Politics

Like most of America I have been caught up in much of the election hype that is coming our way. With the recent DNC and the pending RNC there is much to talk about. I have made it known to most people that this election I will not be voting for a candidate I want, but for the lesser of two evils.
Despite the fact that I don't agree with either candidate I have grown weary of politics in general. It seems to have turned from effective policy making to a constant blame game; with most of the blame falling unfairly to President Bush. I don't want to attempt to defend the actions of our current President, but I don't think that most problems are thrown his way unjustly.
Which turns me to my topic at hand. Today I was reading from the biography of President Hinckley and I had an epiphany that changed the way I look at American politics. We as Americans are quick to pass the blame onto "the Politicians", but we refuse to accept that we own at least an equal amount of the blame.
For years the Lord's Prophets have been councilling us to live within our means and to get out of debt, but we don't seem to listen. (I am going to presume, like we should, that the Lord's annoited are placed for the benefit of all man, not just the members of the church.) In the early 2000's it became very popular to buy houses that we could not afford. We had to have the biggest houses with the nicest luxaries in order to feel good about ourselves. We have bought boats, cars, planes, and unnecessary toys all on credit. Our current national average of credit card debt is comparable to what it was just before the great depression; so is it any wonder our economy is in the shape that it is in? I hate to put the blame on someone besides President Bush, but isn't this our own fault? With every bankrupcy declared, home repossed, or loan sent to collections our banks lose money, they fall. Is it any wonder we are falling into a recession? We are spending thousand of dollars we don't have. Let's stop placing the blame on someone else. President Bush is certainly not forcing us to spend this way.
A lot of our other issues can be traced back to a decline in our morals as a society. Unemployment, people going without insurance, and poverty can easily be traced back to illegal immigration, immorality and unwed mothers, and a slew of other vicious and horrible sins against what the prophet preaches. Hate has replaced love and is the cause of increased terrorism. President Bush didn't cause 9/11, hate did. People have forgotten the teachings of the Master and have forgotten how to love. Greed and corruption has caused high oil prices and have contributed to a colapsing economy, not the governments fault. Do you see the trend that I see. If the world listened to the teachings of the prophet most of these problems could be solved. Even the hated President Bush couldn't mess things up if people hearkened to the council of the prophets.
At a recent family campout my sister-in-law Amy said something that really hit me. She said that the most important thing you can teach your children is to accept the consequences of our actions. Are we teaching our children that? Or are we teaching them to blame the government for every failed moment? Are we teaching them that our president decides the fate of our country? Or that we control the fate of our country? Something to think about I guess.
I would like to end copying what Barak Obama said in his speach. He said that it is time to move foward from the last eight years, to change, to make the world a better place. For once I agree with him, but putting Senator Obama into the White House will not fix the economy. Responsible spending by every American will fix the economy. Having a Democrat in the oval office will not fix welfare, social security, insurance, and all of the other problems we are facing. Returning to those basic morals taught by Christ will. Pulling out of Iraq will not save the world from war. Charity, the pure love of Christ, towards all men will. I challenge each of you who reads this to not focus so much on the election. Yes, it's important, but what is more important is our determination to follow our Savior, to march behind His banner in His great army. Only then will we be able to live in the country we want to live in... and the President of the United States will just have to live with it.
--Patrick