Saturday, September 1, 2012

Now, I'm a Romney fan







Changing Minds
(by R.P.Edwards)

What does it take
To change a mind?
Wind and wave
Or merely...time?
To open up
To banished things
When walls and ways
Escape on wings
And in comes good
Or evil's way
And lives are blessed
Or thrown away
Yes, what does it take
To change a mind?
It's wind and wave
But mostly...time


What America needs is jobs; lots of jobs.

President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet.
My promise is to help you and your family.

As President I'll protect the sanctity of life;
I'll honor the institution of marriage
And I'll guarantee America's first liberty; the freedom of religion.
(excerpts from Mitt Romney's Acceptance speech 
at the Republican National Convention 2012)


Well, it took me a few days to hear the whole thing. No, I wasn't bored, just drained from my self-inflicted work schedule ("self-inflicted" as in: if you don't like your schedule...get another job). Anyway, with remote in hand, reclining against the pile of pillows (hmm, maybe this is part of the problem?), I finally watched it all. And, my conclusion...I really like this guy (Mitt Romney). What I found most endearing was his reference to family, community, faith...the places where true joy is found. It seemed, overall, that the words were as a soothing tonic, deliberately devoid of too much acid or arsenic; more like a healing balm on the skinned knee of the child who found out that the promised thrill of rollerskating down Dead Man's Hill instead resulted in the loss of skin, blood, and pride. "There, there; I can see why it would seem like fun, but now that you've learned the truth, I'll take you somewhere that's safe...and fun."

The Poem: As the final words of the offering were spent and the balloons and confetti began to fall, I contemplated the journey...of change. You see, I've liked Mr Romney for a while. I happened upon him years before his run in 2008 (via the tube) and liked what I heard. However, I must admit, his "religion" was a barrier I wasn't prepared to let down. You see, my "classical" Christianity has little place for variances of any significant magnitude. Yes, I liked what he said, but I was wary of his inner...compass.

Now, enter President Barak Obama...and time.  He, a professing Christian, has shown by his actions (abortion, marriage, Israel) that "his" religion is something quite mutated from that which I hold very dear.  And so...I have decided to remove the label of "Pastor" from the Chief Executive and embrace, with open arms, a man who believes in God...and by his actions...proves it.  And I will simply do what most of us do concerning the many we associate with on a daily basis: I will look at the job performance, and not worry so much about whether prayers are said in the kneeling position or not.

At the end; as family members showed themselves and balloons bounced and confetti still flew; Archbishop Dolan delivered the benediction. I liked it very much. Below is a youtube link.





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