Still sad. I know I'm a nerd, but I really love this country, which is why I am so disappointed in it.

I've read a lot about values, and how people are voting their values. Somehow, values has come to mean gay marriage and abortion. That is, those values have become more important in many parts of the country-- the south, the midwest-- and people are voting based on that.
It's funny, because I feel like I voted based on values too. Except that my values charge that I vote for social justice, for respecting God's creation in nature, for giving all citizens a fair shot. After weighing what I agreed with and disagreed with him on, I really felt that John Kerry reflected those values better.

And I still can't get over how divided this country is geographically. All the states in the South and Midwest (except Illinois) went Bush, and all the states on the East and West Coast and upper Midwest went Kerry. The rural areas went Bush, the urban areas went Kerry. Are urban areas more open minded and rural areas more ignorant? Are the South and Midwest more Christian and the Coastal States more heathen? Is it because the people in the South are exposed to less diversity and have overall less education? Is it because the people on the Coasts are less likely to go to church? Is the trend of young well-educated professionals flocking to urban areas in mainly Blue States and then settling in the suburbs of those areas going to continue, making the Blue States bluer and the Red States redder?

Maybe the South should secede again. It would probably make things easier on everyone. They seem to pretty much hate those crazy liberal-elite gay-loving race-mixing not-all-Christian heathens on the East and West coasts. Conversely, the other half seems to hate those ultra Christian conservation forcing moral values gun toting bible beating crazies in the South. (but not me. Tennessee may be the south, but it keeps it real with JPark. Word.)

Overall, I really hope the next four years are more tolerant than the last four. I really hope we open our eyes to the desecration and dishonoring of the environment and the lasting poverty and inequality all over the country. I really hope we can remember that Jesus wasn't a Republican or a Democrat. I really hope that everyone can put as much passion and fire into issues like affordable health care and housing, racial equality, poverty and education as they do abortion or gay marriage.

Call it an early, idealistic, Christmas wish.