Decided

North Carolina offers early voting. I've finally made up my mind on which presidential candidate to vote for so today I am taking advantage of the early voting option. 

WARNING: this post is long. But, I felt compelled to put my rationale in writing. I am posting it on my blog, because it is the conclusion of a series of posts I've had on presidential politics. And, maybe someone can benefit from the research I've done on the topic?

My choice is McCain, not because I believe McCain is the best candidate. I still don't like either candidate. My choice was made based on values I believe.

I believe that organizations should have a right to choose their employees based on shared values. I'm not talking about discrimination of protected classes (race, gender, age, disability, national origin) - that is illegal under the existing Civil Rights Act. I stand against discriminatory hiring practices. I'm talking about values, world view, the motivations for action. In the work I do values matter. Do you believe there is a God in heaven who cares deeply for hurting people on earth? That is a values question and the answer influences how a person approaches their job, the actions they choose to take, it is a fundamental motivation.

As I understand it, organizations like my employer will be forced to change hiring practices, and other organizational practices, to comply with Obama's definition of fairness - if they want access to government resources. Organizations like my employer would be faced with a difficult choice; take government money and give up the right to hire people who share the values of the organization (not just in the grant funded by government funds, but the entire organization); or reject the money. Obama's rhetoric may sound good (or different than what I'm describing), but the consequences of his stance are clear and unfavorable to values I hold dear in helping people in need.

I believe faith-based organizations like mine have something unique to offer the world helping the poor and needy. They offer hope in addition to resources. The choice is clear, we will hold to shared organizational values and vision, even if that means a significant decrease in funding (it will be millions of dollars in my department alone). This has nothing to do with conversions or proselytizing (those things are already banned with the acceptance of government funding). McCain and the Republican platform value the contributions of faith-based organizations and because I agree with that position it was a determining factor in my decision.

I believe in protecting the vulnerable - this includes the life of an unborn child. To me, it is not up for debate if a fetus is a baby. The thing growing in a mother's belly is a baby when it comes out, so why would we define it any other way when it is in it's most vulnerable stages of development (the gestation period)? A baby, is a baby, is a baby. We can argue about when life begins to justify the termination of pregnancy. But, all that talk is simply a justification of the right for a woman to have access to convenient abortion as a method of birth control - which I think ignores the rights of the child who does not have a voice to speak for themselves. The child is the most vulnerable and, thus, in need of protection in these situations. Go ahead, bring up the incidence of rape and the right for that mother to choose - that is such a small percentage of procedures that it is a faulty premise for the argument of legalized abortion. And just for the record, even the pro-life candidates who run have never taken action to overturn Roe v. Wade. None of them have enough courage to even attempt it. I think that is just rhetoric used by Democrats to scare people that freedoms will be lost if they vote any other way. I don't expect anything like that will happen in my lifetime. I expect an attempt to do such a thing would be political suicide because the majority of Americans wouldn't support it. Abortion is here to stay in the USA.

Obama doesn't just support abortion domestically, he would like to export this American value to the world and use tax payer dollars to promote and perform abortions internationally. Currently, US funded abortions are illegal in an international context. It's a little thing called the Mexico City policy. Under Obama, and with the support of a Democratic congress, the Mexico City policy will be rescinded. They have promised that it will be one of the first actions taken. I don't agree with imposing American values on the developing world - whether that be capitalism or abortion, it all falls under the same category to me. Imperialism, is imperialism, is imperialism. Independent countries should have a right to choose their preferred method of commerce and they should have a right to choose their individual stance on abortion - and not have America telling them what to do. McCain and the Republican party platform support the continuation of the Mexico City policy, I agree with that stance based on values and it was a determining factor in my decision.

I'm casting my vote in favor of values, though I'm sure the outcome will not change.