In truth, my politics are very moderate. When it comes to arguments over small government vs. large government - the core issue that divides conservatives from liberals -  I see great points on both sides of the aisle. I wanted to watch both the Republican and Democratic conventions to see the best face of both parties and once again judge where my sentiments most closely alligned.

Instead, I was treated to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDx80bnFrVs

The 9/11 footage used here is insulting enough. The Republican National Committee paraded around footage of Americans dying for political gain. What's even worse is the way the video tries to simplify the narrative of the last twenty-eight years - connecting 9/11 to the Iranian hostage situation of 1980. "This enemy sworn to our destruction has been at war with us for years - this we now know," the video proclaims. The video literally makes the case for invading Iran, in the same way that the Bush administration connected 9/11 with Iraq. It's another example of how the Bush administration - and now the intended McCain administration - tries to blur realities to give the appearance that there is a solitary enemy we are fighting named "terror". It's why five years after we foolishly invaded Iraq, many Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was connected with 9/11. It's why hardly any American undestands the intricate history of the region that explains the tensions that face us. It's why the world sees Americans as ignorant.

At the end of the day, that is why I will proudly be voting for Barack Obama. I see in him a leader who has spoken and written about the details of the current situation in the Middle East with clarity and vision.

I simply can not, will not stand for another four years of deception and propoganda.