Swing Vote

So my "friend" started all of this 2 weeks ago with the following email...
Subject: : ) I do love you

Hi Maggie,
I'm not sending you this to upset you. That's the last think that I want to do. I love you, and I think SO much of you. I cry as I write this, because I don't want you to take it the wrong way. I'm afraid for our country and what was on FOX News last night scares me even more. I'm nervous about this upcoming election and the end results. I think that whoever wins, we may have riots and things, but I truly believe that if Obama gets in there, we're going to suffer greatly. He seems so radical and I'm afraid that some of our freedoms will be taken away. I truly feel that my gut feelings are real and that God is telling me something. That's why I'm sending this to you. He doesn't love God. He's filled with hate, but he hides it very well. His past is just too rocky to ignore. I know that people can change, but I feel he's hiding things, and I don't that that he's changed since then. I also don't think that we want the change that he's talking about. I don't think that a good and upright christian, believing in God, would have so many ties to terrorism. His friends have terrorized our great nation and taken the lives of so many innocent people. They've caused us SO much suffering. He knows and deals with so many shady characters and a lot of them are known to have done unspeakable things to hurt us.
The videos are frightening, but I felt the need to send them. I'll respect whatever decision that you make, but please try and see what I'm seeing. Think hard about it. I'm not wild about McCain either (but I do like Palin), but I don't feel threatened by him, and I feel that God would want for us to choose him.
Please don't be mad at me for this. I'm really just concerned and very nervous about the outcome of it all.
Love you,

Then she signed her name and there was a video of some sort that followed, which I didn't watch and wont include here b/c I don't want to give any sort of credence to any of what she has to say. I was shocked! I didn't know how to respond, so... I didn't. This past Monday, I got yet another email.

Subject: Hey. . .please read what I've got to say

Hi Maggie,

I know that you're upset with me, and I'm sorry for that. I told
you in one of the last emails that I sent you, that I wasn't
trying
to hurt you. I'm trying to get you to do the right thing. As
Christian's (and Catholics), we are for life, and to vote someone
in as President of our country who is in favor of killing innocent
unborn babies, is a grave sin. I don't want you to do that.
Please watch this video of what Obama has said about abortion. In
one part, he states that he has 2 little girls ages 6 and 9 and if
they ever make a MISTAKE, then he doesn't want them PUNISHED
(?) by
a baby. He looks at these innocent lives as mistakes and
considers
them a punishment. . .how sad. We mush remember that God gives
life, and these little ones are a gift? It's not our place to end
ones life. It's His, and he'll take us when He's ready.

None of the other things are NEAR as important as this issue.
Life comes first.

I hope that you read this to the end. I'm sure that I'll never
know if you did or not, but God knows I tried to do the right
thing.

Whether it seems like it or not, I love you and I value your
friendship.

~C

OMG! At this point, I am crying and shaking...I had no idea how to respond, but after thinking about it I responded with this...

C,
I did not respond to the last email, b/c I didn't read it and I don't intend to read this one. I read what you had to say in both, but I wont watch any videos or read any further. I would never be angry with you because you are afraid. With all the rhetoric that's being slung, it's hard to see past these things to what is right. In fact I have set up all fwds pertaining to the election to be deleted and go directly to my trash can.
I will certainly pray for you and hope you are able to see things the way I do some day, just as you hope and pray that I will see things the way you do.
I think McCain is a very nice man, I just don't want another republican in the White House. I think the republicans have had the time since 1974...Nixon...Ford...Regan...Regan...Old Bush...New Bush...New Bush, where the democrats have not. Carter...Clinton...Clinton. to reverse Rowe vs. Wade, if that was really part of their agenda as they claimed during their campaigns.

I rcvd the following advice from a very good friend after the first time you were trying to "Save" me from doing the "Wrong" thing.

1- if I wanted to remain friendly with this person I probably would not reply other than a quick “we’ll see” type email and keep it at a level of “this never really happened”
2- However, I probably would not want this person as a friend and #1 would be ignored and I would then reply:

“Don’t believe everything you read or hear!” This goes both ways…Barack Obama is not the Messiah and I understand that, but he is better than what is currently in the office and he at least presents options that are more in line with my beliefs than McCain. Secondly, although McCain is an honorable man and a true war hero his total disregard for the office of the presidency that he has displayed in choosing Palin is something I can’t ignore. She is perhaps the most ill-equipped candidate to ever be placed on a ballot for pres/VP. She makes Dan Quayle look good! Finally, if you truly want to be educated and informed you have to go to more than Fox news for your information. You should check out CNN, Fox, NBC, CBS, Google news, Washington Post, etc, etc! People who only get the news from Fox and say that all the other news sources are biased are truly uninformed. I know that some tend to be more liberal and some more conservative that is why you have to read both!

People like this are so biased and have such thick blinders on that they will ignore anything you send other than you are repenting of your sins and shortcomings and have seen the light and are now voting for McCain and Palin. However, I would end with one last statement and appeal to her Christian basis. Are we not supposed to take care of our brothers and sisters? Are we not to turn the other cheek? If a person needs a shirt are we not to give him our coat too? If all this is true (and it is in the Bible) then how do you explain: taking care of those who can’t afford insurance, providing education for everyone and not just the elite. Aren’t those the same?

And here is the real kicker. I am betting that you will send her a nice email and she will remain your friend (I am not judging, I would probably do the same) because that’s what Democrats do. We accept others with different beliefs and thoughts and we don’t judge or condemn them we agree to disagree. Liberal as defined on the web is broad: showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "tolerant ... ; having political or social views favoring reform and progress ;tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.

And that is what we do… we tolerate those who are different than us.

C, I love you too. I value you and your friendship, but these emails trying to "SAVE me from doing WRONG" have to stop. Work on someone else that has different beliefs than you. Better yet, allow people to be different. It is why this country is SO GREAT!! I never wanted to get into this. But I can no longer sit by and allow you to try and make me feel bad for who I am.
Maggie

She continued to email me, I had to block her emails and phone number b/c she called and left a big long hater voice mail!
So I fwded to some family and friends. I told them all I was going to include the above picture in my email to her, but I didn't...
Then Today, as my spirits were low I opened up my email from a friend to find this...

Now, I feel better.... I will indeed Barack The Vote!