I'm tired of fighting...

Barack did this. McCain did that. Palin did the other. "I don't support [candidate]." "Well, you must provide me with every possible reason to not support [candidate] or be thoroughly run through the ringer by myself and the rest of [candidate]'s supporters."

I'm sick and tired of fighting. I will vote for the best person for the job. It's not McCain or Obama. I'm tired of facing the barrage from both sides when I say I'm voting third party.

Infighting is not what America is about. America is about coming together for a singularly important cause, and fighting for what is best for everyone. Unfortunately, with this election year (and the past several as a precedent), nobody is willing to bind together and figure out what is truly best for America. It seems that Americans have lost sight of what it means to be American.

Being American is not about party affiliation. Being American is not about trying to demonize those Americans who disagree with you. Being American isn't about settling for the lesser evil. Being American isn't about being mesmerized by an intelligent speaker or a man who wants to wave the flag but refuse to deliver.

Being American is about standing up for yourself. You may be one voice in millions, but you are heard. You may be just an average person, but your opinions matter. You may be just someone who wants the best for their family, but your needs are important.

These concepts seem lost on most Americans. Most Americans seem more interested in party infighting and trying to prove that their opponents are evil or anti-American. The vast majority of Americans have been caught in this trap. I'd be willing to say that at least 80% of Americans are voting for their candidate based solely on said candidates speaking abilities or catering to the people's emotions through lies.

I'd be willing to bet that even George Washington, our first (and arguably best) President wouldn't be able to get elected in the modern age. George Washington was a man that stood for integrity, honesty, and the best American interests - namely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. He fought for Americans to be free from persecution by any authority, foreign or domestic. He helped to create a country based on liberty; based on freedom. Today, he'd be regarded as a crazy nut-job, just like many other third party candidates, or candidates that strove to change the party they belonged to.

I'm tired of the fighting. I'm tired of the failed policies. I'm tired of the lies. I'm tired of the promises that, if implemented, would only serve to place a heavier burden on the backs of the common person, who is already burdened enough.

Why can't this country just agree that we all need our liberties and freedoms? Why can't this country just agree that we all need our freedoms? Why can't this country just agree that we need to focus on ourselves before we focus on the rest of the world?

I feel that I'm being forced to choose between two great evils our country has fought against in the past: fascism and socialism (fascism being a stepping stone into Nazism, and socialism being a stepping stone into Communism). I refuse to choose for the lesser of two evils, particularly when both evils lead to wholly un-American forms of government. We fought the Nazis in WWII, and we fought Communism during the entire Cold War.

I'll post one thing here that a friend of mine said to me, as I feel it has relevance to this discussion, even though I don't completely agree with it:

"I blame Regan for all of the political infighting. He ended the Cold War. While the Cold War was still going on, both parties had a common evil to fight, and both parties strove to find the best ways to combat this enemy, thus working together to fight for a common goal. When the Cold War ended, neither party was able to find a new common goal, and thus started fighting with each other." (paraphrased)

He makes several very good points in this statement. Overall though, I tend to disagree with him on one major point: no common goal since the end of the Cold War. The fact is, there are many goals that should have been common between both parties since the end of the Cold War. Poverty, the failing educational system (for instance, education: 40% of high school graduates not being able to find the US on a globe - yeah, that was the statistic in 1993, when I graduated High School - yes, I can find the US, and many other nations, on a globe), overwhelming dependence on foreign oil (first made into a national issue in the early 1970s by Richard Nixon), starving domestic farmers, and several others. There were plenty of common goals to strive for, though none had the media flare of "fighting the Russkies!"

Here we are in 2008, facing one of the most important elections of our time (funny, the same thing has been said in the past two elections - both of which gave the Presidency to George W. Bush), and people are still voting on emotions. Very few voters have educated themselves (most who will read this post are likely among those very few). Obama is the projected winner, and frankly, if I had to choose only between Obama or McCain, Obama would be my choice - I'd be likely to be happier under an Obama administration than under a McCain administration (I say that as someone who, fourteen months ago, was a strong McCain supporter).

I educated myself about the candidates. I registered as Libertarian (I even remember an op/ed article in my high school newspaper calling the Libertarian party Anarchists - which is unfair - Libertarians are not anarchists - they're Constitutionalists). In the Maryland primaries, I was not able to vote for a presidential candidate, but I devoted my time towards educating others about Ron Paul. I even donated to the Ron Paul campaign, though I couldn't really afford to give out any money. I swayed a few disenfranchised Republican voters (my mother being my greatest achievement - she's been a lifelong staunch Republican, but even she is sick of the Republican party, and is now seriously considering re-registering, after this election, as a Libertarian - she will not be voting for McCain or Obama this election).

Now, I'm just sick and tired of the infighting. I'm tired of trying to sway people to the various third party candidates. I'm tired of being assaulted every time I make my politics known. I'm tired of being an outcast. I will vote how I will vote. I've made my choice. It does not include either McCain or Obama.

Ron Paul has started his revolution. Many people are following him. It's only a matter of time before he makes a difference.

Revolution has begun. It will not involve guns or violence. It will involve votes and petitions. It will become a growing movement as people become more aware of their problems. It will ultimately be a redefinition of government rules and regulations, as determined by the people, as it always should have been. Ron Paul's revolution will be a return of the government to the people, as was always intended. Even the sheep will eventually wake up.