As a Christian, I am responsible to approach all aspects of life, including voting, in a manner consistent with biblical principles. Regardless of whether you approach life from the same perspective, the facts following are pertinent.
During political seasons we hear the question, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” Although a valid consideration, I believe the question, “Is the nation’s condition better today than four years ago,” is extremely important.
This is especially true if you are considering voting for Kamala Harris, the candidate who has been described as “instrumental in many of the Biden administration’s most touted accomplishments.”
Consider: January 2021 – August 2024 Costs: Food + 22.8%, Shelter + 23.4%, Energy + 42.4%, Electricity + 27.6%, Gas + 38% (Down considerably from its high.) Overall Inflation – Up 19.4% (average of almost 5% year-over-year). Real Wages Adjusted for Inflation – Down 1.8%. Mortgage Rates – Jan 2021 – 3.43% (Average payment $1,247); August 2024 – 6.30% (Average payment $2,671). Consumer Debt – Up $3.15 Trillion. Credit Card Debt – Up 48%. National Debt – Up $7.4 Trillion (over $35.4 Trillion as of 9/18/24).
Another question to consider: “Is our nation safer than it was four years ago?”
Since January 2021:
Southwestern border illegal migrant encounters – 8.6 + Million, vs. 3.1M in FY 2017-2020, with well over half being single adults, including 508,000 from Venezuela; 302,000 from Haiti; 152,000 from China; and 78,000 from Russia. On top of these numbers there are roughly 2M “known (observed) gotaways.” Remember the over 375 terror suspects apprehended and the known 100+ that remain at large. And never forget the 80,000+ children of unknown whereabouts.
Crime across 66 major cities during the time period January 1 to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2019 is: Total violent crime + 9.6%; Murders + 6.4%; and Aggravated Assault + 24%. Gangs are taking over apartment buildings and hotels. Reports are that 75% of the arrests in midtown Manhattan are of illegal immigrants.
Small communities are negatively impacted also. Check out Springfield, Ohio, Charleroi, Pa., and Sylacauga, Ala.
What can we expect from Kamala Harris? Based on her public pronouncements, as a candidate, we don’t know. According to her campaign she has changed her previously stated position of “Yes” to “No” in several areas including: EV Mandate, Decriminalizing Border Crossings, Medicare for All, Mandatory Gun Buy-Back (aka confiscation), and Defund Police. (She personally paid and raised funds to pay rioters’ bail in 2020.)
She has changed her previously stated position from “No” to “Yes” regarding: Border Wall, Fracking, and Off-Shore Drilling.
Of course, Abortion will always be “Yes.”
Perhaps self-described Democratic Socialist, Bernie Sanders, best revealed her positions and policies, and who she is as a person when he said, “No, I don’t think she is abandoning her [Marxist] ideals. I think she is trying to be pragmatic, and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.”
Again, vote wisely!
Bill McGaha, Franklin