Mixed Emotions

Our nation has a new president. To be honest, I still have mixed emotions.

HERE'S WHAT I'M HAPPY ABOUT:

• I’m very proud of our country. I’m glad that we, as a nation, have finally moved past the bigotry and injustices suffered by African Americans in the 60’s. That period is a blight, a stain on our heritage. We should be embarrassed by it, thankful it is behind us and determined to never repeat it. Our country has proven that ANYONE can hold the highest office in the land and, therefore, the world. We should be very proud of that.

The fact that I didn't vote for Barack Obama had absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin. Nor did I vote out of some blind allegiance to a particular party. I cast my vote (as I always do) based on character, principle and ideology. He did not receive my vote simply because I have fundamental ideological differences with his views and policies. I would never let something as petty as the color of someone’s skin decide my vote.

• No hanging chads. The '08 election was, for the most part, problem free. The nation spoke very clearly. We went to bed that night knowing the outcome. (Heck…most of us knew the outcome before repeats of “Everybody Loves Raymond” came on at 10:00 pm). Nothing like the debacle of 2000. No recounts. No lawsuits. We had a president. (A little aside, here. The electoral vote would lead us to believe that 2/3 of America voted for Obama. Not true. There were 57 million people who voted against him). He may not be the one I wanted but, like it or not, he is now my president. And Scripture says that governing authorities are instituted by God. That doesn't mean God puts them there because they are His favorite or because He approves of their character or behavior. Rather, it means that He allows them to hold positions of leadership for some greater purpose which we may or may not see or even understand.

I will always respect the office of President of the United States even if I do not necessarily respect the individual holding the office. Otherwise, I'd be no different than those who spent the past eight years trashing President Bush.

• Finally, I’m thankful many still said 'no' to same-sex marriage. While Obama's victory was a major defeat to conservatism, several faith-backed state initiatives passed, including ballot measures banning same sex-marriage in Florida, Arizona and California. This could nullify the California Supreme Court's decision earlier this year allowing same-sex marriage. In my view, that’s a good thing and a big 'win'. I'm sure my liberal and homosexual friends will disagree. And that's fine. They are welcome to espouse their opinions on their own blogs. But here’s the thing…God, not society, has defined the boundaries of marriage. Marriage was, after all, His idea. It has always been between one man and one woman. Period. It is not a sliding scale subject to the whim of the Hollywood elite or any other special interest group.

HERE’S WHAT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT:

• Obama's inexperience. Before hitting the campaign trail, he was an active member of the Senate for roughly six months. (Who becomes CEO after working for a company only six months?) Prior to that, his best resume credit was "community organizer". He's never led a town, never governed a state. Now he is the leader of the free world. Pardon me for being a bit concerned.

• He is still a radical extremist. Last February, the whole world learned that Barack Obama had spent twenty years in a racist church where 9/11 was cheered, anti-White racism was spewed and Louis Farrakhan was honored with an award. Obama distanced himself from his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, when the news broke, as if this revelation was a shock to him. Obama said he didn't agree with Wright's views. But, seriously...who in their right mind would attend a church for twenty years while listening to views every week that he disagreed with? Obama was either sleeping in the pew or he stayed because he agreed with the views expressed from the pulpit.

• Many of the people who voted for Obama cannot even articulate his policies and views. They say they wanted “change”. Good grief. Everyone wants change for the better. We're going to get change, alright. It's called socialism.

Some Obama supporters apparently feel it's acceptable to break the law while demonstrating their support. Check out the flag in this photo.

The U.S. Flag Code clearly states: §176. Respect for flag. (g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

HERE'S WHAT I EXPECT:

• When churches stand on the Word of God and speak out against tough issues, it will soon be regarded as hate speech. Tony Perkins, president of the powerful Washington-based lobbying group, the Family Research Council, predicted dark days ahead for the conservative Christian movement. "We are going to see, I think, unprecedented attacks against our faith through measures like the hate crimes [legislation] to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act," he said. "We're going to see attacks on innocent human life through the Freedom of Choice Act, trying to erase all the gains that have been made in the pro-life movement. And I think even our freedoms are going to come under attack."

Isn't it ironic that our friends on the left who place such a premium on 'tolerance', are tolerant of everything except the Christian world view? They will tolerate any belief, so long as it doesn't disagree with their agenda.

• If Mr. Obama continues to deal with our enemies by 'talking' with them, I believe we will experience another major terrorist attack on our soil under his watch. I pray that I'm wrong. Talking to our enemies has NEVER worked. We are dealing with extremists who will settle for nothing less than seeing America and her citizens wiped off the face of the planet. I'm not crazy about war, but policies and issues are moot points if all Americans are dead.

Regardless of your opinion of George Bush or his job as President, there’s one thing NO ONE can deny: There HAS NOT been another terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11. And as country artist, John Rich, told President Bush at a recent event, "The last time I checked, Mr. President...you can't bat better than 1,000!"

• Believe it or not, I think history will be kind to George Bush. Look, he hasn't been perfect. Have I agreed with everything Bush did while in office? Nope. (I strongly disagreed with his stance on illegal immigration and how to secure our borders). Did I sometimes shake my head at some of his sound bytes in the media? Yep. Even laughed at them. Has he been our best president? No. But he's far from being our worst. At some point, it became politically correct to bash Bush. He is a good man who loves his country, governed according to his conscience and made decisions that he felt best served the American people. I believe history will prove him to be a better president than many of his detractors give him credit for.

HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO:

• I will pray for our new President. Please join me. Whether you agree with him or not, please pray that he looks to God for strength, courage and wisdom. Pray for the safety of the Obama family. And pray for the overall health of our country.

• I will give him a chance. I agree with my friend and talk radio host, Michael DelGiorno, who said, “Let’s treat Obama better than the left treated President Bush. For crying out loud, they named sewer plants after Bush. Obama is now the President and that should change how we frame our argument. Let’s hold him accountable.”

• I will stay hopeful. The sky is not falling and I'm not bitter. I'm actually hopeful. I hope Obama leads well. I hope our economy turns around soon. I hope there are good days and exciting new chapters ahead for our country. I wish our new President nothing but success. If he is successful, we are successful. Time will tell. Some people have prospered under bad presidents and some have experienced decline under good presidents. I'm going to make my best plans for the future, work as hard as I can to provide for my family and press on. We survived eight years of Clinton. We’ll survive this, too.

Hopefully. Let the rebuilding of conservatism begin.

Psalm 146:3-4 - Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.