Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Election Wrap-up

I spent the evening watching the election last night, and consequently got no work done. Oh well. As people may (or may not) have noticed, I try to keep politics out of this blog because I don't much like politics. So just a few things:

1. I'm glad Obama won. I hope he'll be able to deliver the change he promises and the change that we so need as a country after 8 years of Bush. I have no doubt he'll be a competent and capable president, but I feel just a little bad as he's charged with cleaning up all that Bush messed up.

2. McCain is a great and respectable man. There was a time (at the very beginning of the campaign) that I might've considered voting for him. The closer it got to election time, the more that evaporated. Yet, he exhibited dignity and grace in his speech accepting his loss in the election.

3. California, we've been watching your Prop 8 here. Of all the states with that initiative on the ballot, we never expected it to turn out so close with "Yes on Prop 8" slightly ahead. Last I checked, not all the precincts were in, so there's still hope that "No on Prop 8" will win the day. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. If for no other reason to support "No on Prop 8," it's that if Prop 8 passes, it'd be a clear violation in my mind of the Separation of Church and State. And I hold that concept pretty sacred.

4. I am ecstatic to say that Prop 2 in my state passed (barely), which means "looser" restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. Prop 2 is actually a very specific and detailed proposition that has many limits on obtaining embryonic stem cells (see my past post here for more). So "looser" really means "at all" and with all the attendant restrictions at the state and federal levels.

Now, to go research for my term paper on pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (aka, embryo screening). And to study for my pathophysiology exam next Monday. I do love that class, lol.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If proposition 8 had failed, it also would not have allowed for separation of church and state. So, in that regard it was bad all around.

The thing that depresses me about 8 pasing is that most of the people voting "yes" on it were probably doing so out of fear and/or hatred of gay people. That mindset will have to be changed before the amendment can be overturned, and before any progress can be made with us being accepted as full humans in this state.

Joshua said...

As the election neared, I became so apathetic towards prop 8 that I really don't care if it passed. It's unfortunate, though, that the people at my school who rallied for the No on 8 campaign were all depressed/pissed Wednesday morning and all the yes on 8 people were ecstatic. I don't understand why, though, it's not as if their rallying (or lack thereof) really did anything to support the cause. They couldn't even tell me what the legislation was when I asked them, all they said was "it bans gay marriage" which is vague enough.

Considering everything, though, if I were to choose a side and if I were forced to rally for a side, I'd choose no on 8. Although my moderateness has already been attacked by resentful no on 8 supporters and I have already been blamed as being a part of the reason why prop 8 passed.

I assume you live in Michigan?? Hahaha I really want to visit Detroit. And I was thinking about going to UM Ann Arbor for grad school, or U of Toronto, which I think I'll love, too. Or Tulane. But I'm not even an undergrad yet so it's a little early haha. But the building you work in is beautiful and I wish Engineering Tower at UCI looked a little better hahah

Mike said...

I had actually considered McCain myself- no joke. Had it not been for his temper etc. in the days nearing the election I would have probably voted for him.

Aek said...

James: If Prop 8 failed, I think it would've been closer to the ideal of Separation of Church and State than had it passed. But you're right, the basic respect for human dignity is lacking as it passed.

Joshua: Shhh, let's keep this between us, k? lol. The engineering school here is top-notch, and has a really nice campus. I'll post some pics of it for you. :D

Mike: Yeah, I respect McCain a lot. There were things he did through the course of his campaign that resulted in me not voting for him. But at the beginning of the whole election campaigns for all the candidates, my vote could've gone to either one.