Politics isn't worth someone's life

Angry Republicans, Democrats, and Americans for that matter: politics isn't worth a man's life. The election of Barack Obama as president would do great damage to this country in a few important ways, namely the social issues. I understand that, and I wish it were not so. But I cannot countenance the rage I have seen and the threats to his life and call myself a honorable, moral, and Christian person. This is not right, America. Everyone needs to calm down.

This is a man who has faced greater danger every single day of this campaign than we know, partly because he is black, partly because his name sounds Arabic, partly because of his upbringing. He received Secret Service protection earlier than any candidate in history. Racism and ethnic-ism, if you will, are declining in this country, but the kooks are out there. All they need is a little rage and scare tactics to bring them out. That is why it is not only irresponsible but dangerous for McCain, Palin, and conservatives to pretend that nothing is happening out there and that all they are doing is asking legitimate questions about Senator Obama's record.

We all know about the sustained smear campaign on the internet. As others have said, every time someone introduces McCain at rallies by reffering to Senator Obama's middle name, it legitamizes these smears and fear of the 'other': People hear that, and many no doubt have gotten the bogus emails, and they think: perhaps he's a terrorist. Perhaps he hates America. Perhaps he hates the troops.

McCain's error is not so much that what he is saying is directly contributing to the rage and inciting these remarks; he doesn't intend for that to happen. His great failure has been that he is not strongly condemning these remarks, and the rage in general. He needs to. This is dangerous and it needs to stop.

I'm a conservative and I don't want Obama to get elected. But this isn't the way to do it, folks. It's wrong.