Breaking News: Crime-Lord Mitt Romney Places Bounty on Angelic Big Bird

A while back, I heard one of my favorite jokes that I think I may ever have heard: “Look at the word ‘politics’.  ‘Poly’ means many and ‘ticks’ are blood-sucking creatures.  Coincidence?  I think not.”  I chuckled quite a bit.  Although I do care about the influence that government has not just on the economy but on society and culture (a.k.a. what influences our freedoms and values) as a whole, I am not a fan of the politics game.  But something has happened recently that I simply do not have the patience to overlook. 

In Mitt Romney’s campaign, he has been advocating (in word, at least) some pretty major spending cuts. Among those he has mentioned is PBS, which he has said with the disclaimer “even though I love big bird.”  Now, if you want to talk about whether or not PBS should be cut out or not, that’s fine but that’s not what I’m getting at, because there’s another layer to this.  This week President Barack Obama released a new attack ad.  But this one didn’t have to do with the economy, homosexuality, abortion, foreign affairs, or any other relevant issue.  No, it instead said this: "Bernie Madoff. Ken Lay. Dennis Kozlowski. Criminals. Gluttons of greed.  And the evil genius who towered over them?  One man has the guts to speak his name.”  Enter Mitt Romney speaking Big Bird’s name.  My first reaction was that this is pretty ridiculous, and really says that Obama has nothing to criticize if he’s stooping that low.  But wait.  It gets better.  Sesame Workshop never approved the ad.  The producers of the show released a statement on Tuesday, saying they had asked the President to remove the ad. 

This is an outrageous smokescreen, guys.  Mitt Romney may not have dishonest foreign policies or errant economic plans, but he’s so purely evil that he would like to roast alive that kind yellow bird that wants to teach your children?  Am I exaggerating a bit?  Good, you get the point. 

Now I have a bit of an intellectual dilemma.  Romans 13:1 tells me that I’m supposed to be subject to the governing authorities.  Exodus 22:28 told the Hebrews that they were not to revile a leader.  I might also add that the oh-so-virtuous Nero was in power at the time that Romans was written.  So, I know that God wants me to respect the rulers of the land in which I live (America), but how can I respect a man that does something underhanded like this (there are reasons to not respect Romney also, by the way).  I don’t know a black-and-white answer that can be given.  This I do know, though: I have a very unique opportunity being an American citizen.  I have the power, along with my fellow citizens, to influence who will be running this country for the next four years.  When you step back and think about it, especially compared to the dictator-controlled nations of the Middle-East, to put it succinctly: that’s pretty cool. 

I’m not saying that Mitt Romney has earned my vote.  Time may reveal that he isn’t any better.  But this I do know: I refuse to vote for a man who stoops so low to attack his opponent for something so outrageously irrelevant.  I encourage you to see this for what it truly is: a smokescreen.  Don’t fall for it.