Not to get all political...but I just had an epiphany...

Since birth, I have been a part of what I have thought of as a die hard Republican family. I grew up with the idea, and I believe that this was not intentional, that if you weren't republican there was something wrong with you. However, my parents have over the years crossed party lines and voted for democrat leaders at times. So, obviously, that means that they did not really feel that way. They tried to vote for the best candidate. Over the years I have voted for democrats, as well as republicans, that I thought would be a better option on the ballot.

Before I got married I wasn't sure I could really be compatible with my future husband, because, he was a democrat. He later switched, but it had nothing to do with me. Trust me, he doesn't like to be told what to do, so it wasn't me. In fact, I was shocked when he did. Happy, but shocked. A few Sundays ago, he jokingly alluded to this in church and got a few people upset because it was "political". As soon as the words left his mouth I was a bit uncomfortable, because I really don't like to talk politics with others, it can be a pretty touchy subject.

Now I have married a democrat and have friends who are democrats. And while I don't always agree with them, having different view points is helpful. Now I don't agree with the fringe environmentalists, but without environmentalists, would we have our beautiful national parks or be trying to think about how to be better stewards over our earth that we have been given? Honestly, I have only given a small amount of thought to this considering the other things I put my mind too. But it has troubled me. Aren't I supposed to be a good Latter-Day Saint and be a Republican? Now, I am not planning on changing parties any time soon, but I thought that this was a very enlightening article for any Mormons, or any one for that matter, to chew on. Maybe I will encourage Mike to register as a democrat again. Because the jist of it is that having two parties is a good thing. It causes us to look at things differently and because of that we can get to better ideas together.

Our country is too partisan. The reason for having two parties is so that we can get to better ideas, not just to have one idea win. I like that. Thinking that way, party shouldn't matter so much. The end result that we should be getting too, by having a good brain storming session with different ways to think about things, is a better way. So, republican or democrat, libertarian or green, we should be so lucky to live in a country that values the opinions of others so that we can come to a better way. Not just a party way.