Breathe in...Breathe out...Breathe in...

There are some things that have been bothering me since Tuesday night but after a few days of mulling over the results, I've decided that I did my part, I voted, and that's that. There's no use in being all weird about the outcome. I have been listening to some people who are much wiser than I and I like what they've said so I'm adopting their sentiments.

In America we get to choose our leaders. Whoever gets the most votes wins. That's how the Founding Fathers set it up and I have faith in the system that they put in place. The President of the United States is not the Democratic President, or the Republican President. He is the American President. He is the person that the MAJORITY of Americans wanted. To be honest, I disagree with Obama's politics. However, I can still show him the respect granted to him by the office he will assume which office was given to him by the People. The same goes for local leaders.

CA Proposition 8. What a fight it was, and still is (I'm not naive enough to think it's over). Through this issue, more than any other, I've learned that it's better to step up and stand up for what you believe to be right, even if you lose, than to lay back and watch it all happen. It's a chance to be a part of the democratic process in a greater way than voting on election day. I've found that when we do things that are hard, even if we're mocked for it or called names, we gain self-respect and earn respect from others. I'm happy Proposition 8 passed. Does that mean that I hate people who are gay? No! It means that I am more concerned with protecting the sanctity of marriage than not offending people.

That all said, I am grateful to live in a democracy even when I don't get my first choice. It's not a perfect system, but it's closer than any other.