Counting the Cost

As Barak Obama sails into the White House propelled by his "righteous wind" the rest of America can finally sit back, catch our collective breath, and contemplate what we have done. I must give credit to all of the candidates and their staff for the commitment and endurance they displayed to complete a campaign that in some cases lasted two years. I have been fully focused on the election for less than a year, and for all but the last three months from the comfort of my own home. And I am exhausted.

As with anything worth doing, what the American people have accomplished comes with a cost. Anybody following the press today must agree that what we have done certainly was worth doing! A country with a legacy of slave ownership and a long history of civil rights strife has elected an African-American to the most powerful office in the land - arguably the most powerful office in the world. This truly is of note. We can feel very good about this noble accomplishment. It certainly was a long time coming. I believe it was long overdue. But I cannot say I am proud of the American people for this accomplishment because I believe the cost was too great. While I heartily applaud the election of an African-American to the Presidency, I believe we have selected the wrong African-American. Again, because the cost is too great.

There are many other issues over which we can debate. We can debate the economy, the Iraq War, taxes, gun control, and many, many other issues. However, since the American people, flushed with the excitement of this historical moment, seem to believe there is one overwhelming issue over which to rejoice - the selection of an African-American - I choose to count the cost based on a single issue. What we have paid for this historical accomplishment is our moral and ethical fiber. We have sold out to the radical left wing on the most fundamental issue - life. Barak Obama promised that the first thing he would do as president of the United States is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. This single action would negate all state-level pro-life legislation.

Barak Obama believes a woman has a right to abort her fetus based on the sex of the child. Eighty-two percent of all Americans, and 87.5 percent of American women oppose legislation that would provide this choice. Barak Obama does not believe a physician should be required to notify the parents of an underage female seeking an abortion. Seventy-seven percent of all Americans and 73.5 percent of American women disagree. While fifty-five percent of all Americans believe that life begins at conception and twenty-three percent believe it begins when the child can survive outside the mother's womb, Barak Obama is not sure. And while fifty-one percent of all Americans and 55.5 percent of American women believe that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter, Barak Obama does not. Surveys have shown that in general, most Americans believe that moral concerns should be more important in their daily lives than material concerns. Once again, Barak Obama disagrees.

It is clear that America does not agree with Barak Obama on this fundamental issue. Though surveys show the American people believe morals are more important than material things, they plainly did not demonstrate that with their vote. No, the voting public clearly elevated other issues in this election above moral issues. Yes, we have righted a wrong that has cursed our nation since its birth. We have taken one huge step for racial equality. This is noble indeed. However we have paid a cost that I believe is far too dear. We have sacrificed our unborn children on the altar of Civil Rights.