It is now a week after the elections and it is known that "moral issues," including (banning) gay marriages, (opposing) abortion, allowing people to obtain guns and encouraging Christian prayer in public schools played a role in the re-election of President George W. Bush. I guess as an art teacher at a public school and a youth director at a Lutheran church what I don't understand is where these issues became more important to a democracy than preserving our environment or providing affordable health care to our citizens (including almost 8.5 million children who are not covered). Don't morals apply to cutting our deficit, encouraging job growth within our country, rather than rewarding corporations for sending jobs overseas? What about reaching out to all groups of people, rather than selected cross sections of our population? Also, G.W. Bush's "moral" decisions have allowed Halliburton to make billions from the war in Iraq, provided tax cuts for those who need it the least, sent young soldiers to an unnecessary war. No, "we" were too busy sending a message that abortion is never necessary in this imperfect world. Or sending the message that we want to prevent two people in love from celebrating that love and reaping the same benefits of others. Also, we send the message that in the most violent times in recent memory, everyone has plenty of access to firearms. I guess some of us (Christians) have different "moral values" than others.