Steppin' Up on My Soapbox....

Well...I've kept quiet long enough.  I know I said I wasn't going to write about this, but it's time.  It's time to give my own spin on something that I am tired of seeing on tv, on my phone alerts, and on the internet.  Yes, friends...if you stay my friend after this post...I'm talking about the election.

(GASP)

We've got two people and one of those crazies is gonna be our next president.  And let's face it, they are their own slice of crazy.  I mean, you can pretty much throw moral and ethics out the window with either candidate.  You can't tell me that morally and/or ethically one is better than the other.  One says they can grab women and the other deletes e-mails.  One talks bad about people who are going to vote for the other candidate and the other has a temper hotter than fire itself.  They both talk horribly about each other and how bad the other one will be as president...and neither one can give a straight answer about what they can do when asked.  The debates are worse than when my kiddos argue...at least at our house, they can go to separate rooms, eventually apologize, and are playing nicely afterwards.

It's ridiculous friends...but we've come down to this.  Seriously...one of these people will be our next president.

And let's start talking about how these two people have made us crazy.  Absolutely insane.  I have read the most demeaning posts degrading people who want to vote for one side or the other.  ARE WE SERIOUS!?!?!?  When did we decide that having an opinion was worth ending friendships, talking disgustingly to AND about each other, and showing that if you don't believe me, then you are an idiot?  Are we at the point in our lives that we have the freedom of speech, but that's just really something we say and don't mean?  Are we really okay with some of the hatred that has spewed out of our mouths to each other?  I mean, I know we're not voting for the top two candidates in America to be our president, but when did it become okay to not let people have an opinion?  And when they do have an opinion, to tear them apart limb from limb?

And you know what gets me?  The people that say "I'm a Republican so I'll always vote Republican" or "I'm a Democrat so I'll always vote Democrat".  Really?  Have you checked to see what "your" candidate is for/against?  What about voting for what's best for our country...or your state...or your city...or you?  Or what about not voting for what your parents vote for because that's what you think you have to do?

So let me tell you what we did with the kiddos after they were making fun of one candidate or another....we educated them.  We first sat down with each boy individually and went over a quiz about all of the issues.  It was AMAZING to see the results...and how don't make fun of the candidates on issues that they really didn't know much about anyway.  And the best, was when one of the kiddos took the quiz and it came up that he should vote for the other candidate.  Eye-opening, I tell ya.  

Now, if you have looked deeply into the issues...that's another story.  I'm proud of you (if that even means anything to you by now)....but lay off the horrible, disgusting, demeaning, yelling at other people who have a different opinion.  Because let me tell you, the "if you vote for _______ I will not be your friend anymore" comments is just about as childish as my kiddos fighting over three caramel apples...three kiddos fighting over three caramel apples.  Let that sink in...

And, last, but not least...the people that say they aren't going to vote.  UGH.  Voting is a privilege.  There are countries that don't GET to vote.  They are told who is in charge...or someone just picks themselves to be in charge.  And you're saying you're not going to take that privilege and vote for a President of the Unites States of America?!?!?!?  If you REALLY look, have ANY of our presidents been the most "moral, ethical, spiritual, absolutely goes with every one of our ideas" type of person?  If so, that's amazing, but I always find something that I disagree with in a candidate...I'm impressed if someone...especially one of these current candidates...meets all of your qualifications....because neither one of these candidates meets mine...and I'm not just talking about morally or ethically...I'm saying neither of the candidates meets what I want on the issues...the global, financial, educational issues.  Neither one of them line up point by point in what I want...so I have to vote for the one I think meets most of my issues...and even though I'm highly disappointed in both candidates, I am going to vote.

I mean, I'm not running for president...I can't even fathom what these candidates are going through as their lives are being run in the press.  If I was running for president, I could guarantee you that it would be fun to watch and a little drama here and there.  My kiddos would still be shopping at the thrift shop or getting hand-me-down clothes from my friends.  I would still have curly hair...but I would have my hair stylist live in the white house so I could have perfect, fluffy hair all of the time.  I would probably never have to set foot in a kitchen for 4 years and my kiddos would think that is an answered prayer from heaven (cuz I'm pretty sure their "chewy" pizza from tonight did not go over well).  And the big red button everybody talks about?  Well I can imagine about a 2-3 day time frame each month where all the countries would be on their best behavior.

Here's the deal, we try to teach our children to play nicely...stick up for themselves...work hard...respect others...follow your dreams...do the best you can at whatever you do...have fun.  And in our family, we teach our children about God.  So when our children ask about the presidential issues, we straight up tell them that God's got this.  Are we worried?  Why should we be?  No matter who the next president is...no matter what they do...no matter what happens...God is going to take care of them and knows the future.  And the funny thing...I talk about that all the time and nobody degrades me or tells me I'm stupid...but if I put my choice for one of these crazy candidates?  Well...let's just say it would be a different story in Our Life by Numbers!  ;)