I remember counting total gold, silver, and bronze medals with my friend Albert back in 2012. There I was at work, with one monitor focused on a gas severance tax spreadsheet and another monitor streaming the Summer Olympics. There was some light trash talk among friends residing in China and some discussion with my parents regarding which country they were rooting for in various events.
That's probably an oversimplified way of claiming my allegiance to the USA, but I specifically remember being so proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free... only to have everything flipped turned upside down in 2016.
I think the overarching feeling to my usual patriotism the past four years has been one of embarrassment. Because deep down, no matter how much we claim "not my president," Donald represents this country, and he represents us.
Do you recall the first Republican debate that included Donald? It was hilarious because we thought he was the punchline. Now, a presidential term later, we realize that the joke was on us.
I'm still shocked at how much people hated Hillary, but the current two-party system is a mess. More often than not, voters are left to seemingly choose which candidate they'd rather lose, which is a bizarre method of voting. Of course, who's to say what's the correct way to cast a ballot? Some hone in on character, others policies. Many are single-issue voters who just punch red or blue down the ticket, no matter what. It's a flawed process because we are voting for flawed people.
There is no such thing as a perfect candidate because there is no such thing as a perfect person. But with every part of my being -- as a Christian, as a father, as a husband, as an Asian-American, everything -- I'm tired of feeling embarrassed because of Donald. The word "evangelical" is thrown around a lot around election time, but I'm tired of worrying about whether Donald is somehow speaking on my behalf in the eyes of nonbelievers. I'm tired of anti-racism somehow being categorized as a political stance. I'm tired of seeing AA friends worry about our safety with each time Donald trashes the "Chinese Virus" that his administration has completely failed in handling and resorted to ignoring.
As my brother-in-law Josh said so eloquently, my faith informs my values, and my values inform my politics. And so, today, I continue to pray for my country, and I celebrate the hope of new beginnings. Hello, President-elect Biden. Let's get to work.
