A FALSE DICHOTOMY

During the Bush administration, we heard frequently that if you weren't a supporter of the war in Iraq, then you didn't love your country. Bull. That's a false dichotomy, that you either are for the war or you hate the country. Back the war, or you're un-American. I love my country, but it is my country by accident of birth. I served my country as part of its military during a time of war and I wish my country and its inhabitants well. But the war was a costly and moral mistake and it was wrong.
It was a FALSE dichotomy, that you had to be one, and if not, you were, by default, the other.
Similarly today, there are many - mostly on the right - who are saying that if you don't agree with their thinking, you're divisive. You're tearing the country apart and - surprise - you're not patriotic... you're un-American. Only if you 'go along' are you a true American. Well (see the first paragraph), bull. There are moral rights and wrongs and there are better or worse moral decisions and positions in the current political climate and the coming election.
Voting against Democrats because you're unwilling to give them or the President enough time is wrong. Voting for those who oppress the poor, uphold and foster the rich, and disregard civil rights for anyone is wrong. Voting for those whose knee-jerk response to immigration issues is: "I've got mine, don't let anyone else in." is wrong. Unless and until we begin to admit that there are political and societal issues that are wrong, not just partisan but wrong, we're never going to begin to address the quagmire of very real problems facing out nation.
In general, I'm going to stand by my position and my perceptions and say that Democratic values are more generous, decent, caring, egalitarian and worthy than are Republican values. I find Republican values suspiciously self-serving and class-based.
This is not a blanket condemnation of all Republicans, but the preponderance of issues and evidence related to those issues convinces me that voting Democratic is the more decent and caring American thing to do. And it's not divisive or un-American to point out real differences between the two factions vying for our votes tomorrow.
Please be responsible.
Please vote.
Please give that vote a lot of thought.