Why My Conscience Won’t Let Me Vote for …
By Perwaiz Ahmad
Fullerton, CA
It takes years of political fight and street protests to change the course of a country for the betterment of the humankind because the "BIG BIRDS" want to control every facet of human life on earth to maintain the status quo. However, only a slight complacency on the part of the voters and just one election can undo decades of struggle for equality and level playing field.
Circumvention of the Rule of Law and the Constitution through various innuendos and legal mumbo jumbo is the beginning of the end of a free and fair society. Therefore vigilance and active participation of every citizen should never take the back seat because the forces that want to revert to the old ways of doing business are always looking for cracks in the masses to push their hidden agenda.
American people did not get their rights on a silver platter, their history is full of struggles from the Boston Tea Party (no taxation without representation) to the abolishment of slavery (thanks to Lincoln, 1860) to the Suffragette movement (women rights to vote) in the early 1900's to the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960's that eliminated segregation based on color, creed and national origin, giving Blacks the right to vote for the first time in the 200-year history. Because of the overwhelming support of the majority, relentless leadership and commitment from honorable leaders like Abraham Lincoln, F. D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Lyndon B. Johnson, social justice was enforced to a large extent in the American society, making the US the greatest country on earth to come to for religious freedom, freedom from religious persecution , free and better education , business opportunities, raising a family and making it a second homeland.
A Muslim woman (a single parent) once asked the religious pundits and scholars as to why is it that it would have been impossible to raise her daughter as a single mother in her native homeland whereas she was able to raise her eight-year old daughter without fear in this country (USA). Nobody had an answer. Why? Because the same scholars who practice their religious beliefs on the poor and the helpless masses to satisfy their ego, would kiss the feet of the dictators and dare not say a word for fear of their wrath instead of God's wrath. If this is not bigotry then what is?
America became the melting pot for millions because social justice was ingrained in the Rule of Law, barring some exceptions and the level of religious freedom afforded in this country was manifold higher than the mother country most of us migrated from. I am sorry to say but the religious freedom granted to all regardless of which faith one belongs to has been abused by most Muslims, to the extent that restrictions have been imposed and more have been looming over our head for the last eight years now and it is purely because of our own doing.
The procession on the streets of New York, Chicago, Sacramento etc to celebrate Muharram and Eidul Milad un Nabi is nothing but getting in the face of the indigenous population that we are better than you. For God’s sake, don't challenge other people's faith, not the way we do it.
Although America has not officially declared a war on any country since 1941 (WW II), it has been embroiled in one war or another for one reason or another on foreign soils. The argument is: "If we don't fight on foreign soil then we have to fight them here". However, in the last 25 years while national wealth has increased manifold, civil liberties have been eroding at an alarming pace, mostly during the Republican Party tenure because of one war or another. The current war that has gone beyond the imagination of many who " designed" it has left the American economy in shambles. It makes a lot of sense that a change is absolutely imperative today in view of the policies of the present ruling party.
General Election 2008 is just around the corner and the outcome will determine the course of events in this country for the next 4/8 years. Will it be more of the same - wars, out-sourcing of manufacturing and engineering jobs, cheap illegal labor, NAFTA, CAFTA, Union demoralization and discredition, outrageous inflation in the housing market, enronization of public utility, national security issues, curtailment of habeas corpus, electronic and print media insane mergers and acquisitions (five corporations control the entire media). All these factors have contributed to the erosion of civil liberties of the middle class only because of the knee-jerk decisions by the Congress on Bills that were written by lobbyists, and signed by Bill Clinton and George Bush. Many Americans see a continual decline in the quality of life of average Americans unless conscientious voters get out and vote.
It pains me to hear from different quarters of the Pakistani-American community that no matter what happens under their nose, they could care less who comes or goes in the White House. They remain unconcerned. Their justification for their indifference is that Pakistan has special links with the Republican Party because several defense pacts were signed with the US during the infancy years of our independence when the party was in power. The obvious inference is that we are committed for life to vote for a Republican ticket regardless of what happens on their watch. The way events are shaping up for the last eight years, we are in for a rude awakening if we don't open our eyes and use our education and best judgment to distinguish the implications of poor policies on the life of most Americans. If we are going to bury our heads in the sand and expect things to work in our favor then we might as well "start packing" or live as second class citizens
My conscience would not allow me to vote for John McCain, most likely the nominee from the Republican Party because of the following reasons, quoted from a Blog on the Internet.
1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1
2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."2
3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3
4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."4
5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.5
6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCainsays the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.6
7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8
9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."9
10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10
Voting with one's mind rather than the heart in this year's election is extremely imperative because an unjust war is being fought on two different fronts, in Iraq and in Afghanistan while saber rattling is in full swing to attack Iran sooner or later.
Every vote matters, we should all observe our civic duties responsibly and with care before we go out and vote. Voting haphazardly is like driving blindfolded in a busy thoroughfare or without headlights and expecting no accidents. We cannot find a perfect candidate because as human being we are not perfect therefore we should base our selection on the integrity of the individuals, his/her message, their stance on critical issues and not someone who could be easily swayed by some sleazy lobbyists and inept politicians.
Please don't waste your vote.
