Dear Universe!!

 Only three more days till Election Day. This has been a GRUELING Election cycle, the most divisive I have seen since the Nixon-McGovern Race in 1972. More divisive even than the debaucal of the FIXED Election of the Gore-Bush race in 2000, when Florida's *hanging chad* threw an entire Presidential Race into insignificance.

 I have lost .. acquaintances during this Election. I cannot call them FRIENDS, because the word "FRIEND" to me indicates a long term INTIMATE relationship of shared values, respect, and caring. And this thing called FaceBook -an extraordinary social connection experiment- allows us to START that process. Over these past years, I have been "friended" on FaceBook by alot of people I don't know well. SOME have indeed passed that litmus test into a True Friendship, whether or not I have actually met them face-to-face or not. But some wound up exposing a part of their character which I had to CHOOSE not to associate with. I have MANY good friends with whom we have agreed to disagree, and we argue amiably about Religion and Politics, those two things we are always warned not to discuss between friends or Family, but which make up a HUGE portion of our inner character. I do not and will not back away from such important issues simply because they are considered "socially taboo". It's IMPORTANT.

 AND this Election has actually cost me a couple of friendships. People I have known for over 35 years, since High School. People I expected better of. Sadly, I was "DeFriended" by one such woman, a person I have always admired and respected, because she called me, and President Obama both "Godless Pagans". I tried to apologize if I had touched on some psychological trigger that I was unaware of trouncing upon, but she not only DeFriended me, Blocked me from contact, but also canceled our "Date" at Sea World this new Year's Eve as i check off a "Bucket List" item this year. (I am going to swim with dolphins! Something I have wanted to do since I was 4 years old.... I will, of course, write all about it here along with pictures !! And maybe even video!) I feel so very sad for this, but I WILL NOT apologize for my response when she called me a Godless pagan. I told her she should pray for understanding of the hate within her heart that she is harboring, because that is NOT what Jesus would have us do.

 Perhaps that is yet another of the reasons this is such a divisive and IMPORTANT!! Election. This issue, this "Separation of Church and State" issue will be compromised if Mitt Romney wins this Presidential election. Human Rights will be violated. Many of the progressive trends of caring for our citizens will be privitized and I see this Country being run as a Business with its' SOLE PURPOSE to generate the allmighty dollar and the Bottom Line Vulture Capitalism as its' Prime Directive, rather than as a REPUBLIC which serves the people of America. I have my ballot all ready to drop off in town. I have -for the first time in my life- donated to a Political Party. I have been praying that "The Good Guys" win this election. I have NO DOUBTS!! that both Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and ALL their followers are basically decent people who love their Country, try to live their Faith, and love their Families. But America is a Country of ALL Peoples, not just Christian people. It is a Country of ALL races, not just one race, we are a Country rich in Culture and inclusion. And I want my nieces and nephews to have the freedom to choose their own way, not be forced to either hide their beliefs, or to try to fit into a box not of their own design. And that's why I Voted and am praying for President Obama for Four More Years. PLEASE let this good man win!!

 >^,,^<