Concerning my previous entry Saturday, October 8, my Canadian cousin, Dean, forwarded his comments on the issue discussed. I'm going to post them, unedited, for thoughtful consideration:

"I have no way of knowing if these facts about George Bush & his party are true. But I think that it would not surprise me if they are because the more conservative the party the less they are likely to feel that it is their responsibility to offer up certain “social programs”. This is because they are more likely to believe that it is healthier in the long term for people to do what they can for themselves (even those with “disabilities”) before expecting the government to “help”. It is important to note that the more liberal parties love to play on people’s fears of losing certain “benefits” or point to “perceived losses created by the past more conservative government” during an election if they vote for them (as our own Liberal party did very well in the last federal election—in reality all politicians whatever their political stripe do this to one degree or another). That to me is clearly seems to be what this letter from Senator Kennedy is attempting to do amongst the “disabled” community in the US.

What I do know is that traditionally most in the Deaf community in Canada (Christian or not) tend to vote Liberal/NDP (and perhaps Democrat in the US) because these parties are more likely to do more for them (i.e. social programs, handouts, etc).

I think that the real question here should not be ... “If these facts are true or not” ... but rather ... “Should the Deaf believe that these social programs or handouts are their inalienable right?” ... or ... “Should they consider their own responsibility to pay for some services instead of expecting the government to pay for everything?” (The ADA seems to have planted firmly the first belief in the minds of many Deaf in the US). We need to keep in mind that the more the government pays for the higher the taxes & the more socialist a country gets (Note: This is why Canada’s taxes are so much higher than in the US ... In Sweden the government pays for a whole lot more than even in Canada but their taxes average about 70% – I wonder would anyone in Canada/US really want this?). Traditionally the higher the tax load the more likely that it will lessen the business community’s (or wealthy people’s) desire/motivation to innovate, invest & produce more to create more jobs. Then we have another problem on our hands – higher unemployment rates amongst the Deaf (who are among the first to get “let go” in a difficult business environment). I’d be interested to know how the unemployment rates in the Deaf communities of Sweden—Canada—US compares with “how much each government does for the Deaf in their country”.

An even more important question that the Christian Deaf community especially must ask itself in an election is ... “Which party/candidate is most likely to uphold their moral values & lead the country in a way that is consistent with their beliefs & their country’s heritage” & weigh this information up against what they may or may not view as their “rights under the ADA”. It seems that too often people in general vote very “selfishly” thinking about what each candidate/party can do for them personally or their particular community rather than which candidate/party will do the most for “the greater good of the whole community/country”. This concept of “the greater good” seems to have been lost in our politics & in the courtrooms of North America.

If Christians (regardless if they are Deaf or hearing, disabled or not, white or black, etc) approach their elections this way then they are never “stuck” as your friend seems to think. Yes, it is sometimes a tough choice (i.e. sometimes it seems that we must choose the lesser of 2 or 3 ‘evils’ OR as one retired Canadian politician infamously said during our recent federal election ... “Choosing between the devil we know or the one we don’t know”). But the LORD can give HIS people the wisdom they need if they only ask HIM (James 1:5).

Ultimately, as the Scriptures say, “the king’s (we could legitimately insert president’s or prime minister’s) heart is in the hand of the LORD, HE directs it like a watercourse wherever HE pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). I believe that GOD put George W. Bush in power for these past 4 years to fulfill HIS purposes (whatever they may have been) & will place whoever HE thinks best suits HIS purposes for the next 4 years (as HE has already done here in Canada by placing Prime Minister Paul Martin & a “minority Liberal government” that many Christians here may or may not be happy with).

Last word ... It is kind of ironic but it was a well known, former Democratic president who said these famous words ... “You should not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I’m not sure if I’m remembering his words exactly but I think this is close ... Can you remember who said this?

I hope this creates a constructive thinking environment for you all,"

Dean Hardy

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq