Friday, November 8, 2002

By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

I voted last Tuesday by absentee ballot because my wife and I had to travel to Jacksonville, FL for a denominational meeting. However, before I headed out of town, I paused to reflect a bit on the election campaigns just past. In the Georgia governor's race, Roy Barnes, the incumbent and a Democrat, continually aligned himself with President George W. Bush on a number of issues. It was like he was saying, "Hey, I'm not really a Democrat like all those Teddy Kennedy Democrats. I'm really an almost George W. Bush Republican Democrat." On the other hand, the Republican candidate for Senator aligned himself with popular Georgia Democratic Senator Zell Miller. He, in effect, seemed to be saying, "If you want to elect a Senator more like Zell Miller, then don't vote for the other guy who is a Democrat. Vote for me! Yes, I know, I'm a Republican but I'm more like good 'ol Democrat Zell than the Democrat is." It was amusing watching some Republicans proclaiming to be like Democrats and vice versa.

Equally amusing, was watching Governor Roy Barnes (D) campaign for re-election on his education platform. If my sources are correct, Georgia SAT scores have slipped from 48th in the nation to dead last, at 50th. One wag said that, at this rate of educational success, the nation will need to add two more states to the union if the governor is returned to office. For his part, the governor's spokesmen have declared that reforming education in Georgia is a bit like turning a battleship around. Others would argue that, under Democrats, who have occupied the governor's mansion for some 130 years, the ship sunk long ago. After all, the last Republican governor in Georgia was Benjamin F. Conley, who served from 1871-1872. So the Democrats can claim full responsibility for the educational situation in this state.

Some things about the campaigns were not so amusing. The Republican candidate for senator, Saxby Chambliss, appeared, in his advertising, to challenge the courage of incumbent Democratic Senator Max Cleland. The Republican campaign ran a TV ad featuring the images of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, claiming that Senator Max Cleland lacked the "courage to lead" at a time "America faces terrorists and extremist dictators." This despite the fact that Senator Cleland, running for a second term, lost both legs and his right arm to a grenade blast as a U.S. Army captain during the Vietnam War. His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss, did not serve in the military even though he was of prime draft age in the Vietnam era.

One can justly challenge much about Senator Cleland. If one is a conservative, there is a great deal about Cleland's voting record that could be scrutinized and criticized. But to question, even by inference, the courage of Cleland, who was awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action, was beneath contempt. Cleland has more than proved his courage by fighting and sacrificing for this nation in Vietnam. Max Cleland likely has more courage in his remaining arm than most people do in their whole body. This aspect of campaign advertising was despicable and shameful.

Speaking of shameful, the prize of the year has to go to those Democrats in Minnesota who turned a sacred funeral ceremony for Senator Paul Wellstone, who, along with his wife, daughter, and several staff members, was killed in an airplane crash, into a blatant, disgusting, and inappropriate political rally. Even Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who is not easily shocked, was appalled and walked out of the so-called "funeral." The Vice-president of the United States was asked not to attend and

Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, who attended the service in respect for his fallen Senate colleague, was actually booed by attendees. Whatever else the Democrats who were present at the shameful affair proved, they conclusively demonstrated that they had no sense of decorum, no sense of the sacred, and no pretense of class.

There were bright spots in the Georgia electoral process. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was defeated in the primaries which is a good thing for Georgia at the national level. Her father Billy McKinney, who served in the Georgia state legislature was also defeated in the primaries which is a good thing for Georgia at the state level. It doesn't really matter who was elected to replace them. Anybody is bound to be less embarrassing for Georgia.

But, thankfully, it's all over now. The campaign signs have now been tossed unceremoniously into the dumpsters and the television airwaves have been purified of political advertising. It will all start up again in the not-too-distant future but, for now, the elections are history and the politicians can go back to ignoring their constituents and re-opening their doors to lobbyists. In other words, it's back to business as usual.

Father David Epps is rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the Coweta/Fayette County area of south metro Atlanta. He may be contacted at 770-252-2428, at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ctkcec.org.

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