here’s the thing, folks: THE WAR IS NOT OVER. At least not the war that I am thinking of. I am speaking of the war at home.
The war that we have in our communities when education is underfunded and our children are competing with us for jobs because we are unemployed and will settle for minimum wage. The war for a liveable wage is not solved when Osama is caught.
The war I speak of is the one that we face when we get into a car and drive to the gas station. That is a war that is not stopped just because Osama would be caught. The war is not stopped because soon we will run out of oil. Soon we will have depleted our Earth’s supply and all the talk about renewable energy will be “shoulda, coulda, woulda” moments. The war at the pump is not solved when Osama is caught.
The war I speak of is the one that prevents our young people (myself included) from feeling motivated. They are already sick of being told that they are not talented enough. That the work they do- despite the homes they are raised in and have no control of- that the work they strive for every day in school is only USEFUL and IMPORTANT if it gains a high score on an assessment test. The war of unused talent is not solved when Osama is caught.
The war I speak of is the one that prevents me from going to the hospital or doctor right now though I have a number of ongoing health concerns that deserve attention. The war prevents young people from getting immunizations they need, healthy food and prescriptions that will make them thrive, and cheaper costs so that their parents can work less and love them more. The war of easy access to health care is not solved when Osama is caught.
If Osama is caught, The War is not over. The war here in the USA is an ongoing battle. And I so desperately want the cease fire. I so desperately enjoy the hope that Barack Obama brings to me and my friends. I so desperately enjoy being inspired and being motivated and being protected.
I love my country. And I want the war to be over. And that is why I am voting for Barack Obama.
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