That's what makes America Great

Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with 'P', an Indian colleague at work.
He asked me if I was happy or sad with the results of the election. I answered him honestly -- I was half happy and half sad. He asked me if I had ever heard the term WASP, and if it was true that the WASP contingent voted for values which caused Bush to be re-elected.

This was way too complex for a sound bite. Finally I told him that the Bible says many things, and that I think it is unbalanced when someone uses the Bible to point a finger at someone else, and says "don't! don't! don't!" without looking at himself and the things he should do. I gave some examples, such as caring for the widow, the orphan, the stranger in our land (i.e. the marginalized).

My colleague was amazed. "I have never heard this before", he said. I have never heard that the Bible says 'do' as well as 'don't'. "

And then I explained that I struggled with what this meant for the election, and that I was actually crying in the voting booth because there was no party I felt I could vote for with a contented heart.

'P' stared at me with a look of amazement on his face and proclaimed "That is what makes America great!" I wasn't quite sure what my crying had to do with the greatness of America, but he continued: "the fact that you find this difficult, but you vote anyway. That is true democracy. That is what makes America great."