Go Blue!

Team Blue scored some great victories this week, perhaps more than could have been realistically expected. I was hoping Dems would gain control of just one house, but it now appears both MT and VA have elected Dem Senators. Given the blatant rubber-stamping of the Republican Congress for the past six years, I think it is probably best that a balance of power always exists. Let's hope that Pelosi's words to create an honest Democratic Congress come true.

The major downside to the elections were the seven states that voted for marriage amendments. There's no excuse for writing fear and hatred into any constitution. Who has the right to tell their neighbor they can't have all the freedoms and opportunities they themself have? Extending rights to any minority only serves to strengthen society as a whole; it never detracts. The one surprising ray of light was AZ voting down their amendment. Let's hope this is a sign of positive change.

I hope the elections of the past six years inspire more people to vote. If a candidate wins by a few thousand votes, that's proof that your vote counts and that one person can make a difference. Hopefully people are interested enough to learn about the issues and aren't voting solely based on what their pastor, spouse, or parents tell them.

Finally, I must admit that I did not vote this year (I did in the primary). My mayoral candidate won 90% of the vote. Our token Representative and Senator have no vote in Congress, therefore there was really nothing for us to vote on. It's unbelievable that 600,000 Americans living in this country (on the doorsteps of the White House and Capitol) have no voting representation. Some are optimistic that this might change in the next two years. Here's an article saying that it might even be considered before the end of this year.