At the risk of alienating some of my readers, I feel compelled to venture into the arena of politics. I understand that many of you are Republican. As far as I can tell, few are Democrat. I am Canadian. I don't seek to offend anyone by saying that I had one opinion or the other as I appreciate that each of you supported the party that you felt best represented the solution to your problems or best reflected your morals. What was right for you and your family was not necessarily right for another American or for the International community. As a Canadian, I do not get to vote in your election, but I am greatly effected by your government and therefore had an opinion as to which candidate would benefit my country and I the most.
As a Canadian who has been effected by the state of your economy and by your government,****I have edited this comment after considering Aunt Krissy's comment. I dont think that is the point I wanted to make and it was inflamatory to do so without justifying the comment. I will address what I said in tomorrow's post.***** I applaud the United States Of America for the decision that they made last night. The opinion of Canadians (and the world at large) towards America and the policy's of its government has been exceptionally and increasingly negative up until last night. Perhaps the McCain government would have taken steps to heal the perception of the world towards his party. I also apprecaite that some Americans may feel that our opinion does not matter. If I were an American, I may agree. But in my humble opinion, no strong, proud and respectable country, such as the great USA, should be content with lacking the respect of its neighbors.... As you have been. If you don't believe that, watch any major news cast across the world and note how each and every single one of them is rejoicing on this day. Note how we much we respect the decision you made and how we speak of our hope to renew positive relations with the US.
For those of you who lost the election last night, I offer you my sincere condolences as I am sure you worry for the future of your family. I do not write this to suggest that you were wrong or ill advised in your opinion of what was right or best for you. I do so merely to offer my thanks to those of you who represented and voted in favor of what benefited my family, a vote that I was unable to cast but will most certainly be effected by.
Thank you.
********
I would also like to add here that I was moved to tears last night by John McCain's speech. I wish that we had such inspiring men (or women) in politics here in Canada. I don't find it necessary to hate one party to agree with the other. I don't agree with all the policies of either party and am was not a fan of Obama, but did feel that this election would make a statement to the world that the US is heading in a different direction...or maybe more accurately, back to its roots....of prosperity and being an example for and leader in the world at large.
Thank you for such an honest and hearfelt message. I too have been overwhelmed with the rejoicing in the future hope and trust towards this President elect. I hope that you feel as honored that President Elect Obama never ran as the first african american but as the "best man"for the job. One who would bring change, deal with the issues, uncorrupted.
ReplyDeleteEven though you may not have experienced the horror of segregation, or truely appreciated the likes of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X to name a few. To have the next president of the United States of America be african american is truely one to revel in.
Never in my lifetime have I seen the United States in such peril.
My heart goes out to all of the older generation whom have lost their homes, retirement income and general sense of well being. Also to the younger generation who were looking at such a bleek picture for the future.
The Obama slogan of "yes we can" states the future. I hope that not just as a country but for the world, we all take on this slogan of hope and overcome the loss that this great nation has experienced.
I truely hope that this will not be taken offensively but as a genuine extention of my good will that you will recover to rise once again as a world leader, to be respected and honored and looked on as the greatest in this free world.
mom
Very well put, Chelsi! I just wrote a somewhat similar post. I supported/support Obama 100%, but I do feel for those who supported McCain as well.
ReplyDeleteI know that for myself, I went with Obama because I believe that we need a huge change in the direction of our foregn policy, as well as here at home (in the US).
There are definitely people who think differently, but I had to go with what concerns me right now, and vote for someone who will move our country in a different direction (and like you said, McCain may have done that as well).
I also hope that fellow bloggers do not become angry with anyone who choses to voice their opinion. :)
I'll admit, I have never been one for politics. I've never personally voted for our elections here in Canada. I don't feel comfortable voting on something I know very little about. But I do have to agree with you on the outcome of the American election last night. I know more about the state American politics than I do Canadian. I think that is largely in part to the state of the United States Economy, which will, and already has, heavily impacted many Canadians. Perhaps its time for me to make an effort to learn a little more about Canadian politics....
ReplyDeleteI'm from Alaska and I just moved here to the lower 48. I don't mean to sound critial but when has the U.S.A. over the past 8 years been
ReplyDelete"high handed,undiplomatic and morally reprehensible approach to relations with Canada?" I admit, I don't follow all the news all the time but I don't really know what your talking about? I know that Alaska and Canada have fishing right fights in the inside passage, but thats about all. And also being in Alaska I do feel that we sometimes don't pay that much attn to what was going on in the lower 48. Alaska was more like " out of sight or of mind" and no you didn't alienate me. I love reading about your life with horses.
