Why I Will Not Vote Next Year

The fact that I wrote the above blog title still surprises me.  I admit that I have held contempt for those that chose not to vote in elections.  My thought process was if you do not vote, then I do not want to hear you complain about the many problems that plague our country.  I also understood that there is no such thing as a perfect candidate, matching up 100% with my own political views.  For years this meant that I had voted for the lesser of two evils.  I would ask myself, “Who will do the least amount of damage?”  That implies that every candidate would cause some kind of damage that I would have to be willing to live with. 

I have recently wrestled with the reality that sometimes even the most minor “damage” could still be significant enough that I would not be able to vote for a candidate in good conscience.  I have broken down by party my significant concerns that I believe are so repugnant that they are non-negotiable.  While there are many other important issues not addressed in this short blog, the following are the most critical to me.

Libertarian Party

Abortion

I love the Libertarian Party.  I am currently registered Libertarian.  I am in favor of just about every position the party holds, except on the issue of abortion.  I would consider myself a pro-life libertarian, which I find to be a redundancy, as libertarian ideals essentially promote life, not destroy it.  The problem is that the party’s official position on abortion is one of pro-choice.  The institutional acceptance of abortion is already a mark of shame on our society.  The recent revelation that abortion clinics have profited in providing baby remains to research facilities is simply diabolical.  I can no longer support a pro-choice political entity or politician in good conscience.  A pity, as this party seriously has a lot of good going for it.  Should a pro-life libertarian be an option during the general election, I will gladly vote for him or her.

Republican Party

Foreign Policy

Republican foreign policy has enabled Christian persecution, specifically in the Middle East.  The most recent example is the party’s support of ISIS, aka "Syrian Rebels" in 2013.  Party leadership sought to provide arms and financial support to ISIS when the group was only fighting Assad in Syria.  The support existed even in light of the fact that ISIS was systematically killing Christians in Syria, because they were under the protection of Assad.  This is just one example of many where Republican foreign policy puts Christians at risk around the world.  As a Christian myself, I find their party’s foreign policy unacceptable and non-negotiable.

Democratic Party

Foreign Policy

Democrats may say they are anti-war, but actions over the last six years would say otherwise.  The Democrats have been in lock-step with the Republicans in their Christian persecuting foreign policy.  In fact, it was both John McCain (R) and John Kerry (D) that called for supporting ISIS in Syria just two years ago.

Abortion

See the above section on abortion under the Libertarian Party.

Constitution Party

Fanatical Nationalism

I love the U.S. Constitution and as a member of the Armed Forces I continue to uphold and defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  Because of this, I use to be registered as a member of the Constitution Party and voted for Chuck Baldwin for president in 2008.  As I learned more about the party and its supporters, however, I became concerned with its position on immigration, which is not just anti-illegal immigration, but anti-LEGAL immigration.  The party's 2012 presidential nominee, Virgil Goode, and the 2016 nominee, Scott Copeland, promote a kind of Christian nationalism that verges on fanaticism, racism, and Islamophobia.  Again, a pity as I agree with the party on so many other important issues.

Green Party

Abortion

See the above section on abortion under Libertarian Party.