Stand Up!

Americans suffered a terrible loss on Tuesday night. I admit it; I’m not sure any political loss has ever stunned me more. In the hours following the projection that the President had won reelection, my emotions ran the gamut, and I desperately sought for answers…anything that would explain how in the world this could have happened. I later felt compelled to apologize to my Facebook friends for sounding more like a sore loser than someone who was simply passionate about what had just happened to my beloved country. You see, I have great respect for the privilege of the American election process; we take great pains to ensure that our citizens are allowed to exercise their right to choose leaders they feel are worthy of their vote, and this year was no exception. Sure, there were incidents of voter fraud, as there always are. No system is perfect and ours is certainly no exception. As hard as it is, however, I humbly accept the outcome.

Like many of you, I’ve been lectured on “respect” by people who know nothing of respect, by people who haven’t the slightest clue what it means to sacrifice so much for a cause, or to know those who’ve given their lives for freedom’s sake. So, what I’ve felt in the aftermath of this devastating loss is anger.

I’m angry that half my country appears to have a complete disdain for God.

I’m angry that half of my country no longer believes she is exceptional.

I’m angry that we face such dark days ahead, when a simple search for truth could have easily prevented it.

I’m angry that half of our nation has chosen to believe a corrupt news media because they were too lazy to seek the truth.

I’m angry that half my country believes aborting millions of babies each year is a right.

I’m angry that more than half the women in this country allowed a political party to treat them with such disrespect–nothing more than a body part–simply for a vote.

I’m angry that half my country cares nothing about the fact that they’ve reelected a man who watched four men being killed half a world away, then lied about it just to save his own skin on Election Day.

I’m angry that so many of my fellow conservative Americans stayed home on election day, when all it would have taken was a little effort, a little time, and the outcome could have been far different.

Yes, I’m angry.

So, where do we go from here, and what am I to with all this anger? Did my vote even matter?

Our first President wisely said, “Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.” It’s terribly tempting during a time like this to just throw in the towel and give up. It’s tempting to ask ourselves if all that time and effort we put into saving the country was really worth it after all. Like so many of you, I gave all I had and yet it wasn’t quite enough. But then I’m reminded of the many men and women who fought much harder than we can even imagine so that you and I would be given the right to live in freedom, the right to cast that vote, regardless of the outcome. To give up would be to dishonor everything they gave their lives for, and that is not an option.

Instead, we turn that anger into passion.  Edward Everett Hale said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do.”  We are a country divided…the fight will, no doubt, continue. We would do well to remember that freedom is not free and those that have gone before us have paid a great price. Half of America has chosen the future we must now face and we can either step up and do what is required for freedom’s sake or we can give in and face tyranny. Which will you choose? Like Esther, perhaps you were born for such a time as this.

Written by Tami Nantz