You wrote a thoughtful post and I don't think anyone will be offended. I think we here in the USA are all hopeful for a change in the right direction and the future for our country and the world may not seem so dismal now.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I am saddened and depressed by the outcome of the election. The view that you should take from the rich and give to the poor and that will make everything all right is sooooo misguided. The United States of America was founded on the principle that hard work should be rewarded. Alas, I do know that things have gotten twisted, but you should know, that the President of the United States has relatively little power. The Senate and the Congress truly hold the reins of power in the US and for the last 8 years, it has been run by the Democrats. The current President, as ashamed and disgusted as I am of him, did not "wreck" the economy. The people of the United States of America did-people did not stop for one second to think about whether they should spend that much money on a home-they just did. They did not stop to wonder if they really should max out their credit cards-they just did. These days few people think they need to save money-hell, why save when you have credit and then they get in a bind because they owe more than they have. We can thank the wrecked economy on the people who spend more than they earn-because they think they have some "right" to have material things NOW. I knew things were going to get bad 3 years ago, when they upped the minimum payments on credit cards and statistics showed that the average American family had a savings of -3%. The economy can't continue to grow when people are farther in the hole every day they go to work.
ReplyDeleteThings will right themselves eventually, the economy is cyclical and I am sure that Obama will take the credit-much like Bill Clinton did, but in actuality they had little to do with it-they just happened to have been in office at the right time. Do I blame Bush for the mess overseas and the deficit due to Iraq? Yes! Do I think he used the Presidency for his personal little power trip? Yes! Do I blame him for the crashed economy? Not in the slightest. He actually has little or no control over the banking and credit standards that allowed people to get in this mess.
Okay...sorry-I just needed to get that off my chest. Did you alienate me? Hell no-I would never let a little thing like politics get in the way of a good "horse" friendship.;)
No worries, I look forward to more post about anything and everything that you choose to talk about. If I could have a horse I would pick a draft type horse. I like the stocky look. Maybe because I'm "stocky" too! LOL
ReplyDeletealso I'm not upset about Obama. I will back him 100%. I think that he has a tough job too do and he needs us ALL to rally around him and move forward.
Except for the color of this man's skin, this election is exactly the same as any other -- all we can do is hope and pray for the best. That's all we can ever do.
ReplyDeleteI'm an equal opportunity voter: I think an African American ought to have the same opportunity to mess things up as any white guy.
I voted for him, but only because my first choice didn't make it that far.
Melanie- well said.
ReplyDeleteNatarojo- I am with you there! Canadian politics leave a lot to be desired! I know 100x more about the US than I do about my own country!
Aunt Krissy- Thanks for both of your comments and for pointing out that I made a unjustified point that took away from the message I was trying to convey. I love drafts and always want one after i watch some old war movie like Braveheart b/c they are so romantic! lol
Gray Horse Matters- I hope things pick up in both of our economys because I want more horses! lol
BECG- Wow,you made some great points. I am glad to hear such an educated opinion. I agree with you comments on the debt crisis and about spending...I worry for American families and the horses (and animals they own) b/c it will be really tough to solve now that the damage is done. It is scary to think of how things can end up when so many people do not know how to live without credit or to control their spending....we dont understand the difference between need and want. Maybe we all had to learn that lesson the hard way.
I agree completely with browneyed cowgirls! Also as a small business owner whose business hasn't had its 5th ann. yet, I worry about what Obama's tax plan will do to me, my business, and the rest of the small businesses out there. My take home right now is less than when I worked part time at for someone else. The HOPE that one day this thing will fly and I can earn more gets my butt out of bed in the morning... I am glad that this presedent elect is well spoken and has some social grace, that will truely be refreshing! Other than that I will keep my fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting and love to hear/read how you veiw the USA and its going ons...blogg away! I will still stop by every morning to see what life looks like from the view up North!!
Hi there didn't see your post till now, you know I always feel sorry for the loser of a Presidential election no matter what party they belong to.
ReplyDeleteThey thought that they could make a difference or they wouldn't have put themselves through that - and what a let down huh? All that hard work?
As I said in my post - no matter who wins i will support them, my family is big time Republican - but they taught me to respect the office of the President, no matter who it is - we do our best to support them and stand behind them because after all they are THE President and that means something to us.
Now we face a time where people can resist the changes coming and try to block the flow of the stream or you can jump in learn how to swim with the current and gain from that. You don't have to kiss your values goodbye you just gotta go with flow and do what you can find success until the next president and his or her new set of policies and rules come along.