Why I am voting this year for John Kerry

Carlos T Mock, MD

I want to take a minute to talk to you about the election. 

·        More than ever before, I feel like whoever wins this election will have a big impact on so many things in our world.  The war in Iraq will be a huge issue, but closer to home, well – the impact will be no less dramatic.  Because of who I am and who I love, I have to tell you that I believe voting for a candidate that supports equality for ALL Americans, no matter what their sexual identity or orientation, no matter their race or gender, religious background or ability is the most important thing I can do for our country. Knowing that I am safe because we have a president who would support my right to live my life as I see fit is something that matters so very much to me.  The Kerry/Edwards campaign supports civil unions with all the legal rights of marriage. Although I believe in God, I personally do not believe in any organized religion. I would not care if my union would not be called “marriage”.  I would never care to have my union “blessed” by any church.  I just care for the 1043 rights that come with it.  Kerry/Edwards also oppose the Federal Marriage act and any attempt to amend the U. S., Constitution to deny me the right to form a civil union with all the legal recognition of marriage.  They also support the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) to guarantee my rights in the workplace

On Defense

• Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or weapons of mass destruction. They were never a threat to the USA.  You could even claim that it was a distraction from the real culprit: Osama bin Laden, who because of the war preparations for Iraq, got away and has never been brought to justice. Mr. Bush failed me on his solemn promise:  “they can run, but they can’t hide.  They will be brought to justice.” 

• I am willing to give President Bush the credit for the case that a democratic Iraq will be good for American interests; but their mishandling of the aftermath of the Iraq war has resulted in the reverse of the original intent.  By eliminating every possible sense of order and not replacing it with an alternative, the Bush administration is responsible for one of the biggest crimes against humanity.  Three out of four Iraqis hate us.  The country is a harbor for terrorists. Innocent Iraqis are dying everyday.  Chaos reigns.  By going to war alone and on false intelligence, he has not been able to give the peace any legitimacy.

• After 9/11, Mr. Bush united us as a country. I was moved.  He made me safe.  Yet his lack of leadership, and his style of command where his “gut feelings” and his “conversations with God” overrode his closest military and civilian advisers have led to the biggest catastrophe in the Middle East, called by some “Mess –o-Potamia”.  You could argue that he has, on the way, made new alliances: Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.  Personally I would feel better with our NATO allies who in the first Iraq war paid for 90% of all costs, and provided real manpower to help us fight.After 9/11

Domestic Issues:

• True, Mr. Bush passed a no child left behind law, but it has not been funded adequately.  Today, a child in Iraq has a better chance of getting an education than a poor child in our country and we are paying that bill.   Too much money has gone to Iraq and our domestic programs are mostly unfunded.

• You could argue that his tax cuts have helped the economy, but unfortunately, had Mr. Bush concentrated more on tax cuts for the middle class instead of the top one percent bracket, the boost would have been real (it would have probably created more jobs).  We also need to mention the interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve that have made cash available for economic stimulus. This is what finally brought money into the middle class and is probably more responsible for any stimulus real or not.

• Every president that goes to war has always had to increase our taxes to pay for the war. This president, in his stubborn style of rule, by deciding to “stay the course” has taken a 300 billion dollar surplus and turned it into a 1 trillion dollar deficit.  Some claim that this is not relevant and that we have done it before.  But let me alert you to some facts:

• Japan’s government that borrows 10-year money at 1.5% and then reinvests it in US treasuries at 4% stopped increasing its purchases in March.  The Chinese moved to also scale down investments in US treasuries.  This is the reason to be concerned with the US current deficit, which tops 5% of GDP.  Both China and Japan are fearful of a dollar crash.  Today the dollar closed at its lowest level since before 9/11: 1:26 dollars/Euro.  This along with the record high price for oil dropped the stock market to its lowest level of the year.  If the market closes again down for the year, this would be the 4^th year in a row that this has happened.  This has not occurred since the Depression of 1929.  .

• This is the first president that has failed to create a net gain in jobs (not to mention the fact that most of his “new jobs” are on the federal payroll) since the depression years.  Most of the jobs created by the new recovery pay much lower salaries than the ones that were lost.  One in four children lives in poverty and under his watch another 4 million people lost their medical insurance to bring the total to 45 million insured. 

• Medical care for the American people is a disgrace.  Fewer and fewer people can afford it.  The recent flu vaccine fiasco is another example where poor planning has occurred under his watch.   Federal regulations need to be altered to cover the basic needs of all of our citizens.  I find it amusing that the government will cover the cost for erectile dysfunction medications (Viagra, Cialis) but will deny women the right to contraception.  (Birth control pills, IUD, implants).  We can’t import medications from Canada because they are unsafe, yet when we screw up with the flu vaccine we are happy to take their leftover vaccines. 

For al of these reasons I think you'll see why there is really only one obvious choice for president and I hope you'll stand with me in protecting the rights and dignity of our citizens.  I hope you’ll join me on voting for John Kerry and John Edwards on November 2^nd. 

Thanks.

Carlos T. Mock, MD

773-561-6617

Uptown

Chicago, IL