Part 1

John Michael Stitt,

I do believe that your asking for clarification on these topics is some kind of veiled attempt to engage in political debate with the intentions of swaying an opinion that has already been resoundingly shared across the US.  The Democratic party swept the US, dominating in both the popular and the electoral college vote.  Where I think the system needs work, it is our system, and it has spoken.  On to the topics that you asked for clarification….

1.    Q: When someone claims to be a Christian, but many of the views we do know about directly contradict the bible, as in not being against gay rights or abortion, I do not undertand this. Explain it to me. Explain why we would choose someone like this.

    A: You forget that we have a long running policy in American government of ‘separation of church and state’.  Just because the more classicalist, un-accepting, narrow-minded views of more ‘orthodox’ Christian denominations find these particular ideals appalling and unacceptable, they are not the American way.  The 1st Amendment secures our right to freedom of religion, press, expression, and speech.  No where in the Constitution is there a caveat for ‘oh, unless your gay.  If you’re gay, you’re hosed’.

2.    Q: When someone is for such strong gun control, or even supports outright gun bans, as Mr. Obama has, even though all this does is make it so that law-abiding citizens can't protect themselves, this doesn't make sense to me. Explain it to me.

    A: I’m not aware of any instance where President Elect Obama voted for a complete ban on weapons.  I believe that gun control is needed, but I, personally, do not support a total ban.  I do believe that there is no reason that a civilian should be allowed to own an assault rifle.  Please find the article from South Carolina where a little trick-or-treater was shot in the head through a front door by a nut-job with an AK-47 who unloaded his entire 30 round magazine through the door.  Once you read that, then tell me that its every American’s right to own weapons unrestrictedly.

3.    Q: When almost all the people who seem to have influenced a person's life are radical, extremist, America-hating, terrorists, etc., or any combination of the above, but the person claims to have not known about any of this, it doesn't make sense to me. Explain it to me.

    A: I respond to your demand with my own.  Please explain to me where you have evidence that “almost all the people who seem to have influenced” President Elect Obama are American hating extremists.  Yes, there have been interactions with those who would be considered ‘extremist’, but I don’t see how 1 or 2 constitutes as “almost everyone”.  So, please explain that to me.