I am a Canadian citizen. And, I am an American citizen. In
the interests of full disclosure, I became an American citizen in order to vote
for Al Gore. Not that it helped.
This past week I received my ballot for the November 6
presidential, state, and local elections. I’m always tempted to vote straight
ticket, but if I can find a moderate Republican or two, I’ll vote for them. I
do it for the sake of political conservation. I would hate to see that species
go totally extinct.
In any case, now that I’ve received my ballot, and have
begun considering my options, I have had an amazing insight. The problem with
the American election is that only Americans get to vote.
That’s wrong! The consequences of American policy are so
great, for so many people all around the world, that I think these people ought
also have a say in how America exercises its power. American consumption of
natural resources, contributions to global warming, farm subsidies, military
interventions and foreign (usually military) aid—the list goes on and on—are all
matters of grave concern to the world’s billions who won’t get to vote. In
fact, there is hardly any American policy that doesn’t impact the rest of the
world. Our policies are taxing most of our neighbors round the world, in spite
of their not being able to vote about who will legislate these policies.
Taxation without representation!
Worse, American politicians are quite clear that when
America acts in the world, it must do so in the American interest. Not in
Canada’s or Sudan’s or China’s. When it comes to American politics, Samaritans
are not good neighbors. Only other Americans are good neighbors. So while it is
inevitable that some American policies will also be good for at least some
none-Americans, this is merely trickle-down largesse. American policy, whether
foreign or domestic, is about putting us, ourselves and our fellow citizens
first.
This sort of America-first thinking runs contrary to a key Christian conviction. You see, before we are Americans or Canadians or
Kenyans, we must identify ourselves as Christian. The Apostle Peter says, for
example, says that Christians are “strangers and aliens” to the world, and
instead, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God.” National distinctions must give way to our
transnational—some would say “kingdom,” identity in Christ.
Among the earliest Christians, overcoming racial and
national prejudice was a big deal. Jews and gentiles had to find their identity
in Jesus—as did men and women, slaves and free. The early church was about
creating a new identity that transcended all those divides. Paul adds that
Christians are “ambassadors of reconciliation.” The image is that of a divine
political institution sending Christians into the world to remake it in Jesus’
image. For Christians the question can never be “am I better off now than four
years ago.” Rather, it must be, “are my neighbors better off now than four
years ago?”
So among Christians, there ought to be a groundswell of support
for letting other Christians, our international neighbors, vote. And since it
isn’t only Christians—but Jews and Muslims and Baha’i and Hindus who all teach
love of neighbor, we ought to throw the American election open to all people.
And yes, of course, this is written tongue in cheek. But
voting in America is a very serious matter. So what will you vote this time
around? Your pocket book? Or your brothers and sisters all around the world?
What do you think? Leave a response!
