the [iM)perfect president

i guess it's about time (on one of, if not, the most historic inaugural addresses in American history) that i address this issue. ever since i have decided that sen. barack obama was my choice for US president, i have withstood several confrontations from friends and colleagues with regards to being explicitly Catholic (and pro-life) and a supporter of obama. a few examples of what i have been "called out" on include: "how can you vote for someone who is a murderer and wants to kill innocent babies?" or "don't you know that the first thing barack obama wants to do when he is elected is pass the Freedom of Choice Act [which, if passed, would abolish all legal restrictions on a woman's choice to have an abortion anywhere in the US] and supports the continued holocaust of the next generation through abortion?" i am certainly grateful that a handful of friends with whom i have the deepest admiration and respect for have challenged me on this all-important issue of life. however, while i mostly agree with what they say with regards to the sanctity of life at all developmental stages, i also did not vote solely on end-of-life issues, but rather on all platforms that directly affect the common good of all man-and woman-kind (esp. the poor and vulnerable). with that out in the open, my response...

first and foremost, i think in responding to my critics/concerned friends, i need to direct them to the major resource (http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/) that i employed after realizing where barack obama stood on end-of-life issues that matter to me. i do not want any of you to think that i just waived or disregarded the stance that obama took on issues like the death penalty or roe v. wade decision or embryonic stem-cell research. that would be irresponsible and imprudent. for me, barack's positions on these issues were both startling and painful to read/comprehend. needless to say, i do not agree with him on several of these end-of-life issues and seemingly never will. at this juncture, one may say, "there you have it. barack obama's opinions/beliefs do not coincide with your own. the decision is easy now. john mccain is your man!" not so fast. hold your horses. this is where i want you to pay close attention.

I ARRIVED AT THE CONCLUSION THAT BARACK OBAMA IS A BETTER CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT DUE TO THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

1) Barack Obama pledges to address and reform serious educational issues (i.e. student dropout crisis, affordable access to higher-education, improvements in early childhood education)

2) Barack Obama plans to expand the job market (including a sizable increase in minimum wage), tackle affordable housing issues with appropriate grants/funds, and transform rural & urban neighborhoods by reducing poverty/crime

3) Barack Obama not only believes that the US should responsibly end the war in Iraq (and immediately remove US troops) but he also believes that there should be a concentrated effort on the part of his administration to support Iraqi refugees (bring them safely home) and prevent further war crimes and genocidal-type violence

4) Barack Obama is committed to defending the elderly through assuring medicare relief and solidifying fair social security standards

5) Barack Obama's is committed to working with women (and men) in preventive measures against HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancies, cancer & other healthy risks, domestic & gender violence, pay equity (establishment of), women veterans (honor & care of), and title IX (protection of)

6) the Obama family (Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia Ann) and their values

7) Barack Obama loves basketball (this is really just a bonus and has nothing to do with why I voted for him)

please rest assured that i am and will always be pro-life, and i am still committed to standing up for some of the basic human goods (i.e. life) that Obama's proposed policies are destined to impact immediately. i hope you will join me in continued discussion, reflection and prayer as we welcome the 44th president of the United States of America, Barack H. Obama (and his family), into the White House. May God continue to bless their minds, hearts and souls as well as the entire human race...and "stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above." ("God Bless America,"Irving Berlin, 1918)