Some thoughts on politics

Disclaimer: I blog a lot about racewalking and my kids and also about weight loss issues, and not usually too much about other things. But this is my blog, and it's the place I have to write things, so if you're not interested in my political opinion, feel free to skip this post.

I am coming out of the closet. I am voting for Obama.

After being barraged by e-mails from well-meaning family and friends who tell me I'm going to hell if I vote for Obama (OK, not really, but close enough), I feel like I have to speak up just a little. I am not telling you who to vote for, reader. And, by the way, I do not think you are not going to hell because you vote for McCain :). I just want to tell you some of the things I am thinking about. This is only a very small list, by the way.

I just want to point out that 1) it is consistent with my Christian faith to vote for Obama (and y'know, honestly, some have been so in my face about this that it makes me ashamed to call myself a Christian because I don't want to share that label with people who can be so hateful, so please, consider how you sound before you open your mouth!), 2) it is consistent with my passion for science.

With that in mind, I am linking to an article Francis Collins wrote endorsing Obama for president (thanks, Ollie, for calling this to my attention). Collins is a Christian AND an outstanding scientist. He led the Human Genome Project to its successful conclusion, and has a great grasp of the issues involved as they relate to science. I admit I do have a personal interest here, as I lost my job this year due in large part to the slashing of NIH funding by the current administration. However, this is more than personal interest. Along with Collins, I believe strongly that the future of our country is going to be affected greatly by the amount of money that we invest in research. And yes, I believe we need to do this at the federal level. Some have told me that they believe such research should be privately funded. The problem with this is (in part anyway) is that BASIC research is needed to lay the groundwork for the specific advancements (drugs, medical treatments, etc.) that we see in biomedical science. The basic research takes years to complete and is not going to be funded by private companies that only care about their bottom line; basic research is never and will not be a moneymaker in the short term. Taxpayers need to pay for this research, because (among many other reasons too numerous for me to list here)in the long term it benefits us directly through new medical advances and it benefits the economy when we are a leader in research and technology. Anyway, read Francis Collins' article, because he says it better than I do.

I am also NOT a one issue kind of gal. I care about other things besides funding scientific research. I do care about social issues. One question well-meaning people have asked me is, "how could you support a candidate that voted against a ban of partial birth abortion"? Well, my friend Sara has a blog where she addresses that question SO much better than I can (hey, she is a writer by profession!). So, with Sara, I affirm that a pro-life position is about caring about ALL of life, from the womb to the grave, including issues of poverty and war/peace. Right now, the Democratic Party seems to me to be in a better position to address the majority of those issues in a manner that cares about people most deeply.

I could spend a long time blogging on my thoughts on other issues, from the environment, to the war, to the economy, to our overdependence on fossil fuels, but I just don't have that time. Please believe me when I tell you I've done my homework on the issues and I have not arrived at my position lightly. I do not think that any political party is going to save us. In fact, if we are placing our trust in them, we will be sorely disappointed. But we still need to vote, and vote responsibly, and do our part to make a difference in the world, whether big or small.