Ask Dr. E: Is voting for the lesser of two evils still voting for evil?

OPINION:

Dear Dr. E: I would like to hear your response to those who believe voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. I’m 69 years old, and neither party seems to want to solve the divisive issues such as immigration, runaway debt, punitive taxation, detestable public schools, abortion, runaway inflation, etc., etc. All they do is keep us at each other’s throats while they pick our pockets clean. Seventy percent of us don’t want another Biden vs. Trump dog and pony show, but that’s precisely what the UniParty is going to cram down our throats. I say all this because I listen to your podcasts, read your columns, and respect your perspective. — CANDID FAN FROM WEST VIRGINIA 

Dear Candid: For me, the answer to this question lies in the word “triage.” 

I’m sure you remember the long-running 1970s-80s television series M*A*S*H, which starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce, Wayne Rodgers as “Trapper John” McIntyre, Mike Farrell as B.J. Hunnicutt, and Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter. 

You also likely recall that the entire premise of this show could be summarized by two iconic scenes that served as a common thread throughout its 11 seasons. 

First, there is the opening sequence, where the helicopters carrying wounded soldiers are met by the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) doctors, nurses, and fellow corpsmen who are rushing frantically to the landing pads to remove the tattered bodies and transport these soldiers to the operating room. Second, there is a repeated refrain where, amid the blood and butchery, the doctors have to make the excruciating decision as to which of their fellow servicemen they can save and which they can not.  

In the midst of war, the MASH unit had a job to do. The doctors and nurses had to do their best to stem the carnage. Disengagement was not an option. Even though Hawkeye, Hunnicutt, and Colonel Potter despised the situation their government had put them in, they still had to act. They were obligated to save as many human lives as possible, even while knowing that they couldn’t save everyone and that some would still die. They had to make triage decisions.  

In today’s political climate, conservative voters are in an analogous situation. We are at war. Babies are being killed. Children are being corrupted. Families are being destroyed, and our borders are being invaded. The pervasive neo-Marxism of the Democrat party is threatening the very core of our Constitutional Republic. Like a MASH doctor, we all despise the situation our government has put us in, but we still must act. We are obligated to do as much good as we can amid this mess. 

I believe this leaves us with only one choice, distasteful though it may be. Voting for one party all but guarantees the slaughter continues. Voting for the other may not completely stop the war, but it will decrease the body count. Neither option is perfect but sitting it out is not an option. Knowing that whatever we do will not stop all the world’s wrongs, we still must act. In this context, my vote is essentially a “triage” vote. 

I will vote for Donald Trump, not because I agree with his temperament or his moral libertinism. I will vote for him because he is the only candidate, at present, who will stand in the way of a greater evil.

Tim Stratton and Josh Klein, writing for “Free Thinking Ministries” put it well: 

“Why would [those] who strive to follow the Law of Christ encourage Christians to vote for an immoral man? Does this not seem hypocritical? We admit it might seem that way at first glance, but upon deeper reflection, we believe clear-thinking Christians will see why many feel this same sense of moral obligation… to not just vote for the lesser of evils but to cast a vote for Donald Trump in order to lessen evil.”

They go on. “Donald Trump does not seem to have a ’pastoral bone’ in his body. He is not a nice guy, his character is subpar, and he clearly does not understand the gospel. Be that as it may, Trump abhors [the degradation of the dystopian Left], and he is committed to fighting against this infection that has brought so much suffering to the world.”

Finally, Stratton and Klein conclude: “With that said, if an American Christian is (i) aware of [these] evils… and (ii) sincerely believes that the modern-day Democrat machine is attempting to transform America from the Land of the Free into [a neo-Marxist nightmare], then, to truly love our neighbors, said American Christian… has a moral obligation to cast a vote for Donald Trump (even if he does not like his character or some of his policies).”

Why will I vote for Donald Trump? Because when at war, triage is needed, and we are obligated to save as many as we can.

If you are seeking guidance in today’s changing world, Higher Ground is there for you. Everett Piper, a Ph.D. and a former university president and radio host, takes your questions in his weekly ’Ask Dr. E’ column. If you have moral or ethical questions for which you’d like an answer, please email askeverett@washingtontimes.com and he may include it in a future column.