we need each other.

yours truly is now a published editorialist in the bison. :-D this might be small potatoes in all actuality, but for now i'm going to relish in having my name printed next to some stuff! last week i wrote this letter to the editor of my university's newspaper in response to some interesting conversations i have both witnessed and been a part of about politics lately. i've become so disappointed, especially with my fellow christian students, in our conduct during this presidential election. i'm sick of being looked at as uninformed and unintelligent simply because my vote will reflect conservative views. [and let me just remind you that it is quite possible for one to come from a small town, know how to shoot a gun, and still hold the title of 'oklahoma academic scholar.'] likewise, i became sick to my stomach as my suite-mate relayed a conversation she had with another student during work. kelly very politely expressed an interest in obama, and one of her co-workers quickly began belittling this decision in a very un-Christlike manner. what is wrong with us? are we not capable of expressing our opinions without intentionally hurting or berating those who do not agree?
phew. my blood pressure's rising just thinking about it all. so, let me leave you with the following paragraphs which explain my feelings about it all in a much calmer tone! [my life of christ professor was pretty proud of it, which is one of the highest compliments i think i could ever receive.] whether or not you agree with mine or anyone else's political views, it's absolutely imperative to treat one another with dignity. we'll all need each other eventually.

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our nation's upcoming election has sparked numerous conversations between individuals on campus, and i am quickly discovering how such a topic can both unite and divide. i have often heard the term 'conservative' spoken in the same breath as 'ignorant,' as well as many with 'liberal' views being labeled as 'ungodly.' both of these judgments have left me unsettled in the past several weeks, and i hope they unsettle my fellow classmates as well. have we become do engulfed in politics that we would forsake relationships to defend our opinions?
many of us will be exercising our privilege to vote for the first time next week. as newcomers to the polls, i believe we have the power to set a very different precedent for future voting generations. if we all understood it is indeed possible to both disagree with and respect the opinions of others, i can only imagine how improved our treatment to one another might be. throughout this election process, may we not forget that our privilege to vote and speak freely comes second to that of our call to be loving and respectful to one another.